Few people would make a natural association between beer and sports – at least not a link between beer as part of better sports performance – but a German brewery is trying to change that.

Positioning its alcohol-free SKU as “a sporty thirst quencher”, Bavaria-based Erdinger has been working for many years now to establish non-alcoholic beer as an obvious choice of post-exercise beverage. Efforts have included sampling events (around 350 per year, according to the company), campaigns with fitness influencers on social media, collaborations with companies like Garmin (one of the most popular fitness watch brands), sports event sponsorships and brand ambassadors in the form of successful athletes.

In support of its sports positioning the brand focuses on the isotonic characteristics of the beer, which means that it has the same concentration of sugar and minerals as blood. This in turns means that the body is able to rehydrate faster, while the beer also provides a welcome carbohydrate boost and allows Erdinger to make claims such as “supports the regeneration process” and “recover and refuel”.

Beer’s naturally high levels of B vitamins are also used to promote Erdinger Alkoholfrei as a sports drink, with a focus particularly on vitamins B9 and B12 and their beneficial effect on immune health and physical performance.