Veltins Alcohol-Free Beers

C. & A. Veltins has brewed in Grevenstein, in the Sauerland, since 1824, it says, and it is still a family brewery: Susanne Veltins, the fifth generation, is its sole shareholder. Its alcohol-free beer in our directory is Pilsener Alkoholfrei 0,0%, a dealcoholised pilsner at 21 kcal per 100ml, Veltins says.

Who are Veltins?

The brewer’s history page says that in 1824 a small country brewery in Grevenstein began brewing beer under the German Purity Law (the Reinheitsgebot). Clemens Veltins took it over in 1852, after several years of travel, including in Milwaukee, it says. English Wikipedia names Franz Kramer as the founder of the guesthouse brewery opened in 1824, and the UK reviewer free-beer.co.uk says it was founded in 1823 by Clemens Veltins, so the accounts differ.

Clemens’s twin sons Carl and Anton ran it from 1905, and Carl Jr. succeeded his father in the early 1920s; the name “C. & A. VELTINS” dates from that period, the brewer says. Rosemarie Veltins joined the management in 1964, and in 1994 Susanne Veltins, Clemens’s great-great-granddaughter, took over the leadership of the company, the history page says.

Susanne Veltins stepped down from active management at the end of 2024, after 30 years, inside.beer reported in April 2024; she remains on the advisory board and is the sole shareholder of the family brewery. Dr Volker Kuhl, at Veltins since 1995, became head of the management on 1 January 2025, taking over from Michael Huber, Lebensmittelpraxis reported. Fabian Veltins, her nephew and a managing director since summer 2022, is being prepared for future leadership, inside.beer said, and in January 2026 Lebensmittelpraxis named Rainer Emig as sales director. The family owns it, so we list it as independent.

Pilsener, soft water and the purity law

Carl Jr. decided to brew only Pilsener-style beer, citing the brewery’s soft spring water, the brewer’s history page says; it doesn’t give a year. It brews with soft water from its seven springs, in the Naturpark Homert in the Hochsauerland, in the tradition of the German Purity Law of 1516 (the Reinheitsgebot), it says. Its hops are fresh from the harvest without exception, and it deliberately does without hop extract. It describes itself as one of Europe’s most modern private breweries.

How big is Veltins?

It brewed 3.369 million hectolitres in 2025, up 0.3%, and its alcohol-free products grew by 10.4% to 241,300 hectolitres, Lebensmittelpraxis reported in January 2026. It had about 500 employees in 2012, its history page says. English Wikipedia says Veltins ranked fourth among Germany’s best-selling beers in 2015; we haven’t found a more recent ranking.

Veltins’ alcohol-free beer

Pilsener Alkoholfrei 0,0% is, the brewer says, a bottom-fermented beer brewed in the Pilsener style and then dealcoholised, at 0.0% by volume. Veltins doesn’t say how the alcohol is removed. It’s made from water, barley malt, carbon dioxide from fermentation and hops, and Veltins lists 0.33-litre and 0.5-litre bottles and a 0.5-litre can.

Veltins gives 21 kcal (89 kJ) per 100ml, with 4.8g of carbohydrate, of which 1.8g sugars, and REWE’s listing shows the same; free-beer.co.uk gives 26 kcal, 6.33g of carbohydrate and 2.6g of sugar, which doesn’t match. The brewer describes a slim body with a fine bitterness at the start, refreshing and lively. free-beer.co.uk found it “pale golden, clear”, with bready dough, honey, a little lemon and Saaz spice, “sweet, moving to toffee malt, with low hop bitterness”. We didn’t find when it was launched.

Alcohol-free is growing at the brewery: as well as the 10.4% rise in 2025, Veltins plans an alcohol-free version of its Pülleken for 2026, Lebensmittelpraxis reported.

How Veltins compares

Alcohol-free pilsners and lagers from German breweries in our directory. Calories as published in our directory; checked 1 November 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

The Veltins beer in our directory

Checked 1 November 2026. Calories are from Veltins’ own website. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

Where to buy Veltins

On 1 November 2026 Dry Drinker listed Veltins Pilsener 0.0 in cases of six bottles for £11.34, but every pack was sold out. Wise Bartender doesn’t list Veltins. For German alcohol-free beers you can buy now, see our guide to the best German alcohol-free beer.

Facts checked against Veltins’ own website, inside.beer, Lebensmittelpraxis, REWE, Wikipedia, free-beer.co.uk and Dry Drinker, 1 November 2026.