Aldi Germany's Beer Section Has Us Jealous
Aldi's reputation for being budget-friendly is well-established, but it's a notably different shopping experience than many are used to. To cut costs, Aldi stocks fewer brands, with 90% of the goods on its shelves being private label products. This is why a recent post by Redditor u/icantfindagoodlogin has been causing a stir. Shoppers from around the world on the r/Aldi subreddit got a glimpse at the incredible selection of beers available at German Aldi stores, and they are turning bottle green with envy.
Germany is the home of Aldi, which started as a small family store in Essen in 1913. The country has a long-standing love affair with beer. Consequently, German drinkers are protected by a set of strict and ancient regulations called the Reinheitsgebot, which has guaranteed the purity of ingredients in beer since 1516. However, the law isn't just about what can go into beer. One of the original intentions behind passing the Reinheitsgebot over 500 years ago was to keep prices reasonable, which, along with comparatively lower taxes on beer, sizable consumer demand, and highly efficient brewing practices, may explain how German Aldi can have such a great selection at such a low cost.
Comparing the beer sections in Aldi US and Aldi Germany
The American Aldi beer range contains 11 beers, each of which is one of the grocery giant's brands, brewed by several domestic and international breweries. The selection includes enough lagers, IPAs, and ales to cover the bases, and like everything at Aldi, it does so at a price point that customers love. Aldi fan and Redditor u/Weaubleau commented that "U.S. Aldi beer is just okay, it saves you money, but when you drink it, you think about the money you saved, not how good the beer is."
Conversely, as seen in a photo uploaded to Reddit, German Aldi carries a wide range of German beers from some of their most famous and historic breweries. u/geedislives declared, "I'm envious of that beer selection. Paulaner is my favorite brewery. I've tried the beer in U.S. Aldi, and it's drinkable, but I mostly leave it alone." Not all commenters felt frustrated with the revelation, though. u/Humble_Plantain_5918 quipped, "The huge beer section made me laugh just because of how German that is." Indeed, a quick search for "bier" on Aldi Germany's website turns up 275 products. Although many of them are Aldi brands, duplicate listings, or non-beer products that happen to have the word "bier"' in the name, that's still an order of magnitude more choice than you can get at Aldi U.S. That kind of imbalance is enough to make anyone jealous.