Lausitzer

The Lausitzer operation is one of the larger food businesses in eastern Germany, with around 170 employees and a product range that spans fruit juices, canned goods, soups, and seasonal drinks. Their portfolio runs across multiple brands including Waldkauz, Rokoma, and Naturwerk, alongside the Lausitzer name itself. They also co-pack for other businesses and supply the hospitality trade, which gives you a sense of the scale.

The product that brings Lausitzer into the alcohol-free drinks world is the Dresdner Striezel Punsch. This is a non-alcoholic mulled fruit punch inspired by the drinks served at the Dresdner Striezelmarkt, one of Germany's oldest Christmas markets. The recipe draws on a tradition from the Lockwitzgrund cider mill near Dresden, and the result is a warming blend of fruit juices, including apple, cherry, pear, and berry varieties, spiced and balanced in the style of a traditional Glühwein without the alcohol. It's aimed squarely at families and non-drinkers who want something warming at the Christmas table rather than a glass of hot wine.

In the UK, availability is limited. Specialist German food importers stock it, and you'll occasionally find it on Amazon. In Germany itself, the product is more widely distributed through supermarkets including REWE and Kaufland.

Lausitzer is not an alcohol-free brand in any dedicated sense. The non-alcoholic punch is one product within a much broader food manufacturing business. For anyone interested specifically in AF mulled wine alternatives around Christmas, it's worth knowing the brand exists, but it sits in a different category to the dedicated AF producers.