[Drinking] Alcohol free beer

[Questions]

We’ve had some nights of moderation

 

[Normal Rob]

Cheers all. Some good recommendations
I'm not looking to give up booze, just the usual January cut back. I've done soft drinks and the like before and that always makes me yearn for the taste of beer, so that's why I want to try some good alcohol free beers. It's as simple as that.

 

[Wilko]

Guinness 0.0 for sure and I quite like the Aldi one too.

 

[wellquickwoody]

As I'm cutting back for a month or so, and I had heard that alcohol free beer has improved a lot in the 20 years or so since I last tried it, I thought that I'd get a couple of bottles in to have whilst cooking/eating dinner. Not knowing much about it I opted for Peroni Libera, as Peroni is a lager I like.

What a mistake! It's horrendous. I cannot belive that it is all this bad so could the great and the good of NSC help me to make a better choice next time please.

I have tried a fair number recently, and if this thread had been posted earlier I would have offered lots of praise, but advise to avoid the Peroni version at all costs as it is appalling.

Over here there are at least 10 mainstream alcohol free beers but most will not be available in the UK, one that is would be Heineken, which is absolutely fine. With Aussies loving afternoon drinking at BBQs, and the Police getting hotter and hotter on drink/driving, these alcohol free variants are gaining rapid traction. There are many wines which are pretty damn good, and Gordon’s 0% Gin is indistinguishable when mixed in the usual way!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Lucky Saint is supposedly good. A colleague has just left my company to head up their their technical department for draft.

 

[wellquickwoody]

What is the point?

It reduces the likelihood of talking and/or typing complete balderdash.

You should try it

 

[clapham_gull]

Lucky Saint is supposedly good. A colleague has just left my company to head up their their technical department for draft.

I really don't like it. Most non alcoholic lagers taste the same with the same strange flavour.

The only one I would drink is Heineken but has to drunk very cold. It's not brilliant, but does taste like Heineken and I'm not a huge fan of that either.

The pale ales are much better, because the hops drown out that odd taste non alcoholic beers have.

Guinness Zero is on another level though, which is why it is so difficult to buy.

And as mentioned above Gordons have done a bloody good job with their gin. Gin "should" be easy, the skill in the flavours with the alcohol somewhat of an afterthought.

However they are some horrendous pretentious and overpriced nonsense gin alternatives out there. Go for the Gordons.

I've also bought some nice non alco rum, that goes nicely with Coke. I'll try and find it.

As for "what is the point ?" - at best these make interesting drinks you can add ice, lemonade, soda lemon or lime to. Tango isn't interesting.

 

[clapham_gull]

Found it, lovely with Coke:

 

[jakarta]

A quick vote for 0.0% San Miguel, seems pretty much the same to the full fat version...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

****. I read that as 'alcohol, free beer!' and thought 'where? When?!!!'

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

A word to the wise with zero alcohol beers on draft, they have been known to start fermenting in the lines. If they are connected through existing pythons small amounts of yeast are likely to be present, this has caused the beer become alcoholic.

Some have had to be withdrawn from draft sales.

 

[BN9 BHA]

****. I read that as 'alcohol, free beer!' and thought 'where? When?!!!'

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

A few observations about this thread and AF beer generally:

- good on the OP for starting it and for looking for ways to reduce his alcohol intake - smart.
- asking people what beer they recommend would be a recipe for disaster - we all have such varied taste, so asking for AF recommendations is similarly fraught
- many people it seems have very limited experience of AF beers, so their reference is pretty narrow
- which means they may tend to either dismiss AF beers and/or they recommend pretty poor, widely available drinks
- AF beer is misunderstood, leading to the inevitable "what's the point?" comments (see all the other 'going dry' threads on here is you want to understand that - there is some complex and deep rooted beliefs being challenged here - and they won't change without a fight)
- In some countries AF beer is 0.5% or lower. In the UK, only 0.0% can be called AF. Here, 0.5% is called Low Alcohol
- if beer has less than 0.5%, the body will process the alchol more quickly than you can absorb it, so it is in effect AF
- yes there can be more alcohol in a very ripe banana than Low Alc beers
- there are some amazing producers of AF beer, but generally they take some finding (often online) - think about real ale before it went mainstream. There was a time when I would have told people that Websters Yorkshire Bitter was a decent pint. Sorry.
- Guiness seem to have garnered universal praise for their 0.0. I'm not a stout fan, but I've not heard a bad word

So here's a question. Does anyone fancy running a NSC AF Beer Taste Test with me? DM me if you do and we can sort out the details. I'm thinking we have a few categories (lager, bitter/IPA, stouts etc) and run a virtual tasting panel and report back to NSC to provide some considered advice. AF Beer will only grow as a category - why don't we get ahead of that?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Here's a thread on the same subject from early December, contains some more good suggestions. Merge?

https://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?391790-Non-Alcoholic-Beer-Suggestions

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

A few observations about this thread and AF beer generally:

- good on the OP for starting it and for looking for ways to reduce his alcohol intake - smart.
- asking people what beer they recommend would be a recipe for disaster - we all have such varied taste, so asking for AF recommendations is similarly fraught
- many people it seems have very limited experience of AF beers, so their reference is pretty narrow
- which means they may tend to either dismiss AF beers and/or they recommend pretty poor, widely available drinks
- AF beer is misunderstood, leading to the inevitable "what's the point?" comments (see all the other 'going dry' threads on here is you want to understand that - there is some complex and deep rooted beliefs being challenged here - and they won't change without a fight)
- In some countries AF beer is 0.5% or lower. In the UK, only 0.0% can be called AF. Here, 0.5% is called Low Alcohol
- if beer has less than 0.5%, the body will process the alchol more quickly than you can absorb it, so it is in effect AF
- yes there can be more alcohol in a very ripe banana than Low Alc beers
- there are some amazing producers of AF beer, but generally they take some finding (often online) - think about real ale before it went mainstream. There was a time when I would have told people that Websters Yorkshire Bitter was a decent pint. Sorry.
- Guiness seem to have garnered universal praise for their 0.0. I'm not a stout fan, but I've not heard a bad word

So here's a question. Does anyone fancy running a NSC AF Beer Taste Test with me? DM me if you do and we can sort out the details. I'm thinking we have a few categories (lager, bitter/IPA, stouts etc) and run a virtual tasting panel and report back to NSC to provide some considered advice. AF Beer will only grow as a category - why don't we get ahead of that?

Think I have to opt out by declaring an interest.

 

[Peteinblack]

Heineken Zero and Becks Blue both taste just like real lagers, and have fewer than 100 calories per bottle.

Some pubs are now starting to sell AF lager on draught, to cater for the growing number of health conscious (mostly) youngsters who might otherwise stop going to pubs altogether.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Heineken Zero and Becks Blue both taste just like real lagers, and have fewer than 100 calories per bottle.

Some pubs are now starting to sell AF lager on draught, to cater for the growing number of health conscious (mostly) youngsters who might otherwise stop going to pubs altogether.

And that's kind of the point I was making. I wouldn't touch normal Heinken when I was drinking, and I find the AF version equally uninteresting. Much the same for Becks. But we all like different brews - and that's the joy of beer!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Starting my usual "nearly dry January" today. I'll always have a drink on New Year's Day because I've normally got a fizz on the go at 12.01am and then it's either football or a long walk, roast and wine or both. But from 2 Jan every year I cut out the booze.

The longest I've lasted is three months and the shortest two weeks. There is normally at least one "cheat" day in there (this year it will definitely be Palace, can't do that sober whether we're allowed in the ground or not) but I normally stick to it pretty rigidly.

For me it's a route back into running and a way to detox and lose some of the Xmas weight. I get the comments about calories and also post #33 as a whole, but this for me means really drinking only water and coffee. Not only have I never seen an AF beer I like but, if I did, it really would be pointless as far as I am concerned. I'm giving up beer as much as I'm giving up alcohol. Switching to me is like those smokers who never gave up but went on to the ultra low tar Silk Cut for a week or two before going back to the proper fags,

 

[Butch Willykins]

I usually do 6 months off the booze every year. The choice of AF options now is incredible compared to 4/5 years ago. I find the comments about “why bother” baffling - it’s just a drink!

Obviously everyone has different tastes, but my current favourites are…..

Brooklyn Special Effects
Brewdog Punk AF
Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropica Non Alc
Maisel’s Weiss AF Weiss Beer
Mikkeller Drink’in The Sun

Not tried the Guinness option but will give it a go for sure.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

A few observations about this thread and AF beer generally:

- good on the OP for starting it and for looking for ways to reduce his alcohol intake - smart.
- asking people what beer they recommend would be a recipe for disaster - we all have such varied taste, so asking for AF recommendations is similarly fraught
- many people it seems have very limited experience of AF beers, so their reference is pretty narrow
- which means they may tend to either dismiss AF beers and/or they recommend pretty poor, widely available drinks
- AF beer is misunderstood, leading to the inevitable "what's the point?" comments (see all the other 'going dry' threads on here is you want to understand that - there is some complex and deep rooted beliefs being challenged here - and they won't change without a fight)
- In some countries AF beer is 0.5% or lower. In the UK, only 0.0% can be called AF. Here, 0.5% is called Low Alcohol
- if beer has less than 0.5%, the body will process the alchol more quickly than you can absorb it, so it is in effect AF
- yes there can be more alcohol in a very ripe banana than Low Alc beers
- there are some amazing producers of AF beer, but generally they take some finding (often online) - think about real ale before it went mainstream. There was a time when I would have told people that Websters Yorkshire Bitter was a decent pint. Sorry.
- Guiness seem to have garnered universal praise for their 0.0. I'm not a stout fan, but I've not heard a bad word

So here's a question. Does anyone fancy running a NSC AF Beer Taste Test with me? DM me if you do and we can sort out the details. I'm thinking we have a few categories (lager, bitter/IPA, stouts etc) and run a virtual tasting panel and report back to NSC to provide some considered advice. AF Beer will only grow as a category - why don't we get ahead of that?

Re: bit in bold above, PUNK AF is labelled ALCOHOL FREE IPA. It's also labelled 0.5% ABV. Does that mean it's mis-labelled? Asking for a friend