Interesting thread. I would, like many, have assumed it was obvious why people drink AF booze.
I generally have a couple of ciders of a weekend, not a heavy drinker at all, but this thread has inspired me, so i will hunt down some AF options tonight and give them a spin over the weekend.
If anyone knows which supermarkets stock Brooklyn, do post up here.
Fresh case of WBB Solo arrived c/o this morning's Postie, along with a few normal beers to try.
Shipyard low tide for me, ghost ship comes a close second.Erdinger up there as well
looked for this thread to recommend the shipyard low tide that ive just had. probably the only low alcohol (0.5%) that ive drank and hadnt had that 'horrible' taste in my mouth.
recently taken to drinking beavertown neck oil as my favourite 'regular' tipple, and i was amazed that i found that they seemed to taste the same. asked my wife what she thought without mentioning the beavertown and yep, youve guessed it.
lovely straight out of the fridge, this is now going to be my AF beer of choice.
Brewdog appear to be offering all their popular beers in AF form, not tried them other than punk and nanny state.
Bowness Bay make a swan 0.5% ipa, I’ve found it in Booths? The 0% Leffe is good too.
I'd like some alcohol free beers for Christmas, any more recent recommendations?
Perhaps a bit too mainstream but I still really rate Guinness 0.0. I'll follow this revived thread with interest.
St Peters, dark from Tesco, gold from Morrisons- very malty. Guinness 0.0% Brooklyn Brewery special effects, Athletic brewing co. Run wild and Upside Dawn, Lucky Saint and Freedamn lager - on offer at Tesco. There’s many more including Leffe blonde which is very acceptable £4.50 for six at Tesco at the moment- hope this helps!
Bellfield Brewery - Fire Island IPA https://www.bellfieldbrewery.com/collections/gluten-free-beer/products/gluten-free-beer-fire-island-ipa
Schneider Weiss - Alkoholfrei
Also second the recommendations for Guinness 0 and Free Damm
The best I’ve tried is Adnams Ghost
Looking like a chart topper here
Infinite Sessions - I have a monthly subscription and, having tried most of the rest, have settled on these. IPA and Pale Ale.
Nanny states pretty dire has a metallic aftertaste to me.
Hazy AF is the most like drinking a beer I find. I buy it by the 48 direct from their website as it's hard to find in sbops.
Elvis AF is nasty.
Punk AF is the most common to find on tap out and about and is quite drinkable.
I also like the lidl af lager - FiL put me onto that.
Peroni AF is much and such the same as their regular if you like that sort of thing.
I've got some Pure Shores and some Tropical Shores ready for collection tomorrow from Big Smoke Brewery in Esher tomorrow. Probably not a lot of good unless you're local!
Other than that, I still recommend the Brooklyn Special Effects which I can get in my local Sainsburys and Waitrose. I quite like Lucky Saint as well, also from Sainsburys and they apparently have a new beer out but not managed to try that yet
Impossibrew Pale.
+1 for Guinness 0%
Lucky Saint on draught is perfectly drinkable if you can find it. Fine out of a bottle too.
Leffe Blonde 0% is decent as well.
I’d like some alcohol free beers for Christmas, any more recent recommendations
Probably too late for Christmas, but DryDrinker have a huge selection for delivery...i particularly like the óllenaut kaineken ones, especially the smoked porter.
https://williamsbrosbrew.com/products/joker-af
This is my current favourite. More than acceptable imitation of the full bore Joker and available in Aldi.
For my part the AF Asahi is an excellent lager. The Brooklyn Brewery AF one is also pretty good and flavoursome.
Personally I can't be doing with Nanny State - it's undrinkably bitter to me. Punk AF isn't too bad though.
Best one of all is by Brulo though - their 7 Hop 7 Grain and Lust for Life DDH IPAs are genuinely excellent IMO - I prefer them to many alcoholic beers.
I’ve got some Pure Shores and some Tropical Shores ready for collection tomorrow from Big Smoke Brewery in Esher tomorrow. Probably not a lot of good unless you’re local!
as it happens I am - do they have a sales room that you can just call into, or is it collection only?
Another +1 for Guinness 0% - excellent stuff, so good infact one of my local pubs is charging £6.50 for a can🤬
Lucky Saint IPA and the Big Drop Pine Trail are both ok. Not amazing but ok, and more summery stuff than Christmas non-boozing.
That Brooklyn beer looks promising and is on offer at Tesco's.
so good infact one of my local pubs is charging £6.50 for a can
That's outrageous; I picked up a 4 pack for I think a fiver, or you can get a 10 pack for a tenner. Even allowing a pub premium, there's no duty to pay. Pubs should be incentivised to provide AF beers or softies at low price particularly this time of year.
That Brooklyn beer looks promising and is on offer at Tesco’s.
The Brooklyn one is probs the best of the lot we've found.
Pubs should be incentivised to provide AF beers or softies at low price particularly this time of year.
Pubs have always had a ridiculous profit margin on soft drinks, it's nothing new
Brooklyn special effects is good as is Thornbridge zero five,
as it happens I am – do they have a sales room that you can just call into, or is it collection only?
They have a tap room at the same premises where I have previously just turned up and made a selection from the fridges behind the bar and they've boxed it up for me. This time around I did a click and collect as I didn't want to chance it with it being Christmas. Unless you are in Esher anyway might be worth giving them a call before you make the journey
https://www.bigsmokebrew.co.uk/
I'll be at Garsons farm raiding their cheese counter so practically next door either tomorrow or Saturday
I think the lady on the phone today said they were only open half day this Saturday (could have misremembered), again might be worth a check
Interesting about the big smoke af beers as we have one of there puba in Chi that it's my backup choice in town.nl Will have to investigate if they have any of the af beers in.
Brooklyn special effects
Ghost ship
Guinness
in that order
This brewery does some lovely AF options, if you can find it near you.
https://www.onlywithlove.co/collections/af-beers-page
My current favourites are Leffe (Tescos) and Beavertowns Lazer Crush (Sainsburys) but I'm more than happy to drink Erdinger.
Lucky Saint lager is a refreshingly clean taste.
I find the .5% ciders very agreeable too.
Who sells the Brooklyn one or do I have to buy it online?
AF beers and ciders have taken me from one or two nights off a week to a regular 4 days a week, happy days indeed and it only takes one to hit the spot 🙂
Yet another vote for Guinness 0%
also a fan of the Aldi pilsner which is £3 for 6 bottles.
Lucky Saint also a decent lager.
When at home I enjoy those AF ones as much as the full fat beers
Thanks swdan, I'll have a look once the Xmas rush is over...
I'm still undecided on the Guiness one but I'd like to try a proper pint of it if such a thing exists.
I talk to lots of people about these things. For those folks that only drink in social situations, they think its madness to spend money on AF stuff but to those of us that struggle not to have a drink, they are a revelation and quite possibly a life saver. Worth every penny 🙂
My go to’s for parties, bbqs etc
Shipyard Low Tide
Brewdog Elvis Juice AF
Guinness 0.0
Went through quite a period of drinking AF beers. My favourites in no particular order are....
Lager - Brooklyn brewery special effects
Ale - Adnams ghost ship
Guinness - Guinness 0%
Find Heineken 0% in a bottle ok as well and stocked in lots of places. For some reason I don't like it from a can 🤷♂️
Will be 6 years teetotal in mid Jan.
My top 3:
1.Guinness zero (my every other day drink as it's just so so good and easily obtainable/cheap)
2. Samuel Smiths Sam's Brown Ale 0.5 (if you like it rich and caramely, defo a sit by an open fire in winter drink).
3.Bristol Beer Factory Clear Head 0.5 (pale, citrusy, light, summery drink)
It's got to be the Guinness 0 for me. Nearly all the others just have a sweet sickly after taste but the Guinness almost nails it.
3.Bristol Beer Factory Clear Head 0.5 (pale, citrusy, light, summery drink)
This is a great beer! i'm a Coeliac so it's even harder to get non alcoholic and gluten free beer but this one seems to be found ina. few pubs/bars lately.
I gave up booze 2 months ago
I ordered a load from drop bear beer this week
which are also gluten free. Will report back
