Alcohol Free beer reviews – Orders a big mixed box of them

What they said : Früh Kölsch 0.0% alcohol free beer: it looks like a lager but it’s certainly a beer. And a very special, very refreshing beer from Cologne, Germany, at that.

A Kölsch without alcohol would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But the Früh Kölsch brewery, with 100-plus years of experience, has certainly mastered the task with Früh Kölsch 0.0% alcohol free.

Alcohol is allowed to mature fully before being removed from Früh Kölsch 0.0%. So, this beer tastes particularly delicious and contains 60% less calories than an alcoholic Kölsch.

What I say : Looks like a nice golden lager when you pour it but the head disappears quite quickly. A slightly wheat-beer like flavour is mostly drowned out by the sweetness and that strange ‘wet bread’ flavour that ruins so many a/f beers and lagers. The after taste is an underlying wheatiness but with the cloying sweetness it taste like I imagine licking a personal yeast infection would. I served it fridge cold but maybe it would be better from the freezer and chilled within an inch of it’s life?

And don’t even think about Hoegarden 0.0. In a health conscious moment (back in Feb) I bought a 4pack. Drank the first and thought WTF is this. Drank another the next day to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. Drank a third when pissed several months in the belief it might sober me up a bit. Awful stuff. The 4th lurks at the back of the fridge like an unloved step-child.

I’ve yet to actually finish an a/f beer. Tried many; they generally just get left or poured down the sink. Utterly pointless. Ditto vegan fake meat products, etc. Just a complete waste of time and effort.

the cloying sweetness it taste like I imagine licking a personal yeast infection would

Lol!

Now summer is coming to an end… here’s my summer winners…

– Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropica NA (0.5%)

https://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/beer/clwb-tropica-non-alc

– Brooklyn Special Effects (0.4%)

https://honestbrew.co.uk/shop/brooklyn-special-effects-lager/

– Mikkeller Drink’in The Sun (0.3%)

https://honestbrew.co.uk/shop/mikkeller-drinkin-the-sun-alcohol-free-american-wheat-ale/

– Salt Dobby (1%)

https://www.saltbeerfactory.co.uk/product/dobby-1-x-330ml/

I found some good dark winter AF beers last year… will start checking them out again now.

I’ve yet to actually finish an a/f beer. Tried many; they generally just get left or poured down the sink.

And as they say the first bites with the eyes. So while you might be buying bad product there are many good ones that would be hard to identify as AF in a blind taste test.

I ordered some Big Drop Pine Trail in a bar without realising it was alcohol free and bloody hell it was nice. I only found out it was alcohol free after I tasted it, though “ooo, that’s good” and picked up the can for a proper look.

It’s on the **** IPA spectrum for all you old farts though.

Mikkeller Weird Weather really surprised me after thinking non-alcoholic beer would be a non starter. Very good.

Here are the next 2 I tried, both from West Berkshire Brewery. A pilsner and a peach ale.

What they said
Pilsner First
Pouring from the can we get a golden straw coloured liquid with medium carbonation, and a decent sized white head foams up, and ends up being our companion for the majority of the drinking session. On the nose we get a good amount of leafy Saaz hops aroma mingling with some lighter malt sweetness. Very crisp, and certainly reminiscent of standard full strength ABV pilsners.

With our initial sip we get some hop bitterness which quickly progresses to a mild sweetness with light malt flavours. The bitterness remains on the tip of the tongue and the lips and is pleasantly crisp. The malt flavours dull as the drink continues, but bitterness remains and the beer retains a fair amount of body, finishing with some clean citrus. Whilst recognisable as a pilsner, this shares some similarities with a Helles-style lager.

And Peach Ale
WBB Solo Pale Ale pours a deep light golden colour with a decent head that dissipates quickly leaving a rim around the beer as you sip.

The aroma is vibrant, heady and almost sweet with pineapple and mango leading the charge with subtle hints of pine in the background. Despite the lack of head it is tightly carbonated with a soft, dry mouthfeel.

As you drink a solid hit of bitterness hits your tongue with hints of toffee and caramel following with the barest touch of tropical fruit. The bitterness can be overpowering but I like a decent hit of bitterness so it doesn’t put me off. The finish is quite dry.

What I say
Both of these are way better than the Fruh I tried first. The pilsner still has a hint of the musty yeast that seems to afflict a lot of the af beers and lagers. Still quite drinkable if you like a pilsner but I wish they could get rid of the stale yeast undertones.

The peach ale was pleasant but a bit bland. I wouldn’t have said it was particularly peachy and I did have to double check it was claiming a peach flavour and not referring to the hop type or something else. It tasted like beer but in the same way over diluted orange squash tastes. There is definitely the flavour but it is not quite making the mark.

Neither were offensive, just a bit insipid and didn’t really seem worth bothering with.

After the 2 tins I went back to a bottle ang got a real surprise with this one.

What they say:
Previously known as Kosmic Stout, Nirvana Brewery’s Dark & Rich Stout certainly puts it’s cards on the table from the start with it’s moniker alone. Have the East London brewers nailed the deep dark flavours of a stout with only using gentle fermentation as their weapon of choice?

Pouring from the bottle we get a jet black liquid and a thin beige head that quickly diminishes as we drink. On the nose we get wholemeal bread, with a background of dried fruit and a whiff of dark chocolate. From the colour of the beer I was expecting more of a roasted aroma.

Roasted malts do make more of a presence upon tasting, though not strongly so. There are a number of ‘dark flavours’ at work here, liquorice, raisin and treacle to name a few, but the bready flavour continues to maintain in residence. It almost reminds me of a slightly underbaked Christmas cake (minus the booze of course!). The flavours diminish as you drink more, leaving a dry finish.

What I say
I will start by saying I didn’t like the beer but follow that with saying I would recommend you try it. The flavour is intense. I really struggle to describe it and their description above is as good as any. The colour of the beer really does not prepare you for the mix of flavours which seem far fruitier and slightly sweet but not in the unpleasant sweetness of some others. It is a proper decision to make the beer taste like this. A really distinctive and striking flavour that I don’t particularly like but if you do then this is a proper go to choice. I am actually recommending a beer I don’t personally like.

I’ll look out for that one.

I wasn’t going to have any more but was so encouraged by the Nirvana beer I thought I would try another dark beer, Sam’s brown ale.

What they say:
Dark brown in colour with mahogany highlights and a lingering tight head. The nose is malt forward and the beer is dry and satisfying with a roast barley finish. The dry malty character is an excellent complement to spicy food.

What I say
Another okay but non-descript beer with the fusty yeast backdrop. I guess I was going to be disappointed after the last one, much as the tins were always going to taste better that then one before them. A drinkable beer-like fluid but too sweet with the af yeastiness that puts me off.

I’m really happy that my preferred AF beer is Becks Blue, as it’s both cheap and easily available. Has to be cold though – tastes rank if not.

AF “real” ales don’t do it for me – they’re always a bit odd tasting and not quite the real thing.

It’s weird, as I’ve always been a bit of a real ale snob and never have (still don’t) like lager including normal Becks.

Maybe that’s why – the Becks Blue is to me just a refreshing drink rather than a poor imitation of something else. Kind of a gateway drug to having a “normal” soft drink – maybe elderflower cordial or something is in my future.

A few quick ones worth picking upfrom memory…

Franzenkeiner was actually pretty good.
Erdinger blue is very drinkable but it’s clearly fizzy pop.
All the last drop stuff is good, the stout is very nice. – unusually most of it actually tastes like beer.
Old speckled hen is an entirely passable beverage.
Adnams ghost ship is pretty good.
Guinness 0% is actually not bad, its a bit thin but it’s a lot better than I expected and was a completely acceptable £3.50 for a four pack in morrison.
Bavaria wit is good if you can find it but again a bit like fizzy pop.

I’ll keep an eye out for the stout you mention.

Don’t try the st Peters.

Generally the thing with af beer is, a bit like instant coffee, if you forget what it’s trying to be it can be pretty good. If you drink most of it wanting it to be beer it’s going to be very disappointing.

Served proper cold on a hot day, I think the Heineken one is pretty good. Perfect as you’re putting the bike away after a hot ride.

Wouldn’t disagree Jon. I was genuinely taken aback by the Heineken 0.0. as someone who mostly drinks ale and needs a lager to have some real character I like it.

Franzenkeiner was actually pretty good.

Erdinger blue is very drinkable but it’s clearly fizzy pop

I enjoy wheat beer and one of these suits me down to the ground but i can’t for the life of me remember which one I like and which one I think is nothing like the real deal. 😀

Neither is as good as the Mikkeller Drink’in The Sun, and neither is the Hoegarden.

WCA. You need your own YouTube channel doing this!
Honest Brew have a good selection. I’ve found the German alcohol free beers the best. However Thornbridge zero five was really nice they also do another 0% beer but the name alludes me at the moment.
Agree with the Tiny Rebel one, that is very nice the Tropica.

Smashed citrus, citrus beer is pretty good and UK brewed, cirtainly has a citrus range to it. And their cider actually isn’t bad either – it taste more like a scrumpy than others I’ve had, which are usually just too similar to Apple tago.

Currently I’m on Free Star, out of the bottle its great and I went through a case pretty quick. however out of a can, you really need to put it in a glass to get the best from it otherwise it has that metallic tinge so I’m not enjoying it as much.

Budweiser non alcoholic beer is great out of a can however if you can find it (white can), possiblity one of the best big brands out there.

If I’m out and about I like Peroni Libera which most bars have rather than Becks blue etc.

Good analogy of Erdinger Af as fizzy pop. Its my usual hot day refreshment with the bonus of being isotonic? One AF that has stuck in my mind is San Miguel 0% but not sure if it was the awesome meal or the beer but drinkable. On the drinking at home Im working my way through Budweiser prohibition and lidl Patronus as an Erdinger AF alternative ( half the price).

Bought an explorer box of big drop from Waitrose. When I got home I realized it is AF. Nevertheless as far as AF beers go it is up there with Ghost ship. Due to the variety of flavours it gets my vote as best AF beer brand.

I tried some Tiny Rebel Space Cake recently – it’s an oat milk mocha stout. Bloody lovely but it’s more like pudding than beer.

Currently my fridge is full of Erdinger, Ghost Ship and Solo Pale Ale.

Had a few Space Cakes last winter… as you say, pudding in a glass. Great for sitting by the fire after a meal. Served bloody cold, of course.

I’ve been trying out the af pale ale and lager from Days recently. It’s the best af I’ve tried so far, it doesn’t seem to have the overly sweet, almost syrup like nature of some af beers. I wouldn’t say it quite matches up to a decent “proper” beer but it’s been good enough that I’ve not really missed drinking in the last few weeks.

I’m not a lager fan at all but the 0% Lidl lager is good and refreshing cold on a hot day.

If only they sold it in the 12pack instead of 4s.

just finished making jewellery in the studio ready for tomorrows Punk Pedlar sale in Romsey (weather permitting so expect some more reviews from me shortly.

I’m almost ashamed to say it but I’ve bought a few fridge packs of the Bavaria 0.0, it was a bit malty to begin with but consumed ice cold, having got back from a ride on a hot day, it’s perfect. Also fewer calories than a can of coke, etc.

Well I was pleasantly surprised by this one. After the abomination that was the other Fruh I tried I thought I would get this one out the way early today.

They say :
The delicious mix of lemonade and alcohol-free Kölsch 0.0% is isotonic, rich in vitamins and absolutely invigorating.
Mild malt and straw aroma with a note of bitterhops. A drinkable beer with a good balance, hoppy with a dry finish

I Say
Tastes like those cans of ‘shandy’ you could buy as kids but with a nice hit of lemon. Served cold it is a refreshing very weak lemonade shandy. You wouldn’t want too many I guess but fresh from the fridge was oak, just nothing like a beer.

I must be on a roll tonight. I appear to have ordered 2 of these by mistake but am currently enjoying the second can as I type.

They Say
Lucky 777 Tripel is a new one for us and the first Tripel style non-alcoholic beer we have heard of or tasted. Tripel is a beer style originating in Westmalle, Belgium and in the full strength world has a high ABV. They are a deep gold in colour and have spice, fruit and bitterness throughout. Rok Soba’s version is also brewed in Belgium and is an amber colour. On the nose is the fruitiness you’d expect – we get orange peel. The taste is quite sweet and remains pleasant to drink throughout with dried fruits, caramel and sweet spice there.

I say
I would agree with them. Tastes like a Belgian lager with a slight orange sweetness but nothing like the artificial levels of sweetness in some of these. You can tell it is without alcohol but it is a pleasant enough drink. The fact I poured the second can straight after finishing ther first is a good recommendation. Probably my favourite so far but I am hoping to find something with more bitter and less sweet.

Oh, iirc brooklyn special effects was very good

The only one I have ever found to be acceptable is the Brewdog Punk AF, although I like the idea of the Guinness 0.0 so will be giving that a try.

The only one I have ever found to be acceptable is the Brewdog Punk AF, although I like the idea of the Guinness 0.0 so will be giving that a try.

Based on my personal opinion of both and your opinion of the punk, I’d say you’re going to dislike the Guinness, quite a lot.

I seem to recall punk af tasting like I’d forgotten to flush the lines before I put the carling back on (which is to say like a somewhat improved carling with a strange mouth feel and a purple tinge).

I like adnams ghost ship at 0.5%. Technically not alcohol free but close enough

I tried some Tiny Rebel Space Cake recently – it’s an oat milk mocha stout. Bloody lovely but it’s more like pudding than beer.

As much as I love Tiny Rebel (especially a cold Cwtch!), oat milk mocha stout is really trying too hard.

I’m on an enforced booze break, and I’ve tried a few different alcohol free beers some that are mentioned in this thread and I just find them all a bit too sweet.
Are there any that have a bit more of a bitter taste? I’m not really into the fruity pale ales and prefer something malty/hoppy and even better if it’s cold and carbonated but I can live without that if the taste is good.

Best I’ve found so far is Ghostship. I tried a Doombar at the weekend, not impressed and wont make that mistake again.

So while you might be buying bad product there are many good ones that would be hard to identify as AF in a blind taste test.

Well I tried my first ever AF beer last night – @&$% me – it was awful. In a blind taste test I would have thought it was off and would have spat it out (it tasted in no way at all like a beer) – it had a really sickly-sweet taste and a sustained ‘saccharin’ after-taste that I couldn’t get rid of it all evening, even after eating.

It was Erdinger Blue.

Next time I will just have a soft drinks like I normally do when not drinking.

A shit AF beer doesn’t mean all AF beer is shit… but you know that.

I really like the WBB solo pale ale but I don’t think it mentions anything about peach anywhere.

A shit AF beer doesn’t mean all AF beer is shit… but you know that.

Yes I do, but it has been recommended previously on STW (including on this thread) so I thought I would try it and it hasn’t given me any cause for optimism that any others will be significantly better unfortunately.

A shit beer doesn’t mean all beer is shit… but at least you’re still drinking an actual beer so it’s not a total waste.

I’ve completely given up on AF beers. I’ve yet to find one I like and I’m not enjoying the journey of discovery.

I’ve found I much prefer low alcohol beers (2% – 3% ABV) if I feel the need to avoid getting too pissed.