The non-alcoholic beer market is exploding. From big brands like Heineken to small craft brewers like Big Drop… People are opting to drink dry more than ever before. As a father of two, there are occasions when I fancy a drink but can’t.
Maybe I need an amazing night’s sleep, maybe I don’t want to feel groggy in the morning, maybe I’ve still got the bedtime routine to get through, or maybe we’re just off on a family day out and I’m driving. Non-alcoholic beers should be the perfect thing, but are they?
With thanks from our sponsor DryDrinker.com, I’ve taste tested 24 different non-alcoholic beers to give you the lowdown on what’s worth trying the next time you throw a family-friendly BBQ.
Oh, and don’t get me wrong…they’re not all good. Watch out for one video where I almost throw up; I swear they messed up on that brew!
Rothaus Alkoholfrei vs. Birra Moretti ZERO
Birra Moretti ZERO (Blonde beer)
5/10
A little aroma. Absolutely nothing in terms of flavour. I love a Moretti but this Italian beer fails to deliver a single punch. It’s too light and tasteless.
Rothaus Hefe Weizem Alkoholfrei (Wheat beer)
7/10
Quite a bit of flavour and is damn gassy. A good head on it. Would go down well for the occasions when you can’t drink alcohol. The bottle holds a substantial 50cl too, whereas most non-alcoholic beers are the 33cl. That’s more bang for your buck.
Krombacher Weizen v Mikkeller Drink In The Sun
Krombacher Weizen
6/10
Nasty brown gunk. Dark cloudy complexion. Fruity aroma. Nothing to back it up by way of taste and mouthfeel.
Mikkeller – Drink in the sun
8/10
Fruity aroma (quite powerful). This is a solid beer. The aroma is backed up with fruity notes and a definite little kick to finish at the back of your throat. Drink this with a BBQ.
Bernard S vs. Palm NA
Bernard S
9/10
Wow. Amazing. Tastes like a real beer. A great crisp lager. No particular head on it.
Palm NA
9/10
A lovely beer here. Honey colour. Bit of caramel flavour. Little bit of a head.
Super Bock vs. Bitburger Drive
Super Bock
8/10
Crisp. Tad Wheaty. Tad Fruity. Light enjoyable beer. Has a solid beer aroma which many non-alcos don’t.
Bitburger Drive
7/10
Lacks flavour. Lacks aroma. Definitely taste and feels like a non alcoholic beer.
Nanny State v Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Brewdog Nanny State
9/10
A lot of depth. Crisp. Very hoppy and strong tasting. A great hoppy aroma. Incredible for a non alcoholic beer.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei
8/10
A great wheat beer. Added isotonic, folic acid and vitamin B12. No aroma. Light crisp taste.
Cobra Zero vs. Heineken 0.0%
Heineken Zero
6/10
Not much aroma. Tastes and feels like an alcoholic beer. Bit gassy. Solid replacement for a regular lager.
Cobra Zero
4/10
Bit malty. Good malty aroma. Sweet malty taste. Too sugary. Slight plastic / cheap finish.
Big Drop Citrus Pale Ale vs. Bernard Cherry
Big Drop Citrus Pale Ale
10/10
Amazing! Hint of lime. Light caramel finish. Excellent crisp mouthfeel.
Bernard Cherry
4/10
Cherry aroma, colour and taste. It’s not a beer, surely?!
Innis & None Pale Ale vs. Mikkeller Drink In Berliner
Innis and none IPA
6/10
Strange grassy / floral aroma. Includes Ginseng and Guarana. A little hoppy. The aroma is off-putting.
Mikkeller – Drink in Berliner
0/10
Horrible. Wheaty look. Tastes like gone-off lemonade. Gunk in the bottle. Strong off-putting aroma.
Clausthaler vs. Paulaner Munchner Hell Alkoholfrei
Clausthaler
7/10
A tad malt sweetness. A solid crisp lager.
Paulaner Munchner Hell Alkoholfrei
6/10
The very first ever non-alco beer. Doesn’t have much of aroma or taste. Doesn’t offer much.
St Peter’s Without vs. Leeds Alcohol Free Pale Ale
Leeds Brewery Alcohol Free Pale Ale
8/10
Well rounded beer. Amber look. Not much going on in terms of aroma.
St Peter’s Without
7/10
Very malty. Smells malty. Tastes malty. A dark amber ale look. Quite still (not very fizzy).
Big Drop Chocolate Milk Stout v. Franziskaner Alcohol Free
Big Drop’s Chocolate Milk Stout
7/10
Enjoyed with oysters and BBQs. Strong stout. Dark chocolate aroma. Tad cocoa taste. Looks like Guinness Original (not Guinness Extra Smooth). Smooth on the palette.
Franziskaner Alcohol Free
7/10
Cloudy. A tad malty aroma. Very fizzy. Wheat / malt taste. No sweet after-taste. Crisp, excellent mouthfeel.
Becks Blue vs. Bavaria 0.0% Original
Bavaria Original
5
Like sparkling water. A brief taste of wheat. Not much going on here.
Becks Blue
3
Nothing going on at all. No aroma. No flavour.
The Finals!
There were some amazing beers for me to test. I was genuinely surprised that I could enjoy these non-alcoholic beers. Month’s after tasting these various beers I now find myself regularly getting non-alcoholic beers as a healthier alternative to alcoholic beers.
The winner, is Big Drop’s Citrus Pale Ale. Close runners up included Brewdog’s Nanny State and Palm NA. With Nanny State being widely available, it’s a regular in my fridge now. Big Drop’s Citrus Pale Ale is a little treat, currently available at DryDrinker.com.
Check out the whole World Cup of Non-Alco Beers on our YouTube channel!
