Soooooo far OT - non / low alcohol beers

[Cheeky Monkey]

After drinking virtually everday since we went into lockdown (the first one) I recently decided to reduce the alcohol / booze intake. I'm not a big drinker (imo) but like a can (usually 330s) or two with tea and generally in the evening. It's all about the taste, I tell myself. For example, in my world there is nothing better than cold Guiness after a days sweaty graft.

Anyhow, on the basis it's the taste not the booze, and given I've been enjoy a bunch of Punk stuff I got their bargain low alcohol beer box. However, I can only equate it to Helmans FF mayo vs the ultra low calorie rubbish.

Bloody hell its p1sh - thin, weak, flavourless, heavily carbonated - bleurgh. I'm working on the basis (like when the kids were little) that if I drink it enough I'll get used to it but even so ......

Anyone care to recommend a decent low alcohol beer?

[voodoo_simon]

Have spent the last few months trying a lot of non alcohol beer and have come to the same conclusion, it’s like light mayo or diet food.

However, after a few, you sort of get used to the lack of taste Recent purchases that I return to are necks and Heineken, both lack taste just like the alcohol versions I do think lagers are better than ales for non alcohol beers, just had speckled hen stuff and it was vile.

Alternatively, make shandys from a normal beer and this will reduce your intake by half. Great on a hot summers day, less so in winter

[ballibeg]

I've been t-total for s good while so maybe my taste buds are converted to the alcohol free.

I buy by preference brewdog punk AF, Hazy Jane AF or the Bavaria or Erdinger lagers.

They can be high sugar though!

Dave

[Bearlegged]

Avoid Big Drop like the plague.

I had a really nice Radler made with St Mars Of The Desert's fruit stingo the other day. Maybe try making shandies with sours?

[Shewie]

I tried Kaliber once when I was on-call and going to a party, never again

Give me a coffee instead any day

[atk]

I've mostly switched to low/no alcohol beers. For your "craft" replacements Mikkeller probably the best of the lot, especially their Weird Weather, bit pricey though. Tiny Rebel's AF Clwb Tropicana and Lervig No Worries grapefruit are drinkable, as is Vandestreek Playground. The regular no worries is ok, the pineapple and festive versions are to be avoided though. I've not tried the other Tiny Rebel stuff as it's got lactose in it. Northern Monk's offering was ok, Lowtide's DIPA and hazy something were inconsistent, same with Signature Brew's Lo-fi(?). The later got a lot of hype, but it seemed like half the cans were off when I had it.

All those are in the half-decent real beer price range though so I've mostly stopped buying them and switched to Erdinger, Paulaner or Hartsfelder's AF wheat beers. They're quite malty (sweet, tastes like shreddies). Might take a bit of getting used to but they're a lot cheaper, come in big cans/bottles. I believe there's a 0% Guinness too now, but have yet to pick up a can.

[ScotRoutes]

Erdinger.

It even says on the bottle that it's Isotonic.

[lune ranger]

The best non-alcoholic beers are tea and water.

Since getting sober 7 years ago that’s pretty much all the liquid I consume with the exception of hot chocolate on bikepacking trips.
If you drink because you ‘like the taste’ and are concerned about how much you are drinking just drink the stuff you like less often. If you can’t manage that then ask yourself some questions. There are plenty of things folk like doing but don’t feel the need to do ever day.

[ton]

The best non-alcoholic beers are tea and water.

100% this.
if i dont want a proper pint, i have a coffee or a tea, or a pint of dilute orange.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I'm fairly sure you can get used to anything. I haven't drunk in nearly 20 years and I now (for some time), find the taste of alcohol disgusting ... even to the point of not eating steak and ale pie because I can taste it I'd say, forget the non-alcohol beers and find something else to drink.

[ScotRoutes]

Early stuff like Kaliber was truly awful but some AF beers have come on leaps and bounds and are very refreshing and tasty. Not sure that tea, coffee or squash hit the same spot.

FWIW I found Nanny State to be really terrible. It was the first Punk beer I tried so coloured my opinion of them for a while until I managed to try a few others.

St Peters Without is an interesting experiment. Very malty if that's the taste you are looking for but lacks a bit of dry, hoppy punch.

[Bearlegged]

Nanogram from Atom is nice if you want summat pale and hoppy.

[RIP]

The best non-alcoholic beers are tea and water.

100% this.
if i dont want a proper pint, i have a coffee or a tea, or a pint of dilute orange.

Mmm, must admit it seems a little bit like having veggie bacon because you still want the taste of bacon. Still, each to their own as ever.

[Richard G]

Did this for a couple of months recently and I was surprised at how much they've improved, with Mikkeler being the standout. Unlike another poster I actually liked a number from Big Drop, but I would say that it's best to avoid stouts and porters from basically all brands as they're mostly foul in low alcohol versions. I did enjoy Road Runner's Coffee Stout, but it's hard to compare it to a "real" stout.

drydrinker.com does some fairly good packs, and regularly have offers.

[johnnystorm]

My mate who is a beer wholesaler and runs a few pubs and is notoriously fussy about beer (funny that) recommends these:

https://www.coastbeer.co/shop

[ScotRoutes]

The best non-alcoholic beers are tea and water.

100% this.
if i dont want a proper pint, i have a coffee or a tea, or a pint of dilute orange.

Mmm, must admit it seems a little bit like having veggie bacon because you still want the taste of bacon. Still, each to their own as ever.

Are you suggesting that the only reason for drinking beer should be because it contains alcohol?

[Cheeky Monkey]

The best non-alcoholic beers are tea and water.

Since getting sober 7 years ago that’s pretty much all the liquid I consume with the exception of hot chocolate on bikepacking trips.
If you drink because you ‘like the taste’ and are concerned about how much you are drinking just drink the stuff you like less often. If you can’t manage that then ask yourself some questions. There are plenty of things folk like doing but don’t feel the need to do ever day.

Nothing like the evangelism of an ex ..........

If I wanted tea / coffee / squash etc that'd be fine but I *want* the taste of something like a fresh, crisp IPA, for example. I'm not going to lose sleep about it though, its just some curiosity on the internet

Stu might be right though. It might simply be a case of finding an alternative, particularly as some of the LA stuff seems as much or more than regular beer.

How does that work, surely they're exempt and saving a chunk of booze-content related duty? Mostly rhetorical, though I am curious if they are duty-free- oi, Google .....

Otherwise cheers to those with alt.suggestions

Edit - I'm not sure i was clear in the OP but the main reason for low or no alcohol alternatives was to reduce the calorie intake. Interesting to hear some alternatives are high sugar then

[ScotRoutes]

I'm not sure that increasing caffeine intake is such a good idea either. Of course there are decaffeinated options but I'm sure Reg will be along to explain why they should be avoided too

[Andiphim]

I have been trying some LA beers over the past year.
If I am sitting down mid afternoon to watch a game of rugby and I fancy a beer but don't want to be half cut before the game finishes LA beer works.
And I find having a few LA beers during a night out between full alcohol helps to keep the alcohol consumption down.
Another bonus is its usually lower calorie.

[ton]

drinking non alcohol beer is like smoking those silly vape things............. far far too good for your health.

[Richard G]

I definitely drink because I like the taste, otherwise why would I risk all the grief I get for drinking G&Ts when I'm with the bikepacking lads who are on stouts?

Might as well just drink Everclear if you're just planning on getting drunk.

[Verena]

We buy the Aldi pilsner AF which is nice, also a big fan of AF wheat beer.
Recently tried the doombar AF and thought it was surprisingly ok...

[In Reverse]

I love beer.

I've never found a decent AF. I'd much rather stay home and sulk tbh.

[middleagedmadness]

If you don’t mind larger the becks blue isn’t bad , maybe it’s just because I’m a bit thick but I drank 6 bottles and thought to my self why aren’t I feeling a bit tipsy , wife and son were killing themselves laughing telling me it was AF , it was only then I noticed the gassy taste too it

[RIP]

The best non-alcoholic beers are tea and water.

100% this.
if i dont want a proper pint, i have a coffee or a tea, or a pint of dilute orange.

Mmm, must admit it seems a little bit like having veggie bacon because you still want the taste of bacon. Still, each to their own as ever.

Are you suggesting that the only reason for drinking beer should be because it contains alcohol?

No not the only one but I think it's one of the main reasons