BrewDog: yet another hip company using 'rebel' language to sell its stuff

[teuchter]

A good quality non alc beer would become a real substitute for beer for those people who don’t like drinking traditional soft drinks in pubs.

Does *anyone* like drinking traditional soft drinks in pubs?

I think maybe most people don't realise it until they have a period of not drinking alcohol - but there's pretty much nothing on offer in most pubs that's actually enjoyable to drink more than one or two glasses of. It can be a fairly miserable experience being a non drinker in a group of drinkers, because nothing in pubs is designed to be enjoyable to have 4 or 5 glasses of, except booze. AF beer really changes this completely - at least for people who like beer.

For now I'm grateful to find even becks blue... Because even if i don't actively 'like' it, having a few glasses of it at least isn't a negative experience.

 

[RubyToogood]

Does *anyone* like drinking traditional soft drinks in pubs?

I think maybe most people don't realise it until they have a period of not drinking alcohol - but there's pretty much nothing on offer in most pubs that's actually enjoyable to drink more than one or two glasses of. It can be a fairly miserable experience being a non drinker in a group of drinkers, because nothing in pubs is designed to be enjoyable to have 4 or 5 glasses of, except booze. AF beer really changes this completely - at least for people who like beer.

For now I'm grateful to find even becks blue... Because even if i don't actively 'like' it, having a few glasses of it at least isn't a negative experience.

I think if you take the alcohol out of the equation, one or two glasses of *anything* is enough. You're hydrated. You've had your daily allowance of sugar now probably. What's the point of drinking more?

 

[teuchter]

I think if you take the alcohol out of the equation, one or two glasses of *anything* is enough. You're hydrated. You've had your daily allowance of sugar now probably. What's the point of drinking more?

Because you're with a bunch of people who are drinking alcohol, and they are getting another drink, and you're in a whole social scenario based around people buying rounds and having a glass in their hands.

 

[discobastard]

.

 

[discobastard]

I think if you take the alcohol out of the equation, one or two glasses of *anything* is enough. You're hydrated. You've had your daily allowance of sugar now probably. What's the point of drinking more?

Some of those that choose to drink AF rather than alcohol are different from others who may just not be bothered about alcohol. They have a different relationship with ‘having a drink’ whatever that is.

So for some it’s not about being hydrated or keeping up with others who do drink.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Because you're with a bunch of people who are drinking alcohol, and they are getting another drink, and you're in a whole social scenario based around people buying rounds and having a glass in their hands.

Long term this is just damage limitation though. If you are stuck in a situation where you don't want to get pissed but everyone else does and they are drinking loads of beer then it may be useful to be able to do the same and not get pissed, but it's not something you would choose to do otherwise. I get quite annoyed if I'm not drinking when I'm out on a social occasion where the activity is getting drunk on beer - at least if there's a meal involved you can make the choice to get drunk or not at the same time and still have mostly the same experience.

 

[killer b]

Long term this is just damage limitation though. If you are stuck in a situation where you don't want to get pissed but everyone else does and they are drinking loads of beer then it may be useful to be able to do the same and not get pissed, but it's not something you would choose to do otherwise. I get quite annoyed if I'm not drinking when I'm out on a social occasion where the activity is getting drunk on beer - at least if there's a meal involved you can make the choice to get drunk or not at the same time and still have mostly the same experience.

Yeah, eventually I dropped out altogether from beer-only social events. These days I meet people for dinner, or to go to gigs or dancing or whatever, but I don't go to the drinking sessions.

 

[T & P]

Long term this is just damage limitation though. If you are stuck in a situation where you don't want to get pissed but everyone else does and they are drinking loads of beer then it may be useful to be able to do the same and not get pissed, but it's not something you would choose to do otherwise. I get quite annoyed if I'm not drinking when I'm out on a social occasion where the activity is getting drunk on beer - at least if there's a meal involved you can make the choice to get drunk or not at the same time and still have mostly the same experience.

But there are also other situations where the objective is not get drunk, but frankly drinking beer is the only thing that appeals. Because let's face it, if you like beer and like going to the pub, who the fuck would want to drink anything else? I certainly don't anyway .

A pint of beer with colleagues or friends after work is one of the finer pleaures in life, and no other drink comes close- especially soft drinks. So if there was a decent 0.0 option, one could have a number of rounds and still be perfectly legal behind the wheel. Or you could even have one pint of normal or low strength beer followed by a pint of non-alc, and still be well under the limit.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

But there are also other situations where the objective is not get drunk, but frankly drinking beer is the only thing that appeals. Because let's face it, if you like beer and like going to the pub, who the fuck would want to drink anything else? I certainly don't anyway .

A pint of beer with colleagues or friends after work is one of the finer pleaures in life, and no other drink comes close- especially soft drinks. So if there was a decent 0.0 option, one could have a number of rounds and still be perfectly legal behind the wheel. Or you could even have one pint of normal or low strength beer followed by a pint of non-alc, and still be well under the limit.

A pint after work, I would welcome the option of no/low alcohol beer. Maybe two. After that I'd be steering things towards going for food or just leaving.

 

[Pickman's model]

In Spain found pretty much everywhere I went there was non-alcoholic beer, and decent stuff too - much better than this country

 

[FridgeMagnet]

In Spain found pretty much everywhere I went there was non-alcoholic beer, and decent stuff too - much better than this country

Most places in Europe that I've been to seem to work on the basis that if you order beer it's not because you want to get drunk - maybe you want a mild buzz or maybe you just want a slightly bitter drink, but if you wanted to get drunk you'd order wine or spirits. Under that assumption it makes much more sense to have alcohol free beer around.

 

[teuchter]

Long term this is just damage limitation though. If you are stuck in a situation where you don't want to get pissed but everyone else does and they are drinking loads of beer then it may be useful to be able to do the same and not get pissed, but it's not something you would choose to do otherwise. I get quite annoyed if I'm not drinking when I'm out on a social occasion where the activity is getting drunk on beer - at least if there's a meal involved you can make the choice to get drunk or not at the same time and still have mostly the same experience.

Plenty of people will go for maybe 3 or 4 beers, and are not sufficiently incapacitated that it's no longer enjoyable to be with them as a sober person. I agree that if you are not drinking, going for a meal tends to become more appealing, but I can still normally enjoy an evening with semi-drunk people when I'm sober. They aren't necessarily there just to get drunk, they are there to be sociable and that's something you can still be part of regardless of your inebriation. Depends on the people of course; if they are the type who make a big song and dance about someone *not* drinking, then it's different.

One of the good things about getting older is that I increasingly find that people couldn't care less whether I'm drinking (whereas in the past it would always be commented on, and you'd find people bringing you back an alcoholic drink when you'd asked for non-alcoholic, and such nonsense).

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Most places in Europe that I've been to seem to work on the basis that if you order beer it's not because you want to get drunk - maybe you want a mild buzz or maybe you just want a slightly bitter drink, but if you wanted to get drunk you'd order wine or spirits. Under that assumption it makes much more sense to have alcohol free beer around.

Those places probably have shit beer.

 

[The Pale King]

Most bars have a shit selection of non-alcoholic beers afaics. Poor show when I am choosing between a variety of IPAs and Stouts and for my teetotal pals it's Becks Blue or nothing - I feel like a right heel.

 

[teuchter]

I tried some of that Punk AF yesterday. Didn't seem all that different to Nanny State to me.

 

[killer b]

I tried some of that Punk AF yesterday. Didn't seem all that different to Nanny State to me.

I had some on Friday and thought it was much nicer - not as harshly hoppy.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Most places in Europe that I've been to seem to work on the basis that if you order beer it's not because you want to get drunk - maybe you want a mild buzz or maybe you just want a slightly bitter drink, but if you wanted to get drunk you'd order wine or spirits. Under that assumption it makes much more sense to have alcohol free beer around.

Beer is a shit way to get drunk. Any more than a couple is murder on the guts.

 

[teuchter]

I tried some of that Punk AF yesterday. Didn't seem all that different to Nanny State to me.

After having this, I had some 'real' beers.

The real beers were a bit nicer than the AF ones.

Three days later I still feel dreadful as a result though.

This is why AF beer is a Good Thing.

 

[editor]

I couldn't care if their beer is the best in the world: there's no way am I giving these opportunistic cunts my money or patronising their soul-sucking identikit bars.

 

[campanula]

I only have 2 criteria (as a non-drinker)...a seat and a pot of tea. If neither are forthcoming, time to go. My local has several large sofas and offers a range of hot drinks including Yorkshire Gold tea. I can even use my puffer inside.

 

[billy_bob]

They're pushing the equity for punks crap again.

These people really are utter pricks.

 

[alex_]

They're pushing the equity for punks crap again.

These people really are utter pricks.

Calling it “free money for capitalists” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

 

[A380]

I wonder if the AF beer preference depends on your sweet tooth?

Case study: my mother has no taste for sweet things, no chocolate, puddings anything, she raves about the current crop of AF beers now, never a big drinker and always the driver this is about all she drinks when out now.

I have a child-like sweet tooth, despite being in my 50s. I can’t abide any AF free beer. If not drinking I’d much rather Diet Coke/ Pepsi or orange and lemonade, which I can drink all night.

 

[ViolentPanda]

It does feel pretty absurd to talk about what is a "proper beer" generally, outside of jokes, when the concept changes by the decade, and looking back further even the ingredients and methods have regularly been radically different.

I may not like Brewdog's "punk" marketing at all but they do at least run a successful chain that provides just plain weird shit for sale. There are some good real ale pubs not too far from me in West London but none of them have the deliberately experimental range of the Brewdog.

I was surprised - and not particularly gratified - to see Brewdog beers in a bottle shop in Budapest last year. What made me chuckle was an "alcohol free" beer section that included all stocked beers from 0%-2% alcohol. A bit misleading in a country with 0% drink-driving limit!

 

[ViolentPanda]

not so in Bavaria.

Salutes the Bavarians.

 

[8ball]

I was surprised - and not particularly gratified - to see Brewdog beers in a bottle shop in Budapest last year. What made me chuckle was an "alcohol free" beer section that included all stocked beers from 0%-2% alcohol. A bit misleading in a country with 0% drink-driving limit!

Yeah, some of definitions of alcohol-free have been getting a little lax.
Can't say I'd want people prosecuted for having a sandwich, though.

 

[teuchter]

I wonder if the AF beer preference depends on your sweet tooth?

Case study: my mother has no taste for sweet things, no chocolate, puddings anything, she raves about the current crop of AF beers now, never a big drinker and always the driver this is about all she drinks when out now.

I have a child-like sweet tooth, despite being in my 50s. I can’t abide any AF free beer. If not drinking I’d much rather Diet Coke/ Pepsi or orange and lemonade, which I can drink all night.

Yet you are ok with 'real' beer? Or do you prefer alcopops and suchlike?

 

[A380]

Yet you are ok with 'real' beer? Or do you prefer alcopops and suchlike?

No, real beer for me.

 

[teuchter]

No, real beer for me.

Then it must be your alcohol tooth rather than sweet tooth talking.

 

[discobastard]

Yeah, some of definitions of alcohol-free have been getting a little lax.
Can't say I'd want people prosecuted for having a sandwich, though.

The legal definitions:
What Is Meant By Alcohol-Free? : The Alcohol-Free Shop

It does make me laugh (or angry depending on your POV) when you go into a bar and ask if they have any AF beers and they look sheepish and say 'well we have this, it's only 2.9%'. That's happened on a number of occasions.

Went for a pizza tonight in Shoreditch, to a place where they (almost laudably) had Nanny State on the menu.

'Nanny State please'

'Oh, we've run out I'm afraid. We have cordial?'