Low-alcohol and alcohol-free beer recommendations

[EastEnder]

Nearly done dry January, going to try to stretch it out into February. Need an alcohol free beer substitute that doesn't taste like a frenchman's armpit.

Why do they all taste so rank?? I've got caffeine free coffee that tastes the same as the real thing. What gives with beer? If we can put a man on the moon, etc.....

 

[colacubes]

Becks blue and Bitburger drive are ok. Most of the rest are pretty minging tbh.

 

[magneze]

The Guardian did a guide recently:
Alcohol-free beer: the best and worst – taste test

Out of that list I've only tried Cobra, which was pretty rubbish. Even Kaliber tasted nicer, although that has it's own issues in that you end up going to the toilet all the time.

 

[magneze]

As it's only 8:40, maybe have a coffee?

 

[danny la rouge]

Ginger beer. There's never an occasion that ginger beer doesn't suit.

 

[EastEnder]

As it's only 8:40, maybe have a coffee?

When you're not drinking, you think about it all the time...

 

[skyscraper101]

As far as I know they're all rank with a weird malty taste. Never tried Kaliber though. I hardly see it served anywhere.

 

[The Boy]

Becks Blue, Erdinger, there's another one I sometime get but can't remember.

A decent soft drink would usually be preferable though, tbh.

 

[colacubes]

The Guardian did a guide recently:
Alcohol-free beer: the best and worst – taste test

Out of that list I've only tried Cobra, which was pretty rubbish. Even Kaliber tasted nicer, although that has it's own issues in that you end up going to the toilet all the time.

I've had the Cobra too and it's properly rank

The Erdinger is ok but quite syrupy and sweet. I couldn't drink more than 2.

The Bavaria is actually quite nice. I'd forgotten about that one

 

[EastEnder]

The Guardian did a guide recently:
Alcohol-free beer: the best and worst – taste test

Out of that list I've only tried Cobra, which was pretty rubbish. Even Kaliber tasted nicer, although that has it's own issues in that you end up going to the toilet all the time.

9/10 for the dubiously named "Brewdog Nanny State". Might have to give that one a trial run tomorrow night....

 

[Hassan I Sabha]

Spent an afternoon/evening at a BBQ once and as I was driving was drinking San Miguel alcohol free, that was not too bad. I find these drinks are better really cold but after 3 or 4 of them they get a bit meh.

 

[Athos]

Alcohol free beer is like going down on your sister; even if it does taste the same, it's still wrong.

 

[EastEnder]

Alcohol free beer is like going down on your sister; even if it does taste the same, it's still wrong.

Was that from the Guardian review?

 

[killer b]

Alcohol free beer is like going down on your sister; even if it does taste the same, it's still wrong.

this is the alcohol-free beer discussion equivalent of talking about delicious bacon on a vegetarian thread isn't it? pretty pathetic tbh.

 

[killer b]

re: the OP: there's various drinkable wheat beers - the Erdinger is the most widely available, and is pretty nice. Schnieder-Weisse and Maiselweisse (sp?) are both ok too. Most of the lagers are rank, but I didn't mind the Krombacher and the Bitburger.

Don't try any of the wines.

 

[Chilli.s]

The strange thing with those alco free beers is just how long a pint can last, but then if its a 6 quid pint you really need to savour it.

 

[Pickman's model]

Nearly done dry January, going to try to stretch it out into February. Need an alcohol free beer substitute that doesn't taste like a frenchman's armpit.

Why do they all taste so rank?? I've got caffeine free coffee that tastes the same as the real thing. What gives with beer? If we can put a man on the moon, etc.....

they all? which all? name names have you had the carlsberg one? the cobra one? the sainsbury's one?

 

[billy_bob]

Becks is surprisingly ok (I wouldn't go near the alcoholic version), or San Miguel. I'd probably have a ginger beer instead though.

 

[Greebo]

Another vote for Erdinger. If you think that one's syrupy, stay the fuck away from Kaliber, which is even worse!

 

[EastEnder]

Another vote for Erdinger. If you think that one's syrupy, stay the fuck away from Kaliber, which is even worse!

I tried Erdinger last weekend - not exactly unpleasant, but too much like an energy drink, a bit too cloy, not bitter enough.

I also tried Bavaria, and wholeheartedly agreed with the Guardian's 0/10 rating...

 

[Cribynkle]

9/10 for the dubiously named "Brewdog Nanny State". Might have to give that one a trial run tomorrow night....

I'm intrigued by that one, let us know what it's like. I find Becks blue the nicest I've tried so far Cobra's awful!

 

[peterkro]

In NZ a few years ago I was out at a pub and decided to drink Becks because the local stuff is shite.It was only after three bottles I twigged it had no alcohol,it tasted really good.

 

[Cid]

9/10 for the dubiously named "Brewdog Nanny State". Might have to give that one a trial run tomorrow night....

It's shit.

 

[EastEnder]

It's shit.

Given its trying-too-hard name, that would not surprise me.

Have you any personal recommendations?

 

[QOTH]

when I did sober october I bought a case of mixed alcohol free beers from an online shop specialising in alcohol free drinks.

The Superbock dark beer was the nicest I thought. I don't normally like dark beers, but it meant it actually tasted of something.

ETA: Jever 'Fun' is not very nice. And very optimistically named.

 

[billy_bob]

ETA: Jever 'Fun' is not very nice. And very optimistically named.

"This looks like fun" isn't really anyone's primary reason for choosing alcohol free beer...

 

[Cid]

Given its trying-too-hard name, that would not surprise me.

Have you any personal recommendations?

It tastes like a sort of hopped water... Had an aftertaste that reminded me of something, though I forget what. Didn't finish the bottle. I don't know about any others, just reverted to trying to drink things designed not to be alcoholic.

 

[Voley]

The Bavaria is actually quite nice. I'd forgotten about that one

Gets a cracking review:
"That Bavaria is made in, erm, Holland is the least of it. Family owners the Swinkels may have been brewing for 300 years, and they may have patented their own alcohol-free fermenting process, but they have failed to nail palatable no-alcohol beer. Bavaria 0.0% is spectacularly unpleasant. The aroma is stewed vegetables and the flavour is all syrupy sweetness and hot, wet grains with just a fizzle of hop bitterness at its edges. Imagine the most juvenile, mass-produced, malty US lager, but worse. I would happily pay hard cash never to drink this again.
0/10"

 

[EastEnder]

In these enlightened, nanny state, health concious times I am most dismayed to find that there is still no adequate form of non-alcoholic beer available...

Someone should find a way to make proper nice, proper beer tasting 0% beer. I'm sure the market is there & they'd make an absolute killing.

I'd do it myself, only I lack the knowledge, skills, experience, inclination & cupboard space at home.

 

[Sweet FA]

9/10 for the dubiously named "Brewdog Nanny State". Might have to give that one a trial run tomorrow night....

It's shit.

I thought it was alright; best of the bunch in fact (The name is shit though).

Becks is the best of the ones that are generally available imo.

Even more than normal beer (for normal people), there's less consensus on which non-alc ones are good I think. Possibly because nearly everyone's drinking them because they can't get pissed for some reason. They're predisposed not to like them because they're already fucked off on some level.