Low-alcohol and alcohol-free beer recommendations

[Winot]

Probably nudging the high end of low alcohol but there’s not a lot around 3% and this one’s a good-un.

 

[sunnysidedown]

Brooklyn Special Effects 0.4%

First time I’ve actually took a drink of an alcohol free beer and had to double check the label. Top notch hoppy larger with a surprisingly full body.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I've managed to kick the desire for beer at home for now but would be interested in something I could drink down the pub. Most places have nothing or becks blue which is shite. So far I have been drinking sparkling water but I would like to branch out. Is there anything not sweet that can be produced in almost any pub?
Something a bit more savory like beer but with a bit more flavor than sparkling water.

 

[teuchter]

I just showed up at a pub in rural Norfolk. I thought they might laugh at me when I asked if they had any non alcoholic beer. But to my surprise they had two bottled options, plus Ghost Ship on tap, a pint of which I'm now drinking. Not too bad.

 

[chilango]

I came across this monthly beer club - not going to subscribe 'cause it's a bit expensive, but had a look through their lists of beers and there's loads I've never seen before but want to try...

Blog / Latest Box

If only that was a touch cheaper....

 

[teuchter]

If only that was a touch cheaper....

I see it's a touch cheaper for those of us in south london

SBC Local

 

[teuchter]

Look at everyone getting in a flap about the idea of a no-alcohol pub



Link

 

[Limerick Red]

This is lovely!

 

[Shirl]

This is lovely!

Is it in any supermarkets?

 

[discobastard]

They also had an AF version of speckled hen which we tried too. Wasn't very convinced with that.

I had the Speckled Hen last Sunday. Thought it was rather nice and one of the better I had tried.

 

[chilango]

Picked up a couple of interesting ones from Booths. Will report back shortly.

 

[skyscraper101]

Look at everyone getting in a flap about the idea of a no-alcohol pub



Link

IKR... typical response from on twitter...oh noes, an acohol free bar. Fucking dickheads.

 

[klang]

I've managed to kick the desire for beer at home for now but would be interested in something I could drink down the pub. Most places have nothing or becks blue which is shite. So far I have been drinking sparkling water but I would like to branch out. Is there anything not sweet that can be produced in almost any pub?
Something a bit more savory like beer but with a bit more flavor than sparkling water.

when staying sober i drink whatever fruit juice i fancy mixed to 50% with sparkling water.
if i want weak beer to gulp down i ask for half beer half sparkling water. it's not uncommon in Germany.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

beer & sparkling water has never occurred to me as a thing to have - cheers littleseb
never heard/seen people asking for it either
Brits, 'eh

 

[Ax^]

not that i'm a big non alcoholic lager fan


but as at a works do and was driving so spent the day drinking heineken zero

was not terrible

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Does 3.6% count as low alcohol? It's less then half the strength of a lot of beers I've been drinking recently that came back from Belgium with me.

Anyway got a load of Shed IPA from Tesco recently discounted to 50p. I bought all of them, sadly the others from the range had already sold out. It's very nice, I often find sub 4% can taste watery or over hopped to try and compensate which tastes weird on a low alcohol beer.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

not that i'm a big non alcoholic lager fan


but as at a works do and was driving so spent the day drinking heineken zero

was not terrible

I had a pint of that earlier in the week.
it was not terrible as you say.
Mrs A asked if I had been drinking 6 hours later as she could smell it on me - this is unusual for a 0% ime.

 

[Ax^]

the kicker to it was as i was having half pint of it

mostly as the place had had a free bar but served schooners

keep having to reclaim my non beer from other drinkers who had not had the limitation of driving

that was weird for a non alcoholic lager

 

[chilango]

This one is quite nice. More complex flavours than a superficial hop hit, although maltier than I'd usually like.

 

[chilango]

Another new one for me. Subtler and more complex notes than the likes of Nanny State, but still a touch shallow in flavour. Perfectly drinkable though and better than most af beers I've tried. I prefer it to the the Sole Star above.

 

[chilango]

Saw this in Booths too. Anyone tried it?

 

[teuchter]

Yesterday I was pleased to find a pub had three different Big Drop beers in the fridge.

£5.25 a bottle though.

Do pubs make more or less of a profit on AF beers, compared to regular ones, if they sell them at the same price?

 

[killer b]

Per unit the profit margin is way higher on no-alcohol beer, but the volume they sell is tiny so it's not a straightforward calculation. £5.25 is laughable though, however you cut it.

 

[alex_]

IKR... typical response from on twitter...oh noes, an acohol free bar. Fucking dickheads.

It’s free marketing for Sainsbury’s

 

[alex_]

Yesterday I was pleased to find a pub had three different Big Drop beers in the fridge.

£5.25 a bottle though.

Do pubs make more or less of a profit on AF beers, compared to regular ones, if they sell them at the same price?

Yes, the duty on a 5% pint is 50p on a .5% pint ( anything below 1.2% ) it’s 0p.

Most of a pubs costs are not duty, it’s staff, vat, business rates, rent etc

Alex

 

[chilango]

Shipyard Low Tide. Like it's alcoholic sibling it's a bit disappointing. It's drinkable, but I wouldn't choose it given any other options. Sort of halfway between Beck's Blue and Erdinger Alcoholfrei but pretending to be hoppy.

 

[Shirl]

I just showed up at a pub in rural Norfolk. I thought they might laugh at me when I asked if they had any non alcoholic beer. But to my surprise they had two bottled options, plus Ghost Ship on tap, a pint of which I'm now drinking. Not too bad.

Ghost Ship is one of my favourites. Adnam's brewery is just over the boarder in Suffolk and lots of Adnams beer is sold in Norfolk. There's an alcoholic Ghost Ship I've seen on tap but never the alcohol free one, only found that in bottles. Are you sure you were drinking alcohol free?

 

[teuchter]

Ghost Ship is one of my favourites. Adnam's brewery is just over the boarder in Suffolk and lots of Adnams beer is sold in Norfolk. There's an alcoholic Ghost Ship I've seen on tap but never the alcohol free one, only found that in bottles. Are you sure you were drinking alcohol free?

Yes. I'd have known the next day even if I hadn't recognised by taste.

 

[teuchter]

Tuesday night I asked for an alcohol free beer, they said they did have some, then looked in the fridge and they'd run out.

Tonight, different pub, said they only had a Peroni one, I could see in the fridge they had some of the Big Drop ones (I think the barman had thought 0.5% means they don't count) so I had a couple of those.

I feel like the choice available in pubs is quite rapidly improving at the moment, which is good. A couple of years ago I'd count myself lucky if they had any AF beers at all; now it's disappointing when there's not a choice of a couple of different ones.

 

[discobastard]

Tuesday night I asked for an alcohol free beer, they said they did have some, then looked in the fridge and they'd run out.a Small Beer's

Tonight, different pub, said they only had a Peroni one, I could see in the fridge they had some of the Big Drop ones (I think the barman had thought 0.5% means they don't count) so I had a couple of those.

I feel like the choice available in pubs is quite rapidly improving at the moment, which is good. A couple of years ago I'd count myself lucky if they had any AF beers at all; now it's disappointing when there's not a choice of a couple of different ones.

Exactly the experience I've had. Staff generally bemused when asked the question. At the same time, some of the pubs you don't expect have some decent choices.

All Bar One (not a place I wouldn't go if given a choice) have a decent selection inc Big Drop.

The Rosendale in West Norwood/Dulwich where I stopped in last night (prior to an excellent curry at the Indian Dining Club in Gipsy Hill) had Small Beer's Dark Lager (1% - the most I'd go to) and Erdinger AF.

Don't like the Peroni, horrible sweet stuff I thought.