The Lemon Fool

This may seem sacreligious to some of you but can anyone recommend a non alcoholic beer/lager? I've tried Becks Blue and it's OK but nothing to write home about. It's my turn to drive and we're going to a 70th and as I cannot abide fizzy, soft drinks or anything overly sweet I'd like to take along something that looks vaguely alcoholic so I don't get pestered all night by the "go on have a proper drink it'll be OK" brigade.

R6

I keep trying the low/non alcohol beers and I'm generally disappointed.

One that I do like, without any ifs and buts, is Franziskaner Weissbier, which I buy in Sainsburys
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... bier-500ml

Seems to have a bit of body which other low alcohol beers lack, and I quite like Weissbier anyway.

If I can't get a decent low alcohol beer, I'm quite happy just drinking tonic water if I'm driving

--kiloran

Brewdog Nanny State is a good tasting alcohol free beer. It is hoppy IPA style. I hate Becks Blue but I actually enjoy Nanny State when I don't want alcohol.

John

I really can't understand the appeal of Beck's Blue. My first taste told me that something was wrong; my second taste identified the intruding flavour as that of WD40.

Agree with Snorvey that Bavaria is fine, including the cans. Quite light and continental in style. At the other extreme is a heavy malt flavour from St Peter's Without (0%), which is probably too sweet for most people even though they've hopped it reasonably well. It's an occasional drink for me - I probably drink a couple of pints during one of my dry months, but otherwise not really.

Sadly, with a lot of these 0% beers you can just tell with your tongue that the fizz comes from carbonated water and not from anything that you might associate with fun. Still, I haven't tried very many yet.

In the pub, I usually stick with a pint of heavily iced lemonade and lime in a straight glass. Nobody's laughed at me yet. Well, not to my face, anyway....

BJ

PS: for home use, there's always Sainsburys Basics bitter, which is 2% alcohol and dirt cheap. Better than it sounds. If you don't drink it, the slug traps will welcome it.

Bavaria is good but a bit sweet, the Nanny State is good if you want a hoppy beer.
When I tried it many years ago I thought Becks Blue tasted a bit ash tray-ey, around the same time I also tried and liked Cobra Zero, in fact I might see if I can find some in the supermarkets and compare it to the Bavaria which is my got to for alcohol free.

kempiejon wrote:I also tried and liked Cobra Zero, in fact I might see if I can find some in the supermarkets and compare it to the Bavaria which is my got to for alcohol free.

Funny you should say that. I tried Cobra Zero a few months ago, and I really don't think I could have told it from a can of Bavaria in a blind tasting, they were so similar. But, with the Cobra costing twice as much, I doubt that I'll be undertaking the experiment.

Will give Nanny State a try. Thanks, all.

BJ

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I shall certainly try Nanny State and look out for the Bavarian as well. I often just frink fizzy water with a drop of lemon juice in, just so that it looks like white wine, keeps everyone from asking why aren't you having a proper drink, but when the weather is warm I like a long drink.

R6

Just quickly... Adnams do an alcohol free Ghost Ship which is pretty good. They sell it in Wetherspoons but don't know where you can buy it off trade.

All the best, Si

simoan wrote:Just quickly... Adnams do an alcohol free Ghost Ship which is pretty good. They sell it in Wetherspoons but don't know where you can buy it off trade.

Pretty sure I saw it in our local Asda the other week.

Confirmed: https://groceries.asda.com/product/view ... 0092443411

BJ

BTW, there's now a 0.5% ABV version of Punk IPA, marketed as Punk AF, which I tried yesterday. It's far too citrussy on the hops for my tastes, but it might suit people who like that sort of thing. Quite a lot drier than the Bavaria.

I eventually tried Nanny State, but I also found it too hoppy (though not so lemony as Punk AF). Guess I'm just not a Brewdog type?

BJ

Snorvey wrote:For the best results when drinking your chosen zero lager, drink a tin of Kaliber first.

Ah, that's what I've been doing wrong.

How about Weissbier?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Erdinger-Hefe- ... 07BSJKL5V/
I normally don't drink wheatbeer, but I sometimes drink a few of these alcohol free ones when skiing.

Footballers advertise it as an isotonic sports drink, so it must be good.

Because I'm going to be Des at a BBQ in a few weeks, I decided to try Bavaria and was pleasantly surprised at a) 4 bottles for £2 in Tesco and b) it actually tastes quite nice

Slarti

JamesMuenchen wrote:How about Weissbier?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Erdinger-Hefe- ... 07BSJKL5V/
I normally don't drink wheatbeer, but I sometimes drink a few of these alcohol free ones when skiing

I could understand it when driving but it must be quite difficult when skiing.

Dod

bungeejumper wrote:

simoan wrote:Just quickly... Adnams do an alcohol free Ghost Ship which is pretty good. They sell it in Wetherspoons but don't know where you can buy it off trade.

Pretty sure I saw it in our local Asda the other week.

Asda only seem to do the 330ml cans. Tesco in Hertford have the 500ml bottles.

I rather like it.

Slarti wrote:Because I'm going to be Des at a BBQ in a few weeks, I decided to try Bavaria and was pleasantly surprised at a) 4 bottles for £2 in Tesco and b) it actually tastes quite nice

Slarti

I also bought some Bavaria to try last week..... 8 cans for £4.
It's not unpleasant, but that's about the best I can say. Like most low/zero alcohol beers, it has a thin, watery taste, no body whatsoever. I think I'll stick with my Franziskaner Weissbier.

A low alcohol Guinness might be interesting.

--kiloran

kiloran wrote:A low alcohol Guinness might be interesting.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/ ... olic-beer/

Drat, it's a lager. Although the article also says that Guinness brews another beer for sale in (Islamic) Indonesia. Would presumably go down nicely in partially Islamic Nigeria, which is already a major market for Guinness. (Not that we'd recognise the somewhat different brew that passes for G in Africa anyway....)

Otherwise you're back to Guinness mid-strength, at 2.8% ABV.

Cheers

BJ

Note that there are two Bavarias made in the Netherlands by the same people - a 4.3% ABV one and a 0% one.
("Sorry officer - I really thought it was alco free...")

Nanny State is quite drinkable. Some may find it too hoppy and citrussy, but since my favourite (alco) summer beer is Oakham's Citra I have no problem.

Interesting article on the Beeb website about the rise of 0% beers. With some telling statistics, such as the fact that UK sales of low/zero ABV beers rose by 28% in the year to February. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48676943

It also sheds some light on who can call a 0.5% beer alcohol-free and who can't! (Continentals can, we can't.) A good informative read, anyway.

BJ

Rhyd6 wrote:This may seem sacreligious to some of you but can anyone recommend a non alcoholic beer/lager? I've tried Becks Blue and it's OK but nothing to write home about. It's my turn to drive and we're going to a 70th and as I cannot abide fizzy, soft drinks or anything overly sweet I'd like to take along something that looks vaguely alcoholic so I don't get pestered all night by the "go on have a proper drink it'll be OK" brigade.
R6

Late to the chat but just my 2C...
When previously off beer for a month I found low-cal beer just made me miserable. It's $ and doesn't taste like beer, and arguably it primed my body to want proper beer. Instead I drink low-cal tonic with a few dashes of Angostura Bitters; it's clearer to oneself you are in no way blurring the lines. An even dryer version would be using soda water i/o tonic. To me it rather imitates some aspects of beer, primarily the dry edge you get from hops+carbonation. If the latter isn't to your taste you could give the mixer a good swizzle to knock out some of the CO2.