The tastiest non-alcoholic beer

The tastiest non-alcoholic beer

Posted by Rick Kempen, beer ambassador at Bier&cO on 21st Aug 2024

What exactly is the tastiest non-alcoholic beer? Well: that really depends on your personal taste preference. And we can we can help you! So, in this blog we will share some tips and tricks to find your best 0.0 beer. We also put some other facts for you about 0.0, alcohol-free and low-alcohol beer. So enjoy wisely!

0.0, alcohol-free and low-alcohol

Just what are the differences between these terms? The is very simple, and at the same time quite confusing. For there is no European rule for it, and so each country gets to set its own rules. As a result, there are differences in Europe. In Spain and France, for example, you can call beer 'alcohol-free if it contains a maximum of 1.2% alcohol by volume. Most countries (such as Belgium and Germany) set that limit at 0.5% while the Netherlands is the strictest boy of the class. Beer brewed in the Netherlands may only be called called alcohol-free if it contains a maximum of 0.1% alcohol by volume.

You may only put 0.0 on beer if it contains a maximum of 0.044% alcohol content: you may round that down. Completely alcohol-free beer is never. But that doesn't matter: yogurt and many fruit juices also contain up to 0.5% alcohol. also contain up to 0.5% alcohol, only it doesn't have to be mentioned. Weird? Yes, and no: the alcohol is created by spontaneous fermentation of the present sugars, but is unintentional. And so then you don't have to say anything about it.

The tricky thing is, because there is no European rule and each country has its own rules, another European rule does apply: what is allowed in one one country is allowed, is allowed in another. And so German or Belgian alcohol-free beer (which often contains more than 0.1% but no more than 0.5% alcohol) may also be sold as sold as alcohol-free in the Netherlands. For people who really want to drink as little alcohol as possible, 0.0 beer is then the best choice.

Taste(test) of 0.0 beers

Back to the question: what is the tastiest non-alcoholic beer? So, as mentioned, that is personal: everyone has his or her taste preferences. The flavors in beer come primarily from the ingredients and the preparation method. Roughly speaking, you can say that beer in which grain (malt) plays the leading role predominantly has something sweet and bread-like. If hops are the determining factor, then bitter will often be the main flavor, and if yeast is the main player, then sour or fruity may be the dominant flavor.

A great way to test your taste is our own taste test: by answering some simple questions, you get a suggestion of a number of types and styles of beer that you are most likely to like. The takes less than a minute, and so you'll soon know which corner you should or shouldn't go looking for the tastiest non-alcoholic beer!

Tasty non-alcoholic beers

Previously, only non-alcoholic lager was available for sale. Nowadays you can hardly think of a beer style or there are alcohol-free variants of it. For example, do you really like white beer or Weizen - beers that taste predominantly fresh-sweet-sour and smell like banana? Then you will be fine Weihenstephaner, for example. Hefeweisbier Alkoholfreies. Also the first alcohol-free Trappist white beer, La Trappe Epos, is then also a good candidate to be your tastiest alcohol-free beer to be. It's even 0.0!

Who, by the way, likes to taste some breadiness, but also likes a brave bitterness, they naturally choose an alcohol-free lager. That could be the Dutch Swinckels' 0.0, the Belgian Estaminet 0.0 or the German Jever FUN. The latter is completely sugar-free and contains virtually no calories: only 16 kCal per 100 ml. Do you like something more sweet, and fruity? With Rodenbach FruitAge 0.0 you're in the right place!

If you are more of the bitters, then there are numerous non-alcoholic IPAs that you will probably choose as the most delicious non-alcoholic beer! They come from Scotland, like BrewDog Punk AF or Nanny State, from the Netherlands, like Jopen Non-IPA, Van Moll Wanderlust or Uiltje Bird of Prey 0.2 - or, if you prefer a soft-fruity-bitter Hazy IPA, then choose BrewDog Hazy Jane alcohol free!

There is, in short, a tasty and appropriate alcohol-free beer for everyone. Try and discover your own tastiest 0.0 beer - Uiltje!