The Big AF: An overview of non alcoholic beers from the big breweries
/Multinational brewers are pouring more of their well-established flavours and brands into the AF market
Remember the days when the non-alc beer section at your local grocery story had one, maybe two, not very tasty selections to choose from?
Thankfully, with the growing popularity of non-alc beers it’s becoming easier to find a fast-growing variety of alcohol-free beers where you pick up your fruits and veggies, proteins, and dessert.
In the last few reviews, we’ve been featuring mostly microbrewery offerings, which aren’t always easy to find on the store shelves. So, with that in mind, on our Thanksgiving grocery list for this review are a few of the bigger brewery beers – unfortunately, not a smorgasbord of different styles, mostly lagers and ales. But let’s crack a few cans, open a few bottles, and see what the big breweries have to offer:
Budweiser Zero
Budweiser has managed to capture the American style pale lager in this non-alc offering. Bud Zero pours a clear yellow with some mild fizz and almost no head. It’s mild on the nose, light on hop bitterness, with some faint notes of grain or rice (an ingredient in original Bud).
Bud Zero is thirst-quenching but so light bodied it lacks some of the pale lager’s more prominent characteristics. It’s a good beer mind you but must be served very cold and downed quickly before it goes flat, and that authentic Bud taste disappears.
Trying pairing Bud Zero with sweet treats like cheesecake, a pecan pie, or mix it up with a wheel of brie and a pear compote wrapped in filo.
Sold in cases of 12 x 355ml.
Clausthaler Dry Hopped
In 1972, Clausthaler was on a mission to create “the world’s first tasteful non-alcoholic beer.” The German brewery came up with an innovative brewing process that stops fermentation just before the alcohol begins to develop – a process many non-alc brewers are using today.
Clausthaler Dry Hopped looks, smells, and tastes like beer. Period! Pouring an amber golden colour, it lands in that hearty hoppy citrus category familiar to lovers of IPA, balanced with a nice malty caramel character.
Pair the Dry Hopped with burgers, sausages, sticky ribs, tacos – basically, anything that can compete on equal footing with this beer’s bold character profile.
Sold in 6-pack of 355ml cans.
Coors Edge
Coors Edge is a North American-style lager. It tastes very similar to its alcoholic cousin, Coors Banquet, which showcases the company’s ability to make a good beer without the buzz.
Cracking the can, you immediately get notes of corn and pear (or was that apple), which continue on to the palette when you take that first sip. Thanks to its mild sweetness, you also get subtle balancing flavours of hearty grain. Edge is refreshingly light, golden straw in colour with a thick head that disappears quickly.
The beer’s mellow character makes it a perfect accompaniment with cheese, BBQ chicken, roast turkey, and tangy green salads.
Sold in both tall boy and 355ml size, varying by location. Most stores carry the cases of 12 x 355ml.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Photo CREDIT: Lara Barry, 2020.
From the brewery that brews the most wheat beer in the world comes Erdinger Alkoholfrei, a full-bodied, straw yellow, aromatic wheat beer with a twist – it’s marketed as a post-sports / workout recovery drink with minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates.
Alkoholfrei has a velvety malty sweetness with a hint of spice and pronounced carbonation. It’s not cloudy or as hearty as a regular wheat beer but does have the flavour profile you expect with notes of bread and banana with a balanced bitterness and fruity acidity.
Normally, a wheat beer can cut through fried foods but in the case of Alkoholfrei try a chicken salad, sushi, fresh cheeses, butternut squash soup, or a creamy risotto after you get your sweat on.
Sold in 6-bottle cases.
Grolsch 0.0
Grolsch 0.0 pours a golden pale with a fluffy white head of foam, with notes of lemony fresh hops and a very crisp finish.
The brewers had to have conducted a lot of trials to get this one as close to the original as possible. Their time and efforts paid off because Grolsch 0.0 has received a few awards and medals in Europe.
Grolsch 0.0, unlike other beers in this review, is surprisingly full bodied. Aromas of bready cereal, flowers and a hint of mustiness get your attention before the malt and dry finish kick in. Try pizza, BBQ, roasted root vegetables, or even some spicy chili because Grolsch 0.0 can keep up.
Sold as 4 x tall boy cans.
Heineken 0.0
Although similar to other non-alc lagers, Heineken 0.0 punches a bit higher on the fresh fruity notes, mixed with some malty sweetness that helps elevate the flavours.
The brewers have done a great job brewing a beer that’s very close to its full-alcohol sibling, with all the skunk on the nose you’re used to with the original. Not everyone’s favourite feature but if you like skunky beer, Heineken 0.0 is the perfect non-alcoholic option.
It pours golden with not much of a head. There’s some added sugar (not sure why), perhaps to offset the long bitterness that some Heineken lovers really enjoy.
Heineken 0.0% can be enjoyed with warm pretzels dipped in hot and sweet mustards as well as chicken dishes, and some mild curries.
Sold in 6-bottle carry packs as well as 12 x 355ml cans.
For Canadian non alcoholic craft beer lovers, you can get most of the above at Loblaws, as well as Metro. Longo’s and Sobey’s carry some of the above, but not all.
Antoine Tedesco,
Contributor, Alcohol-free Beer & Cider
Antoine brings his love of food and life to Some Good Clean Fun’s beer and cider reviews. From journalism to government to charities and non-profits, Antoine’s passion is telling compelling and impactful stories. He loves anything that makes his taste buds smile and his ears dance.
