[Closed] Low ( not non) alcohol beer

Shandy?

I think they would have a hard time marketing beer at 2% or below because it's not low enough for people abstaining, driving, religious etc but still weak enough that you could legally sell it to kids.

I get it though, I bet someone will suggest just drinking fewer regular strength beers but sometimes you want to have a few and enjoy them over a period of time.

Edit: I might be wrong on the selling to minors part, I always thought cams of bass shandy were 2% but a quick Google suggests 0.5%

Schofferhoffer

do you get the same with other drinks wine, cider etc

Due to a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and a long term low dose methotrexate prescription this is now my specialist subject.

Small beer from majestic was OK, lager was better than the pale but my word it's an expensive way to not get drunk.

I usually prefer something a bit crafty so have been drinking a fair bit of Beavertown Nanobot, available mail order from the brewery or from some of the mega sainsburys. 2.8% but tastes like real beer.

A bit higher than your target range but Hawkshead brewery, windermere pale at 3.6% is very nice, quite cheap on order direct from the brewery, have one of them then one Brewdog Punk AF and it averages down below 2%

Salt beer factory do a pale ale called Dobby that's 1%, again I've only seen it to order direct, it's £1.50 a can which in £ per unit terms is still crazy.

While I have been off wasting money on these ridiculous low alcohol beers at real beer prices my wife saw the little 8 pack of stubbies at lidl or aldi, 8 250ml bottles of 2.6% 'french lager' for £1.99. Tastes of nothing....a bit like the small beer....but you're getting 8 of them for £2 instead of 1

I like the small beer co - lower calories and booze but still tasty

I had a pint of this in the pub once, and couldn't tell the difference taste wise -
https://www.sirencraftbrew.com/beers/seasonal-range/half-mast-2

Watching with interest.

I've been enjoying a break from the booze over the past 3 months and having the mini fridge full of various 0 to 0.5% beers has made it a breeze.

After a few mixed cases I've honed down a few *really decent ones but completely get the occasional hankering for something with that little bit more nip and flavour.

(Ilkley Virgin Mary / Snorkeler’s Sea Salt IPA / Ollenaut Kaineken Pale Ale / Drop Bear Yuzu Pale Ale are easily the best ~0.5% ones found so far)

Wiper & True do a lovely small beer, called just that.
Im also partial to Wild Beers Lirpip, similarly weak. The call it table beer, so that might be a term worth searching for.h.

Feeling crap after drinking beer is often nothing to do with alcohol - obviously within reason, but more likely to do with the chemicals and preservatives and all manner of artificial additives that they put into commercial mass produced beer and other alcoholic products. For example in the mainstream and more popular lagers they put some crap in to suppress the head when pouring so they can pour more pints per hour for busy bars...so I think that has more to do with hangovers and feeling crap than decent beer made with nothing but natural ingredients and water - thats my experience anyway. I know that when I made the switch from crappy lager to decent beer many years ago hangovers have become a thing of the past. Sure I'll feel tired and a bit worse for wear after a large night on decent beer, but I wont have that classic hangover..no headache, no feeling of sickness. Just a bought of lethargy and rancid wind. But to be fair some nasty fast food at the end of the night is just as likely the main cause of that. This is backed up by my more recent experience of my new lockdown hobby of homebrew, so I know exactly what's going into my own beer and again no classic hangover symptoms, even with the high strength beers I've brewed.

So drink decent beer and maybe be more relaxed about the alcohol content and you'll probably feel alot better.

Striding Edge by Northern Monk is a pretty tasty IPA and 2.8%. Available by the can in Waitrose.

Could you have a Punk IPA/Punk AF “shandy”?

Ones I've found pretty good

Newbarns - Table Beer (3%)
Burning Sky - Tail Crush (3%)
BaD Co - The Shy Retirer (2 and a bit, I think)
Rothaus make some very low ones - quite like the TannenZapfle
Drink'in the sun (or something like that) ded hoppy, mind (think it may be "0%")

I too am curious but not knowledgeable. Zero alcohol tasted too compromised to me.

which in £ per unit terms is still crazy.

This is not a good way to evaluate value of low alcohol beers.

Feeling crap after drinking beer is often nothing to do with alcohol – obviously within reason, but more likely to do with the chemicals and preservatives and all manner of artificial additives that they put into commercial mass produced beer and other alcoholic products.

Definitely this. Try some proper German beer as it’s brewed to the Reinheitsgebot (purity law) which means it can only be brewed with water, hops and barley (yeast wasn’t included for some reason). You’ll then find out if it’s the alcohol content or not.

Kernel table beer is fantastic, probably one of my favourite beers, you are not short changed on flavour just because it’s lower in alcohol.

Radio 4 had a discission about the shandy revival today

Available in sainsburys from Sunday

https://www.shandyshack.co.uk

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vrjb

I second the Kernel table beer. They are constantly changing the hops used, so that it never gets old, yet is always constantly good.

I'd just alternate beer with something else. Wheat beer tends to be pretty interesting even without alcohol, and some of the lower alcohol sour varieties are nice (Berlinner Weisse for eg).

(yeast wasn’t included for some reason)

The law predates Carlsbergs research into the microbiology of yeast strains.

Yep, Carlsberg, the brewery that now makes "well at least it's not Fosters or Budweiser" quality beer, was in fact the ground zero of modern brewing science.

A lot of the lager yeast strains are named carlsberg-1, 2 etc as a result as he was the first person to isolate them.

Mikeller - Drin'kin in the sun is really good. 0.3% though.

Had some brooklyn af lagers recently which were good too.

2 - 3% though, i dont see too many of those about?

Unbarred casual pale? Around 3.5% i think

If I can only find a warm bottle of lager, like Peroni, I put a load of ice cubes in the glass. It's a really good refreshing drink. Maybe top it up with a Peroni zero as well?

They have the Small Beer offering on draught at a pub near me, it isn’t too bad and is great for having a pint or two with your lunch, or after a bike ride.

Personally for home drinking I tend to buy beer that I like, regardless of the alcohol content but alternate with alcohol free, either FreeDamm or the Infinite IPA.

Second a vote for Mikeller - drinking in the sun
I prefer Punk AF to Nanny state

DO NOT try Sharps Doom Bar AF - I struggled to finish the bottle

Adnams Ghost ship AF is next on my list to try

3rd'd The Kernel Table Beer, I discovered it a few years ago, but have had a few crates over the last year. I like it a lot.
These guys are just round the corner from me this is their low and no box - you can add comments on your order to take it to your preference.
https://www.realdrinks.co.uk/collections/gift-ideas/products/12-mixed-beers-low-no-alcohol-beers

I’ve largely switched to a beer I found by chance whilst ordering online during one of the lockdowns, as I couldn’t face going to Waitrose and getting the same old same old beer.

It’s from the Dorking brewery and their featherweight micro pale ale, which is 2.8%. Tastes good and I can have a few and not worry about being smashed. It’s almost my perfect session pale ale.
https://dorkingbrewery.com/the-beers/

This is really good & 2.2%

https://www.birminghambrewingcompany.co.uk/product-page/understated-brummie-case

Does it have to be beer? Because 2% is Radler territory, and as said above Schoffenhoffer and Rothaus are great at those. Løwlander do a lot of low alcohol stuff if you like their style, and Browerij 't ij do a low alcohol IPA that's worth buying for the label design alone.

Kernel table beer is an outstanding beer irrespective of the %age but not necessarily easy to get hold of on a whim.

Another one recommended above is Northern Monk Striding Edge, really good hazy IPA and available in Waitrose.

I was coming along to say Schofferhoffer but it seems others got there first. Lovely stuff, particularly great as a cold can after a summer evening ride or hot dusty commute home.

Also a fan of Erdinger, but at 0.5% it might be a bit too low alcohol for your desires.

Lucky Saint from Tesco is my favourite by quite some way at the moment. About 0.5 or something so may not meet the op's requirements.

Good thread.

Until 18 months or so ago, my only experience of non/low alcohol beers where the faux-lager type stuff Id drunk when designated driver attending a wedding reception or something, maybe subconciously trying to fit in, as enjoyment wise Im not really sure why I didnt just drink a mineral water. However Ive had a few recently that had changed my perception

Id ageee that Siren Half mast is good still 2.8%, so table/session strength. Ive also had a few from Big Drop Brewery <1% that are pretty decent.

All the low alcohol ones Ive tried so far have been more 'summery' lighter beers though. Ive not found one that satisfies my tastes for Porters/Stouts. That might be a tough ask.

Hogs Back Brewery have Little Swine at 2.8%ABV, and it's superb - a really refreshing dry blonde.
https://www.hogsback.co.uk/brands/seasonal-ales/little-swine/

I was going to suggest Banks’s, I used to drink it regularly at a pub me and a mate were regulars at, and I thought it was about 2.8 ABV, but I’ve just checked them out, and their lowest is Banks’s Mild, at 3.8 ABV, which is pretty low, about what regular American brews are, due to their puritanical attitude to drinking alcohol.
https://www.bankssbeer.co.uk/whose-round-is-it/

Adnams Ghost ship AF is next on my list to try

I’d forgotten that one! I have a fondness for Adnams brews, and I picked up a bottle along with some others from the little Tesco along the road. It wasn’t until after I’d drunk it and was chucking the empty out I looked at the label; I hadn’t realised that it was such a low ABV, surprisingly flavoursome, I keep meaning to get some more in, once the evenings get a bit warmer it’ll be ideal for drinking sat outside watching the hedgehogs.

Many thanks for the excellent suggestions. Need to get busy with the debit card.
In the meantim, the stopgap solution...
(284x4.6)/(284+330) = 2.13% Stella...

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I’m definitely a fan of the Punk / Punk AF 50/50. My glass is initially filled with both and then I top up with alternating cans.

Was about to suggest getting the regular and AF versions of the same beer and making a shandy out of them but it seems you beat me to it.

'Table' beer is probably what you're after in terms of Google.

Slight deviation - you mentioned Beavertown and 'craft' in the same sentence. While I dislike the term 'craft', it is often associated with (usually small) independent brewers - Beavertown is Heineken.

West Berkshire Brewery are local to me and both Mister Chubb's (3.4%) and Maggs Mild (3.5%) are good beers, they also do an AF range called Solo and I prefer the pilsner of that range.

Here in Sweden there a 3 types

lättöl (light beer) up to 2.2%

Folköl (peoples beer) up to 3.5% omnipollo and oppigårds do some good ones, should be available t'internet

Starköl (strong beer) over 3.5%

Try looking up some good lättöl if i were you. I only drink 0% alcohol or sometimes a nice double IPA (7% upwards usually 🥳)

Someone mentioned it, but here's a link:

https://wiperandtrue.com/products/small-beer

Been drinking this regularly ever since I got long Covid (it's a local brewery so easy to get hold of in the local offy) - very tasty, it scratches an itch that the 0.5% beers just don't quite manage

Torrside (local to me) does a nice table beer @1.8%

https://www.hophideout.co.uk/uk-beer/torrside-kotatsu-18-500ml-bottle

Drop Bear Yuzu Pale

This sounded lovely, so I got some. It doesn't taste or smell of anything much, can't say I'm a fan.

However, the Tropical does have some flavour.

I bought a selection box so I'll report back on the Stout & the Lager.

Adams Ghost Ship is a marmite one (not in flavour terms).

I really like it, there's a pack in the cupboard now for drinking if doing something of an evening and I want to feel I'm chilling with a beer without muddling my head at the same time.

It's 0.5% so basically pop!

It also has had some vocal detractors on here in the last iirc.

I'll be checking the other suggestions above too.

Fwiw neither me nor my dad can drink anything from the Greene King ranges (not even a pint of it) without feeling almost instantly grotty and I steer clear of Wychwood and most Fuller's stuff too for same reason plus just about every lager on draft. It's not the alcohol content as I'll happily sink 3 pints of something else and feel ok.

After listening to a podcast with Lee Mack, he mentioned FreeDamm as "his favourite he'd tried" - so being the kind of person thats easier led than your average cult member I gave them a go. They're alright, probably the least offensive I've tried, but I get a slight honey taste from almost every 0% alcohol beer I've ever tried.

I'm goign to agree with @Howsyourdad1... Most of the Swedish breweries will do a folköl version for mass selling in supermarkets. If you can find these, there will be some good, albeit light, beers.

If you like sour beers, look for Dugges or Tempel. For normal beers, just see what you can find and work through the list until you can find things you like. I may or may not be doing that; it's a journey when you have a lot of good local small breweries.

Feeling crap after drinking beer is often nothing to do with alcohol – obviously within reason, but more likely to do with the chemicals and preservatives and all manner of artificial additives that they put into commercial mass produced beer and other alcoholic products.

That Punk AF stuff makes me feel rough as a dog.

Struggle to get past Becks Blue, must try to be more adventurous.

That freedam (it's Estrella 's AF beer) is ok but it does have the slightly sweet end taste, someone on here wiser than I said it's to do with the sugars used to brew without alcohol generated. I prefer PunkAF or the other zero percents listed, the local indie (Brightside) does one that is really good and they do delivery.

What about Mild? you don't see much of it at the moment (which means it will probably be the next big beer trend) but they are usually lighter ? if anyone knows of any good ones please shout

Good thread, scanned over it and didn't see any mention of Padstow Brewing Co's Shallow End, that's a lovely drop. Not cheep but quality over quantity.
Small Beer is nice too, but I found it a little gassy.

Any recommendations for low alcohol cider? I bought 3 different types today and just started on Waitrose 1% at £1.30 and it tastes pretty good. The others are thatchers 0% at £1.80 and Sainsbury’s medium dry low alcohol at £1.50 (all 500ml).

Update from above. The clear winner is the Waitrose own brand 1% which has a nice clean taste and is the driest of the 3 as well as the cheapest. The Sainsbury's 1% had a chemical after taste and was a bit sweeter and the Thatchers 0% was just like pop.

The clear winner is the Waitrose own brand 1% which has a nice clean taste

Yep, we liked that too.
Gnomm

I know it's supposed to be low rather than no, but the Hoegaarden 0,0 I bought yesterday is very drinkable

Yeah, it has that “honeyed” taste that someone mentioned, so isn’t the same as the alcohol version, but very drinkable on its own merits. More of a pudding bear than a sunny afternoon beer.

Hold the front page… Padstow do one?!? I’m on that as soon as possible…

I’ve only tried 0.5 beers so, favourite is shipyard low tide, ghost ship is good but not as good as shipyard, Erdinger, a bit sweeter and refreshing, doombar-Don’t go there, St. Peter’s without-like drinking malt extract.

I tend to only drink what the awesome Barry's Bargains is stocking at the moment, so this week it's Clausthaler, which I'm pleased to say is a nicely hoppy lager, almost IPA. Decent tipple and you could easily mistake it for alcoholic.

And at £4 for 24 in Barry's it's a bargain alright!