Not long ago, there were just a couple of nonalcoholic beer brands on the market, none of which offered much in the way of flavor or style diversity. Now, big-box brands and craft breweries are getting into the game, pumping out nonalcoholic options, including lagers, IPAs, and stouts.
“With little to no innovation within the nonalcoholic beer category over the past few decades, this poses an exciting opportunity for brewers,” says Dan Hamill, former general manager of Golden Road Brewing. “How can we bring full flavor to a historically bland product?”
The near-beer market in America is still relatively small, but experts see a lot of room for growth. “Nonalcoholic beer is expected to grow by double digits in the next few years with recent trends in health and wellness.” Beer giant AB InBev, which owns Golden Road, has even set a goal for at least 20 percent of its global beer volume to be no- or low-alcohol by 2025.
Whether you prefer a light, refreshing beer or a rich, thick stout, there are flavorful brews available to satisfy almost any beer drinker looking for a nonalcoholic option.
Best Overall
Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Hoppy Amber
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/brooklyn-brewery-special-effects-hoppy-amber-288613fd0666467388035c8ee48fc750.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (1)")
Brooklyn Brewery is a favorite of many craft beer drinkers around the country, but its crowd-pleasing lineup also appeals to those who can more often be found with a Budweiser in hand. According to the brewery, Special Effects is made using a special fermentation method that allows it to retain flavor without the alcohol. The result is a citrus-forward brew with just the right amount of bitterness from the hops.
Region: New York City | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Citrus, bread, hops
Best Wheat
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/weihenstephaner-hefeweissbier-alkoholfrei-58d004e47a5042369ca06164e0ddbede.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (2)")
Oktoberfest staple Weihenstephaner, based in Germany, dubs itself the world’s oldest brewery. It offers nonalcoholic versions of its classic brews, like the Nonalcoholic Wheat Beer and Nonalcoholic Original Helles. The former is the better of the two, a very light and refreshing Hefeweizen with a touch of hops. It gives you the overall feeling that you are, indeed, drinking beer and not some barleyed version of White Claw.
Region: Germany | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Wheat, yeast, citrus
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/athletic-brewing-company-run-wild-non-alcoholic-ipa-98792af33af9411f875abd1e2b1036e0.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (3)")
Connecticut’s Athletic Brewing does one thing and one thing only: a nonalcoholic beer made with a craft-brewery mentality. That means you’ll find many different types of beer in its lineup, including this IPA. “The heavy malt in this brew is awesome because it actually tastes like a West Coast American IPA,” says Kevin Bradford, a partner of Harlem Hops. “It’s the best nonalcoholic beer I have ever tasted.”
Region: Connecticut | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Hops, fruit, malt
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/clausthaler-original-non-alcoholic-96a6b85da94a42278fd1cde608aba852.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (4)")
Clausthaler is one of the original nonalcoholic beer makers. The brewery got its start in the early ’70s with a focus on German-style beer that adheres to the Germany Purity Law, which dictates that only water, hops, and barley can be used to make beer. In addition to the Original, there are new styles, such as a dry-hopped brew made with Cascade hops and Santa Clausthaler, and a blend of the Original and a cranberry-cinnamon drink.
Region: Germany | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Citrus, malt, hops
Related:The Best Beer Glasses
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/heineken-non-alcoholic-00-4dae712ac9fb45c395a250a92e1dac04.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (5)")
The popular Dutch brand joined the nonalcoholic beer game with 0.0. Diehard fans of the original might not mistake this bottle for classic Heineken, as the flavor is a bit on the thin side, but it does have that characteristic skunkiness and mouthfeel. And some writers claim they haven’t been able to tell the difference in a side-by-side blind taste test.
Region: The Netherlands | ABV: 0.03 percent | Tasting Notes: Malt, bitter hops, lemon
Related: The Best Kegerators
Best Low-Calorie
Suntory ALL-FREE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/suntory-all-free-1f3646564d424134ad55ce01b9ce48e7.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (6)")
This beverage is not exactly a beer, but it’s pretty close—and it has zero calories and an ABV of 0 percent. Although Suntory ALL-FREE has been available in Japan for more than a decade, it is newer to the American market. The drink is made from two-row barley malt, aroma hops, and mineral water, resulting in a sort of half-beer, half-sparkling water hybrid that will interest nonalcoholic beer drinkers.
Region: Japan | ABV: 0 percent | Tasting Notes: Malt, barley, crisp citrus
Related: The Best Beer Growlers
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/HazyAF_CourtesyofBrewDogUSA-ad09c20942dd47559a8b96151215de2d.png "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (7)")
Looking for a hazy IPA with big, juicy tropical fruit notes? BrewDog has a nonalcoholic beer that fits right into that wheelhouse. Hazy AF is bold and assertive, and, best of all, you can drink a few without worrying about slowing down. This brewery got its start in Scotland but now has outposts in Ohio, Berlin, and Australia, making its mark in the world of nonalcoholic and alcoholic beers.
Region: UK | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Lemon, grapefruit, malt
Related: The Best Bottle Openers
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/bravus-oatmeal-dark-218f39980767441587a07f5ee90cb436.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (8)")
Just because you’re drinking nonalcoholic beer doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a hearty stout beer. This oatmeal dark stout from Bravus has rich chocolate, coffee, and caramel notes. It’s not too sweet and can stand up to food like BBQ and soft cheese.
Region: California | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Coffee, chocolate, caramel
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/lagunitas-brewing-company-ipna-e8ad70328d474222a2316d10a85e8923.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (9)")
Lagunitas has been brewing in California for decades, but this nonalcoholic IPA (IPNA) is a newer entry into its lineup of beers. The flavor is pretty close to the regular Lagunitas IPA, with notes of pine and citrus and a dose of bitterness. Fans of IPAs won’t miss the alcohol when drinking this beer.
Region: California | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Pine, hops, citrus
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grainwave-6414427f614e4374b13190b85bcdb1aa.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (10)")
From the creator of Blue Moon comes this unfiltered Belgian-style white ale that is 100 percent alcohol-free. The plant-based brew is made with blood orange peel and coriander, offering bright and refreshing flavors, while the wheat and oats create a smooth finish. Ceria Grainwave has half the calories of alcoholic beer and is traditionally produced with high-quality malts, hops, and spices.
Region: Colorado | ABV: 0 percent | Tasting Notes: Blood orange, malt, herbal
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Screenshot_1577-b6c54aec6b534a158783a6c4067663a2.jpg "The 11 Best Nonalcoholic Beers to Drink in 2024 (11)")
With tasting notes of blood orange, sea salt, and raspberries, this gose comes from Bravus, the first non-alcoholic brewery, based in Anaheim, California. The gose is a sour style and this one tastes tart and refreshing. Make sure it's well-chilled before you quaff it, as the flavors really pop when it's cold. Your friends who love natural wines might enjoy this, too.
Region: California | ABV: Less than 0.5 percent | Tasting Notes: Blood orange, sea salt, raspberry, white bread
Final Verdict
We found Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects to be the most impressive. It has just enough citrus and hoppy bitterness to satisfy IPA fans, but it’s not overwhelming on the palate for drinkers who prefer a less assertive beer.
What to Look For in a Nonalcoholic Beer
Styles
There are as many styles of nonalcoholic beer as there are regular beer. Our list provides a broad overview. The style you choose depends on a few factors, but namely, it depends on your taste—do you prefer a hoppy IPA, a dark stout, or a light lager? You might also consider both the occasion for which you're serving beer and the time of year; the same rules apply, regardless of whether or not the beer has alcohol. We'd say a wheat beer tastes great in the summer with grilled food, as much as a dark stout takes great in cooler weather with a stew or braised meats.
ABV
Many nonalcoholic beers indeed have zero alcohol, but many have a scant amount of alcohol (generally less than 0.5 percent ABV). This may be important if you or those you are serving it to are avoiding alcohol altogether.
Unique Brews
Big brands like Heineken and Budweiser have launched nonalcoholic beers, but some of the most flavorful and innovative are coming from the craft world, with entire breweries devoted to the category. Seek out unique brews and you'll never be bored.
FAQs
How do they get the alcohol out of fermented beer?
There are several methods for creating a nonalcoholic beer that involves interfering with yeast during the fermentation process, inhibiting the creation of alcohol. Dealcoholization is another method for making nonalcoholic beer, in which heat or reverse osmosis eliminates alcohol after the beer is made.
Are there any trace amounts of alcohol still left in nonalcoholic beer?
There usually is a negligible amount of less than 0.5 percent alcohol in nonalcoholic beer, which might be a factor for those looking to avoid alcohol altogether.
Is nonalcoholic beer made the same way as alcoholic beer?
Many nonalcoholic beers are made the same way as regular beer, but they undergo one of the steps listed above to remove the alcohol. The basic ingredients usually remain the same, with some combination of water, yeast, malt, and hops.
Does nonalcoholic beer naturally have fewer calories?
Nonalcoholic beer is generally lower in calories than regular beer. However, the calorie count can vary depending on the type of beer—and sometimes the difference is just a matter of 10 or 20 calories per brew. However, you’ll also find a market for very low-cal nonalcoholic beer.
Does nonalcoholic beer taste like beer?
For the most part, and much like other nonalcoholic spirits, the taste of nonalcoholic beer resembles its alcoholic counterpart. The technological advances in the world of nonalcoholic beverages have made it so that the difference is barely discernible in terms of taste—minus, of course, the buzz that comes with alcohol.
Why Trust Liquor.com?
Jonah Flicker is an experienced writer who has covered spirits for many years. His work covering trends, new releases, and the stories and innovators behind spirits has appeared in various national outlets. His first love remains whiskey, but he is partial to tequila, rum, gin, cognac, and all things distilled.
Read Next: The Best Nonalcoholic Wines to Drink
