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Non-Alcoholic Beer Reviews by Beer Experts

Non-Alcoholic beer first arrived in the US in 1919 during Prohibition.

Then it caught on in Germany in 1973, where companies marketed it as "car driver's beer," according to the New York Times. German athletes still drink lots of NA beer after exercise.

O'Doul's brought non-alcoholic beer back into the spotlight in the US in the nineties with the tagline "The Taste Will Win You O'ver."

While the claim on taste is debatable, O'Doul's remains the top-selling NA beer in the US. But thankfully, loads of new entrants are storming the gates. And today, we have more choice in the non-alcoholic beer market than ever before... and tons of thought and science going into removing the alcohol from beer without killing the taste.

Heineken 0.0 is taking the biggest bite out of incumbents (and also spending the most on marketing). But many, smaller brewers are also coming onto the scene. There's Two Root Brewing in California, which initially started as beer with THC (the part of marijuana that gets you high) but now makes NA brew without the buds. There's also Bravus Brewing, WellBeing Brewing and Athletic Brewing (an organic, "craft" brewer of NA beer). The list is ever expanding.

You'll find lots of Instagram accounts "reviewing" non-alcoholic beer, which mainly consist of a bro taking a shot of a bottle in his hand, writing "good flavor, tastes like beer, I'd recommend."

But The Zero Proof wanted to take NA beer reviews a bit more seriously. That's why we enlisted the help of a professional.

We tracked down one of the few Advanced Cicerones in the country to film a series of reviews with us. A Cicerone is a professional designation for beer experts (like a sommelier for wine). A cicerone understands the different styles of beers, the different flavors, ingredients and brewing processes... and they know how to evaluate beers.

An Advanced Cicerone is the second-highest designation you can achieve, behind Master Cicerone. And our friend Brandon Plyler, out of Charleston, SC, is one of the proud few to hold that designation.

Below, you'll find a series of non-alcoholic beer tastings Brandon conducted for The Zero Proof. We broke the videos down by types of beer.

If you ever wanted a true professional's thoughts on the best NA beers on the market, this is it...

Brown and Amber Beers

Pale Ales

Light and Bright Beers

Dark Beers

Tasting Notes Athletic Brewing All Out Stout

  • Origin: Connecticut, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Truffle, Sweetness

Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA

  • Origin: Connecticut, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Subdued herbal notes

Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale

  • Origin: Connecticut, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Orange Citrus, Subtle, Clean

  • Taste: Pleasant, Very Good

Athletic Brewing Hometown Harvest Festival Fall IPA

  • Origin: Connecticut, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Grapefruit Hop, Toasty Malt

  • Taste: Malt Extract, Dusty Graham Crackers, Lingering Bitterness

Athletic Brewing Stump Jump Brown Ale

  • Origin: Connecticut, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Toasted Grain, Cocoa Powder, Milk Chocolate

  • Taste: Persistent Flavor, Nice Body, Chocolate Flavor

Bravus Brewing Amber Ale

  • Origin: California, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Strong buttered popcorn from diacetyl

Bravus Brewing Oatmeal Stout

  • Origin: USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

Moritz Lager

  • Origin: Barcelona, Spain

  • Alcohol Content: 0.0%

  • Nose: Flowery, Perfumy, Light Skunk

  • Taste: Sweet, Creamy, Crisp/Refreshing

Surreal Brewing Company, Juicy Mavs Hazy IPA

  • Origin: California, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Citrus, Cantaloupe, Overripe Honeydew

Two Roots Brewing Company, New West IPA

  • Origin: California, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Taste: Soft bitterness, Clean, No Discernible Hops

Two Roots Brewing Enough Said Helles

  • Origin: California, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Classic German Malt, Fresh, Doughy, Honeysuckle

  • Taste: Good body, Herbal, Lemon, Balanced

WellBeing Coffee Cream Stout

  • Origin: Missouri, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove

WellBeing Brewing Hellraiser Dark Amber

  • Origin: Missouri, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Potpurri, Peach

  • Taste: Nice Taste and Body, Flat Finish, Lingering Bitterness

WellBeing Brewing Heavenly Body Golden Wheat

  • Origin: Missouri, USA

  • Alcohol Content: 0.5%

  • Nose: Fresh Wheat, Grassy, Earthy, Subtle, Soft

  • Taste: Tartness on Back-end, Good, Simple

 

Give These a Try