The Best Non

Jul 30, 2023

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Ditch the booze with our guide to the best AF beers

If Dry January still feels a little far away, Sober October is here to give you the socially acceptable excuse you need to knock the booze on the head.

Launched by Macmillan Cancer Support, the month-long fundraiser is the perfect opportunity to raise money for charidee (should you wish), reap the health benefits, and just generally get yourself reacquainted with some great alcohol-free brews.

Advancements in low ABV brewing have skyrocketed in the past few years. Taste-wise, many are now on par with their alcohol-enriched, beery brethren. Alongside non-alcoholic spirit stand-ins for vodka, gin and whisky, as well as booze-free wine, it's never been easier to stock an AF bar cart.

Our panel — made up of 10 WSET-accredited experts and consumers — tested 38 no and low-alcohol beers in search of easy-drinking options that taste every bit as authentic as their alcoholic alternatives.

Read on for the front-runners for 2023, whether you want to completely ditch the happy hour habit or are looking to practise more mindful drinking.

Proving popular with our expert panel, Days 0.0% offers exactly what we’re looking for in a lager. Lightly malted, with well-balanced hoppy floral notes and a moreish citrus backbone — it's a yes from us. Plus, the branded bottle opener will come in useful, right? Pale ale fans can stock up on a mixed case here.

0.0%, 10 x 330ml

Our panel was initially sold on Beavertown’s full-on fresh fruit aroma (think mango, passionfruit and a hint of citrus), but it was the well-balanced bitterness and crisp mouthfeel that secured its crown. If your go-to is a hoppy, tropical IPA, then this won’t disappoint.

Recently joining the line-up is the super sessionable Satellite, a low-alcohol (2.8%) IPA that can be bought separately, or as part of a mixed case subscription for ongoing good intentions.

0.3%, 12 x 330ml

Slightly cloudy in the glass, Brewdog Punk AF opens with bags of fresh tropical fruit flavour and a more subtle pine note. In terms of style, our panel felt this offered the best of both worlds, combining the bitterness you’d expect of an IPA, with all the freshness of a lager.

0.5%, 4 x 330ml

This pilsner is as classic as they come. By combining traditional Czech hops with British barley, they’ve created a beer that offers citrus freshness and tell-tale grassy notes, without compromising on that mouth-filling, malty richness.

At 2.1% ABV, it’s not strictly au fait for Sober October, but it’s worth stocking up on if the aim is to cut down.

2.1%, 6 x 350ml

Made by dry-hopping mosaic, citra and amarillo hops, Brooklyn Brewery's Special Effects brings the same malty bittersweetness and rounded mouthfeel you’d expect of a traditional lager, with zero alcohol... even if the trippy packaging would lead you to believe otherwise.

0.4%, 6 x 330ml

Lucky Saint is a powerfully flavoured lager, despite the lack of alcohol, thanks to the use of a step mash technique that gives the brewers greater control over the wort.

It’s full of malt with a lingering, citrus-led bitterness that mimics the experience of drinking a traditional lager. Best served chilled, as indeed are we all.

0.5%, 1 x 33oml

Going against everything we thought we knew about beer, Drop Bear recommends taking this out of the fridge 10 minutes before you plan to enjoy it. This will allow the more nuanced notes of elderflower, apple and honey to shine, and what can we say, it works.

0.5%, 8 x 33oml

No Friday night curry is complete without a big bottle of Cobra. Thankfully, this zero-alcohol alternative offers all the smooth, toasted barley flavour and bright carbonation you’ve come to love of the original – minus the alcohol.

0.0%, 24 x 330ml

Developing a creamy head on pouring, Big Drop’s alcohol-free stout certainly kicks things off in the right direction. But how did the flavour match up?

Thankfully, this isn’t a case of style over substance, as it delivered bags of rich, roasted coffee depth, lasting cocoa bitterness and light, tangy bubbles.

While you're there, Big Drop's Pine Trail Pale Ale is also well worth a top-up.

0.5%, 12 x 330ml

Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.

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