Liquor.com / Janet Maples
Non-alcoholic lager is a decades-old category that’s currently having a big moment in the spotlight. If you’re someone who’s ever tried an alcohol-free beer before, chances are it was a lager, as the market for N/A beer has long been dominated by lager- or pilsner-style offerings produced by American brewing behemoths and their European counterparts. But with the craft beer sector expanding its market presence every year, and the low- or no-alcohol movement beginning to catch on in a big way, there are now scores of N/A options available from breweries big and small, made in all manner of styles.
“In evaluating an N/A beer, I’ll usually consider the style they are replicating and what I want from a beer of that style,” says Kelly Phipps, bartender at Willmott’s Ghost in Seattle. “If I’m getting a N/A IPA, I want hops, complexity, and bitterness, whereas with something like a lager, I’m more concerned with the light, clean finish. Of course, as with all things, the most important question is simply ‘Is this enjoyable?’”
Dave Purcell, beverage director at Local : Los Angeles, adds that the mouthfeel of a N/A lager may be even more important than the flavor profile.
“I find that de-alcoholized or alcohol-free versions of [beer] tend to lack the biggest signifiers of what beer feels like to drink, which are mouthfeel and texture,” says Purcell “While I really look for brands that nail the flavor of a particular varietal of beer, it’s the feeling of drinking it that I end up judging the beverage by,” he says. “It's not an easy task, so when someone gets remotely close, I find that to be the greatest indicator of success.”
We’ve consulted with bartenders and industry professionals for their top picks in this iconic beer category. Here are the zero-alcohol lagers that the pros think you should seek out and crush right now.
Region: Wisconsin | Tasting Notes: Malt, Mineral, Crisp
“Al’s N/A American lager is the winner for me,” says Althea Codamon, managing partner and beverage director at Aita and Mayflower, both in Brooklyn, New York. “I’ve tasted a lot of N/A beers and they often fall flat or are doing too much. It’s crisp, clean, and truly tastes like a classic American lager. The labeling is simple and attractive too.”
Al’s is a newcomer to the non-alcoholic beer scene, born when NYC-based founder Alban de Pury found himself unable to find any N/A beers with a traditional American lager profile when he became sober a few years ago. With its retro-inspired can and unfussy approach, Al’s is fast becoming a favorite for discerning N/A beer fans everywhere.
“I always look for balance and drinkability, no artificial additives, easy on the wallet, and of course company ethics,” says Codamon.
Region: Spain | Tasting Notes: Grain, Bread, Bitter
If you’re a fan of Spanish-style beers, the N/A offering from Estrella Galicia might be an ideal entry point. Produced at the Hijos de Rivera Brewery in northwestern Spain, still owned by the same family that founded it in 1906, Estrella Galicia 0,0 is a pale lager with a clean texture and a flavorful palate. The head is frothy and generous in the glass, just like a full-strength lager, and the color is a bit darker than some entries on this list due to the combination of malts employed. Along with pilsen malt, which is a typical choice in the production of pale lagers, Estrella Galicia also incorporates some chocolate malt, resulting in semi-amber coloration and a more robust flavor profile.
While many non-alcoholic beers on the market contain something approaching 0.5% alcohol (the maximum amount under which a beer can still be labeled as non-alcoholic), Estrella Galicia 0,0 is a truly zero-alcohol beer, due to the use of a unique interrupted fermentation process. Beer fans wishing to avoid even trace amounts of alcohol can throw back these Spanish suds with confidence.
Region: Germany | Tasting Notes: Malt, Bitter, Mineral
Crafted at a 400-year-old brewery in Germany, and imported to the U.S. by way of Brooklyn, Atmosphere is a classic pilsner-style N/A offering that delivers all of the clarity and elegance that German lagers are known for. “It’s a very clean, crisp pils style, which is my favorite,” says Abby Ehmann, owner of Hekate Cafe & Elixir Lounge in New York City. “I’m not a big IPA fan. I like beer-flavored beer!”
While small brands like Atmosphere face an uphill battle when competing with well-established N/A offerings from big beer conglomerates, the expanding popularity of the category is a hopeful sign.
“We have a fairly narrow selection because we don’t have very much storage space,” says Ehmann, who notes that guests often request the N/A beers from large, recognizable brands like Corona or Guinness, but that there’s increased interest in smaller and more craft-oriented brands. “What we carry now may change as consumer demand changes and the customer becomes more educated.”
Region: Italy | Tasting Notes: Malt, Maize, Hops
Peroni is one of the most popular Italian beer brands, both in Italy and worldwide, and its recognizable “Nastro Azzurro” (or “blue ribbon”) label is now available in a zero-alcohol formulation. It has also been well received. According to Phipps, “Peroni 0.0 does an excellent job of replicating the classic lager profile, right to the finish.”
Special maize grown in northern Italy gives Peroni Nastro Azzurro its satisfying, refreshing flavor, and the same ingredients are used in producing the brand’s zero-alcohol version.
“The finish is the thing that makes and breaks a N/A beer, in my opinion,” says Phipps. “Oftentimes you have excellent profiles upfront that have a particular sweet note on the finish, which you just don’t tend to have with the alcoholic counterparts. Peroni 0.0 has a crisp clean finish, with no sweet lingering notes. It’s perfect on a hot day—and it’s excellent with hot wings.”
Region: California, Florida, Missouri, New Jersey | Tasting Notes: Malt, Saline, Grain
Stella Artois is one of the most recognizable beers in the world and is consumed (and brewed) in numerous countries outside of its native Belgium. So for corporate parent Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, the decision to offer a zero-alcohol iteration of this iconic pilsner was a no-brainer. Since its introduction in 2021, Stella Artois Liberté has received high praise from consumers and professionals alike.
“Pilsner, it seems, is a real conundrum to N/A brewers at the moment,” says Geo Thompson, bar manager at the Blacksmith Tavern in Pembroke, Massachusetts. “There’s something about that crisp, hoppy bite and skunky, copper penny finish that most can’t seem to replicate, and that I’ve been searching for since I took my leave of absence from the proofs. Stella Liberté checks all of these boxes and then some.”
Pilsner may be a clean and straightforward style, but it’s one that demands precision, especially in a non-alcoholic formulation. According to Thompson, the team at Stella has hit the elusive bullseye. “All year round, this crispy boi is a necessary staple in your fridge for an everyday cold one,” he says.
Region: California | Tasting Notes: Maize, Malt, Crisp
California-based RationAle, an award-winning N/A brewery that expanded quickly since launching in 2021, has earned several fans in the beverage world, including Purcell. “The Mexican lager, my preferred drinking style altogether, has a great crisp acidity and the weight of toasted flaked maize in its composition,” says Purcell. “It benefits from a squeeze of lime, but [this] isn’t required.”
Purcell also appreciates that RationAle is prioritizing innovation and new technologies within the N/A beer sector. “They have a strategic partnership with Deschutes Brewing to help scale a newer technology called BrewVo, which is how they manage the alcohol content and reverse osmosis particulars of their products,” he says. “They also are moving towards a system called NextDraft technology, which utilizes a multi-stage brewing process to condense the product into a bag-in-box method that extends the shelf life of the product, and doesn't require a keg for their brew.”
It’s fitting that breweries working in a disruptive category like N/A beer should be at the forefront of technological innovation within the industry as well.