Non-Alcoholic beer

[KidKruger]

I'm not drinking for a while, mainly to keep a clear head and feel less tired.

I hate soft drinks as they're too sweet usually so am wondering what alcohol-free beers are available in the off licences and pubs around here.

I know it won't have the same taste as real beer (nor the usually desired 'affect'), but in the past I've had some quite presentable ones. I had a good 0% San Miguel in Spain a couple of years ago, so I know there is better than Kalibur (spewk). I found Becks Blue at Costcutter opposite Stab n Wine last night, which was OK, sort-of, ish.

Anyone found something decent, if so where ?

BTW I really think pubs should have a NA option on tap, to support drink-driving laws, etc.

[malumbu]

I've not found any decent low/non alcoholic beer. In part no doubt because of the process of removing the alcohol. Erdinger was OK but probably only as a one-off.

When I was in India yonks ago we hardly drank as the beer in most states was disgusting, in part because of the preservative glycol (or whatever), it normally came in a brown paper bag which made you feel like a wino, and was very expensive compared to the cost of living.

We lived off fizzy mineral water/soda water with lime juice or lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar. Brilliant. This also reflects of course the climate - not so nice on a wet bank holiday Monday

For a treat mango lassi - but not something you could order in the pub.

I also drink a pint of soda water with a bottle of grapefruit juice when stopping off cycling - grapefruit juice makes it not too sweet.

Good luck

[steveo]

Can't think of a beer but a hot and spicy Virgin Mary at 6pm kills my wine lust for a short while.

Franklins deli had some posh fruit cordials (elderberry and a ginger one I think) that were pretty grown up

[Otta]

Becks Blue was the one I used most when trying to stay off the booze for a bit. Just make sure it's really really cold!

[DulwichFox]

The EDT does a bottled non-alcoholic beer. Bavaria.

Its not too bad.

Tends to go through you though. :)

As with most beers. You only hire the stuff.

Foxy

[jacks09]

I always found it gave me a horrible headache!! about an hour after drinking...

[Jah Lush]

Many moons ago when I was off the sauce I found non-alcoholic beer revolting and as others have noted they go right through you and give you a headache. Who wants a hangover without the fun of getting pissed beforehand?

However, my drink of choice at that time was lime and soda with ice and a slice.

[Otta]

I like lime & soda, but after a couple I get bellyache. Too acidic.

[Horsebox]

KK, Bavaria is my default alcohol free beer for when I'm craving a cold lager and am not drinking,

But there's a pod selection box available from alcoholfree.co.uk

A friend and I split a case last year...there are some decent tasting brews in there, including dark and white beers from across Europe. Worth a go for around ?20 if I remember correctly.

[KidKruger]

Horsebox - that site looks OK, a tiny bit of this available in every pub would be spot-on.

Others - thanks.

Don't get me wrong, I got wasted in Franklin's with couple of friends last week so I'm no tee-total, but sometimes I fancy the taste but without the consequences. Also, for me, just a pint can sometimes tire me out if I've had a hard day and that evening I get nothing done (which doesn't suit how nbusy I am lately) so I'm looking for alternatives.

I guess I'll need to check the local pubs and ask what they sell in NA.

Any further info welcome.

[El Pibe]

its a tough one, I did use it when i was off the pop for a bit. It gives that minor psychological hit, as Otta says, drink it COOOLLDDDD!

in the end i just stopped going to pubs, no point.

[Jah Lush]

El Pibe Wrote:

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> in the end i just stopped going to pubs, no point.

I did the same. Hated being in a pub surrounded by pissheads. There is nothing more boring than being sober when surrounded by people getting pissed.

[KidKruger]

I appreciate how much alcohol is a part of our (UK) socialising culture, but sometimes wish I had another option in pubs than 4 pints of Pepsi/juice/soda if I'm off the sauce. Given that NA beers are actually being manufactured, my ideal situation would be that every pub has an on-draft and bottle option, even if it meant being enforced through licensing legislation. There's a lot of governmental initiatives against drink-driving, binge-drinking etc. so I guess I think they should back it with the most obvious measures to make non-drinking as easy (in our culture) as possible. I know it's a bih ask, but it does seem the obvious way to go IF the authorities mean what they say.

[KidKruger]

"There is nothing more boring than being sober when surrounded by people getting pissed."

A long time ago I had about 15 months off the beer, mainly because I'd just bought the ED house and was in full renovation mode for ages. Getting wrecked on a Friday, ruined the weekend's plans so rather than trying to do both I just went clean. Funnily enough, at that time (early 90s), there were quite a few pubs doing draught alcohol free - which I mistakenly thought would always be the case.

Anyway, what I was trying to say, when I was not drinking for that period of time and i was out with my usual crowd I forgot that I was sober and ended-up acting a drunk along with everyone else (though, in retrospect, I had no excuse !). It was only next day that I sussed why I didn't feel rough and could work on house / get to work on time and graft the full day etc. I didn't have a sense at all of being sober but surrounded by pissed people !

[Otta]

I don't think it's so much your mates, as other people. If I'm drinking, I can tolerate the overly loud rugger bugger type, but if I was having to listen to their shit sober I'd want to kill myself.

What annoyed me when on NA was that some (not all) pubs would charge the same for a NA bottle as they would for the real thing. They are WAY WAY cheaper in the shops, it just felt like an extra slap in the face.

[Dopamine1979]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "There is nothing more boring than being sober

> when surrounded by people getting pissed."

>

> A long time ago I had about 15 months off the

> beer, mainly because I'd just bought the ED house

> and was in full renovation mode for ages. Getting

> wrecked on a Friday, ruined the weekend's plans so

> rather than trying to do both I just went clean.

> Funnily enough, at that time (early 90s), there

> were quite a few pubs doing draught alcohol free -

> which I mistakenly thought would always be the

> case.

> Anyway, what I was trying to say, when I was not

> drinking for that period of time and i was out

> with my usual crowd I forgot that I was sober and

> ended-up acting a drunk along with everyone else

> (though, in retrospect, I had no excuse !). It was

> only next day that I sussed why I didn't feel

> rough and could work on house / get to work on

> time and graft the full day etc. I didn't have a

> sense at all of being sober but surrounded by

> pissed people !

This is well recognised. I think there have been studies about it.

[El Pibe]

if you're in the mood for it then you can definitely get swept up, if you're being a miserable old git, no amount of effort on your part can make up for the lack of alcohol.

At least not in my case :(

[steveo]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I don't think it's so much your mates, as other

> people. If I'm drinking, I can tolerate the overly

> loud rugger bugger type, but if I was having to

> listen to their shit sober I'd want to kill

> myself.

Careful, you'll end up on Urban 75

[Otta]

Haha ;-)

[KidKruger]

Rugger buggers - maybe that's from watching sports in pubs, which I don't do (apart from boxing usually).

Even when pissed though, you can end-up with someone in your face - and maybe be more tempted (due to alcohol) to shut them up !

[Jeremy]

I think Becks Blue is drinkable. More palatable with food though, than on its own. I do like fizzy drinks and juice, but I just drink them too quickly, so it's nice to have an alternative.

The Erdinger stuff just tastes odd. Won't be buying that again.

Brewdog "Nanny State" was an interesting option, but seems to have been discontinued.

[Jeremy]

Oh, and the Cobra stuff is foul... avoid at all costs.

[El Pibe]

yep cobra is undrinkable, blue becks about as passable as it gets....which isn't especially....

[malumbu]

I came home one night a bit squiffy and got my self a beer from the fridge. Good thing that I had made a mistake in buying Blue Becks. I was so impressed that I thought in the morning that I should try a bottle sober. It was truly horrid.

So what to do with those mistakenly purchased bottles. I took them on the opening of the new London Overground line, passed a few around and hoped that someone would try to arrest me for illegally drinking beer on the network. That's about as exciting as it gets zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Seabag]

Nope I disagree, ice cold Cobra is doable, with a curry

But ...personally, i'd get into home-made iced tea

http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Cobra-Zero-Premium-Beer-Extra-Smooth-Alcohol-Free/41423011