A cold glass of beer makes watching sports even more enjoyable.
But whether you’re the designated driver, cutting back on alcohol, or simply looking to enjoy a healthier lifestyle, non-alcoholic beers have become a game-changer.
Gone are the days when alcohol-free options tasted like water with a vague beer taste and a little token fizz.
Today’s non-alcoholic beers are packed with flavour, offering everything from crisp lagers to rich stouts that rival their boozy counterparts.
Better still, they allow you to take part in social occasions without compromising your focus or fitness goals.
Whether you’re after a refreshing half-time pick-me-up when watching the football, or something easy to knock back while watching the darts, keep reading for our favourite alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers.
How we tested
Each beer was sampled in the comfort of our own homes – because let’s face it, that’s where most of us enjoy a pint while watching the match.
After thorough refrigeration, we opened the cans or the bottles and poured them into a proper pint glass to check out the colour, carbonation, and that all-important head.
Our tasting process focused on key elements such as flavour, aroma, and mouthfeel.
We assessed the balance of flavours, the depth and complexity of the brew, and how well it captured the essence of a traditional beer.
Texture and carbonation were also considered when evaluating the overall satisfaction of each drink.
Best alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers at a glance
The talkSPORT team sampled a range of low and no-alcohol beers, from supermarket brands to craft brewery creations.
To cater for all taste options, we tried pale ales as well as stouts and classic lagers and these are our favourite picks:
- Best alcohol-free beer overall: Lucky Saint unfiltered lager
- Best alcohol-free stout: Guinness 0.0% alcohol-free stout
- Best alcohol-free beer for summer: Bero premium non-alcoholic beer
- Best budget-friendly alcohol-free: Free Damm alcohol free beer
- Best bottled alcohol-free beer: Corona Cero 0.0% alcohol free beer
Best alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers review
Lucky Saint unfiltered lager
Lucky Saint unfiltered lager, 20 x 330ml bottle at Lucky Saint, £36
- Rating: 5/5
- Pros: Tates like ‘real’ beer, good head, low-calorie, no additives or flavourings
- Cons: Not gluten-free
I had high hopes for Lucky Saint after reading about the brand’s story on its website.
Founder Luke Boase went on a mission to make a non-alcoholic beer that tasted just like the real thing and eventually found a brewing partner in Bavaria who was up for the job.
As I poured a bottle of Lucky Saint into a glass for the first time, the anticipation was so high that I had to remind myself not to rush the pour.
Upon sipping it, I had to check the label just to make sure it was alcohol-free.
It did not taste weak or watery instead the maltiness shines through.
This could be because it contains all the ingredients of a regular beer – Bavarian spring water, Pilsner malt, Hallertau hops and single-use yeast.
The recipe is brewed for six weeks before removing the alcohol using a nifty process called vacuum distillation.
This means they can remove the alcohol at a lower evaporation point, in turn maintaining the flavour.
If I was served this without knowing what I was drinking, I could easily be fooled that I was drinking the real thing.
It’s a clean taste with a slight citrus twist and a maltiness that really hits the spot.
I also liked that a Lucky Saint bottle has only 53 calories and it’s sugar-free and 100% vegan.
It’s definitely something I’d drink again and I’ll probably ensure that I always have some in the fridge so that I can easily reach for one when I’m watching sport.
Guinness 0.0% alcohol-free stout
Guinness 0.0% alcohol free stout, 24 x 440ml cans at Amazon, £30
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Pros: Smooth, velvety, satisfying, creamy head, budget-friendly
- Cons: 85 calories per can (higher than others)
Guinness 0.0% alcohol-free stout is currently the best-selling non-alcoholic beer product in the UK, so I couldn’t wait to try it.
Pouring it into a glass, I was happy to see that deep, dark colour and thick, creamy head that makes a Guinness instantly recognisable.
As well as looking the part, it felt very satisfying to drink and I found the mouthful just as smooth and velvety as the original.
Taste-wise, it’s surprisingly almost identical – those classic roasted malt flavours come through strong, with hints of coffee and chocolate.
If you blindfolded me and put one Guinness 0.0% and one regular Guinness in front of me, I’d struggle to pick which one was the non-alcoholic version.
Overall, it’s got a nice balance of bitterness and a touch of sweetness, making it easy to drink and I’d feel better about having a few knowing that it won’t give me a hangover the following day.
I can definitely see why it’s having a popularity surge among UK drinkers.
If you love Guinness but want to skip the booze this is a must-buy.
Bero premium non-alcoholic beer
Bero variety pack, 12 x 330ml cans at Bero, £33.50
- Rating: 3.5/5
- Pros: Appetising colour, sophisticated blend of flavours
- Cons: Watery, lacking in depth
Bero is the brainchild of actor Tom Holland, best known for swinging through the Marvel universe as Spider-Man.
Tom quit alcohol in 2022 and said his health, work and personal relationships all improved once he’d ditched the booze.
However, he didn’t enjoy drinking many of the non-alcoholic beers available to him once he turned teetotal and that’s why Bero was born.
There are three flavours: Kingston Golden Pils, Edge Hill Hazy IPA and Noon Wheat.
The Noon Wheat in a cream and gold can called out at me first.
It’s designed to be a light and refreshing wheat beer, and I thought it looked very appetising in the glass with a hazy pale-yellow colour and a frothy white head that quickly fades.
Putting my nose to the glass, I smelled a crisp, citrusy aroma, which made my mouth water.
Taste-wise, I enjoyed the orange-lime twist that kicks in at the finish – it was zesty, snappy, and gently tickled the palate.
However, the body is quite thin, almost watery, which takes away some of the satisfaction.
While the citrus notes were pleasant, I’d prefer to be hit with flavour than tickled.
Kingston Golden Pils was better, with a herbal and slightly grassy flavour that I found intriguing in a good way.
I found it easy to drink and very more-ish as my tastebuds seemed to want to make more sense of it.
After a few sips, I thought that there was a gentle spiciness, paired with a slight bitterness that reminded me I was drinking beer rather than a soft drink.
The depth of flavour wasn’t completely there but it’s more enjoyable to drink than a lemonade or a tonic water.
Corona Cero 0.0% alcohol-free beer
Corona Cero 0.0%, 24 x 330ml bottles at Amazon, £22.80
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Pros: Tastes pretty close to the alcoholic version, 0.0% alcohol, low in calories, low in sugar, refreshing
- Cons: Tastes better in a bottle than poured into a glass
If you’re a fan of the alcoholic version of Corona, then I think you’ll be pretty impressed with the 0.0% offering.
Of all the non-alcoholic beers I’ve tried, I think this is the one that comes closest to tasting like the “real thing”, especially when served chilled with a slice of lime.
It’s crisp, light, and refreshing and, as someone who’s trying to cut down on their mid-week drinking, it is my go-to 0.0% beer to satisfy my beer/wine cravings after a rough day at the office.
It’s light in calories (just 56 per bottle), low in sugar and often cheaper than other non-alcoholic brands.
Overall, I would highly recommend giving it a go.
Review by Clara Wosely
Free Damm alcohol-free beer
Free Damm alcohol free beer, 4 x 330ml cans at Ocado, £4.20
- Rating: 4/5
- Pros: Flavoursome, refreshing, smooth mouthfeel
- Cons: Too sweet
Brewed in Barcelona using the same brewing technique as regular beer, Free Damm is for beer drinkers who love flavour but hate hangovers.
It has a similar brewing process to Lucky Saint, with an advanced vacuum distillation technique used to remove the alcohol without affecting the refreshing beer flavour.
But it actually works out cheaper than Lucky Saint, and it was the least expensive alcohol-free beer we tested at £1.05 per can.
When poured into the glass, it had a light cloudy amber look with quite a decent frothy head.
The body is good, with tight bubbles offering a tickle of carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel.
I’d describe the taste as sweet and malty mixed with some toasted popcorn flavours.
While it doesn’t have the most complex of flavours, it is full-bodied and uncomplicated, which makes it easy to drink at the start.
However, I think the sweetness can become quite overpowering after a couple of cans and I wouldn’t want to have more than three for this reason.
Overall, for the price, it’s excellent value for anyone getting started with alcohol-free beers or anyone looking to cut down on the expense of alcohol as well as the empty calories and the hangovers.
How is alcohol-free beer made?
Alcohol-free beer and low-alcohol beer are made using special techniques to keep the taste of regular beer while reducing or removing the alcohol.
The process usually starts the same way normal beer is made, using the brewing, fermenting and maturing process.
The difference comes in how the alcohol is taken out or kept to a minimum.
One popular method is dealcoholisation, where alcohol is removed after fermentation, which can be done by gently heating the beer (vacuum distillation) or using a filter (reverse osmosis) to separate the alcohol.
Another way is to stop fermentation early, so less alcohol is produced but the beer stays a bit sweeter from the leftover sugars.
Some brewers use special yeast that naturally produces very little alcohol during fermentation.
Is alcohol-free beer healthy?
Alcohol-free and low-alcohol beer can be a surprisingly healthy option with plenty of benefits.
They’re much lower in calories than regular beer, making them a great choice if you’re watching your weight.
Plus, since they contain little to no alcohol, they don’t come with the usual risks like liver damage, dehydration, or poor sleep that can be linked to drinking alcohol.
Alcohol-free beer still has a lot of the good stuff found in regular beer, like B vitamins, minerals such as potassium, and even antioxidants, which are great for overall health.
Some research shows that they can help with hydration and even aid recovery after exercise, thanks to electrolytes and natural carbohydrates.
Many non-alcoholic beers also tend to be gluten-free, making them suitable for anyone who can’t tolerate gluten.
Where can I buy alcohol-free beer?
For the convenience of having cans or bottles delivered straight to your door, the best place to buy alcohol-free beer is Amazon.
Most major supermarkets, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl, stock alcohol-free and low-alcohol beer in their drinks aisles.
These stores often have supermarket own-brand options alongside popular brands like Guinness 0.0% and Corona Cero 0.0%.
For even more variety, the website Dry Drinker offers unique alcohol-free beers, including craft brews and international brands. You can buy them individually or by the crate.
For more sports, health and fitness deals and buying guides, check out our dedicated talkSPORT shopping hub.
