Stewart Brewing - Scot Free Pale

Stewart Brewing was established in Edinburgh in 2004 and won the Scottish Brewery of the Year award in 2024. The brewery mostly produces alcoholic beers but do also produce an AF lager and this 0.5% ABV pale, served up in a 330 ml can which declares it to be unfiltered, GF, vegan friendly and containing malted barley, wheat, oats and hops. The can is rather reticent about who makes it though - "Stewart Brewing" being hidden in the small print. Maybe one has to recognise the logo? The hops used are all American: Mosaic, Simcoe and Citra. Unsurprisingly then that the aroma is both citrus sharp and floral in character. The taste is a superbly crafted mix of tangerine, mango, berry and with a very definite resinous/piney character to the fore. A good malt base holds the mouthfeel firm, whilst the finish is a 100% thirst quench. Definitely going to be on repeat.

5 / 5

Fruh - Kolsch 0.0

Colner Hofbrau Fruh has been brewing beer for more than 100 years and this is their first alcohol free offering. It is a dealcoholised version of their 4.8% ABV kolsch (a style specific to the Cologne area of Germany). The 33 cl bottle dispenses a very bright looking beer with a decent white head on top. A gentle floral aroma is noticeable, with maybe a touch of orange as well. In terms of taste, it is a subtle affair - with notes of malt, bread and a little honey in the background. It has a clean, light and gentle mouthfeel, whilst the finish is quite dry. Kolsch is fermented like an ale but then conditioned like a lager and this process results in a kind of hybrid style of beer - maybe a little closer to the lager end than the ale end, but either way it is a very crisp and refreshing drink.

4 / 5

Buxton - Axed IPA

This is the AF version of the Derbyshire brewery's Axe Edge IPA, coming in at just 0.5% ABV. It is vegan, but not GF - the ingredients on the 440ml can are given as barley, oats, wheat and hops. It is also available on draught (at least in Buxton!). Axed has a clean, citrus aroma and the body is lightly carbonated. Tastewise there are (naturally) citrus notes (grapefruit and tangerine in the main) as well as a softer stone fruit background. It is a well hoppy IPA and has a good bitter finish. Clean and refreshing, I'd happily wield more of this beer.

4 / 5

BERO - Kingston Golden Pils

Made in the USA, but with "globally sourced ingredients" which are listed as malted barley, hops and yeast, this pils arrives in a 355ml can. The beer is indeed a strong golden colour and the head is good and firm. There is very little in the way of aroma, perhaps a touch of breadiness. Tastewise it is very much biscuity malt all the way, with maybe a touch of grassiness. Lacking any real hoppiness or citrus the finish is quite dry. All in all, Kingston Golden Pils is not the most refreshing beer I have tasted.

2 / 5

Unbarred - Coastin' West Coast IPA

Brewed in Brighton, this vegan beer contains oats, barley, wheat and a quartet of hops: Chinook, Columbus, Citra and Simcoe. Emptying the 440ml can into a glass creates a good frothy topping which persists for a good while. A soft mandarin aroma greets you as you bring the glass to the lips. And the taste is a really well balanced array of flavours - mango, grapefruit and passionfruit, on a nicely understated base of pine and with a hint of spice. The mouthfeel is light and the finish is at once fresh and dry. This is a tasty partner to a hot summer's day - whether on the coast or not. 

4 / 5

Wiper and True / Track Brewing First Draught Pale Ale

This 0.5% ABV collab vegan beer comes in a 440 ml can and is produced by dealcoholisation, rather than by fermentation to a lower gravity. As well as utilising barley, wheat, oats and spelt, there is something called Citra Hyperboost, which is a concentrated hop extract oil. The billowing frothy head certainly gives off a strong grapefruit aroma. The taste is very much grapefruit, lemon and lime with perhaps some sherbet-like softening. The body is light and well-carbonated and the finish is sharp, meaning it is a refreshing drink but is rather one-dimensional in overall character.

2 / 5

Tap Social - Day Release Pale Ale

Tap Social is based in Oxford. It is a social enterprise to create employment and training for prisoners and prison leavers in order to reduce reoffending. They "brew, bake and run community venues." Day Release is their first AF brew. It arrives in a 440ml can, has 0.5% ABV and is vegan. The hops are listed as Admiral and  Sultana Savro. Upon pouring into a glass an impressive frothy head is created, though it soon disappears. The aroma is very slightly herbal. Tastewise, Day Release has a slight citrus character and maybe a touch of melon. A light mouthfeel precedes an unremarkable finish. 

2 / 5

Brulo - King for a Day NEIPA

Brulo is based in Edinburgh though this New England IPA is brewed by De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium. The beer is 0.5% ABV, vegan and arrives in a 30 cl can. In the mix are barley, wheat, oats and vanilla; together with Munich, pale ale, crystal and wheat malts. As one might expect with a NEIPA, the hops are all bold ones: Columbus, Citra, Mosaic and Sabro. It starts with a little disappointment: there is little head to speak of and it soon disappears. Minor point hopefully. This king may appear rather reticent but the aroma is decidedly "in your face" - it's very full-on tropical and citrus notes all vying for your attention. The taste is a typical NEIPA big fruity one: grapefruit, tangerine, lime, peach and on a good backbone of pine. The body is lightly carbonated and smooth, whilst the finish is also smooth but with a very nice bitter edge. Definitely a refreshing beer to have on a warm summer's day.

4 / 5

Theakston - Nowt Peculier

This is Theakston's AF take on the famous dark ruby ale Old Peculier from North Yorkshire. It utilises the same ingredients (pale, crystal and roasted barley with Fuggles, Challenger and Progress hops) but the alcohol is then filtered out. The creamy head it creates sustains well in the glass. The nose has a richness to it and with the character of maybe wholemeal bread or even woodiness. Tastewise it is certainly very malty. There are notes of plum, dark cherry and raisin too. The carbonation is very light, making for a smooth, rather slight mouthfeel. The finish is quite sweet. Overall then it is a very traditional dark ale, and in fact there is nothing peculier at all about it.

3 / 5

vandeStreek - Hard Pour Coffee Nitro Stout

The "hard pour" into the glass did indeed create the promised head, but it quickly disappeared, so no "foam mustache" for me then. The 33cl can declares the beer to be vegan and contains barley malt, barley, cacao, coffee and hops. The hops used are Sabro, Columbus and Magnum. The powerful aroma is mainly of coffee of course as well as of dark chocolate. Tastewise there is a well blended combination of coffee, vanilla and some coconut. It has a smooth mouthfeel and a very light level of carbonation, bordering on thin. The finish is dry and is a little astringent. Overall it is a very pleasant stout, I'm just glad I brought my own mustache. 

3 / 5

Heineken - 0.0 Lager

The Dutch Heineken company was founded in 1864 and now owns over 150 breweries in 70 countries; so it is the very definition of a multi-national company and is one of the largest brewers in the world by volume of beers produced. This "pure malt lager" is the AF version of the 5% original. The same ingredients are used: barley malt, hop extracts and "natural flavourings." It is created by the removal of the alcohol using vacuum distillation. The beer is dispensed from a 330 ml bottle, has a crystal clear appearance and supports a bubbly white topping. There is very little aroma to identify. Tastewise it has a slight soft malted character. The finish is similarly unremarkable. 

2 / 5

Van Honsebrouck - Kasteel Rouge Original 0.0%

Founded in 1811, the brewery have now created a non-alcoholic version of their award-winning 8% ABV cherry beer Rouge Original. The label on the stubby 33cl bottle from the "Kingdom of Belgium" lists barley malt, wheat, hops, spices and cherry concentrate amongst its ingredients. The latter comes from Oblacinska cherries, which are usually used in cooking. Unsurprisingly then that cherry is by far the dominant characteristic of this beer, from the nose through to the finish. The sour cherry flavour is blended in with a touch of caramel and a hint of clove. The mouthfeel is rather lively but not overly so - it is light, smooth and well-rounded. The rich finish rounds off a very well put together beer. Must be all those centuries of practice. 

4 / 5