Barsham Brewery - Stackyard Stacked AF Pale Ale

The brewery is based in Norfolk and utilises own-grown and locally-sourced grain together with water from their own bore hole. This AF pale ale is GF, vegan, has 0.3% ABV and arrives in a 330ml can. The listed ingredients are (unspecified) hops, malted barley, malted rye and malted oats. The beer has a vibrant golden colour in the glass and creates a good frothy topping. The aroma is gently floral and hoppy. The taste is one of a classic pale ale: a good balance of sweet malt (almost caramel), pine and a soft fruitiness. The mouthfeel is well-rounded, whilst the finish has a long-lasting crispness to it. It may be stacked, but it should be in a bigger stack - 440ml at least!

5 / 5

Williams Bros - Alien Form Stone Fruit IPA

The listed ingredients are barley, hops, oats, wheat and natural flavouring. The hops utilised are the same six as in the "Fruity IPA" version ie Cascade, Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo, Sabro and Galaxy so presumably the only difference is in the unspecified "natural flavouring." Once again, the yeast used by the Scottish brewer is thiolised in order to enhance the flavour. The beer comes in a 440 ml can and is vegan friendly whilst containing no more than 0.5% ABV. There is a mild fruitiness on the nose and the head on the beer soon dissipates after pouring. The taste is of course overwhelmingly fruity; both tropical and citrus. The mouthfeel is soft with a touch maybe of sherbet.The finish is sweet with no real bitterness or hoppiness in the profile. It's a pleasant enough IPA, but for me it lacks the character of the "Fruity IPA" version.

3 / 5

Brouwerij Haacht - Super 8 Rouge 0.0%

Super 8 is a Belgian fruit beer which comes in a 33cl bottle. The label declares the ingredients to be barley malt, cherry juice concentrate, fructose, glucose, hops (unspecified) and sweetener. It's a beer that is cherry all the way - from the aroma to the finish. It has low carbonation and has a light and slight body. There is an almond-like character too, making for a liquid version of a good bakewell tart. There is a touch of citrus in the flavour too, but the finish is decidedly sweet. Overall then, Super 8 is a pleasant AF take on the kriek style of beer.

3 / 5

Brulo - Five Fruit Gose

The five fruits from this Edinburgh brewery being mango, passionfruit, guava, apricot and orange. The 330ml can also lists barley malt, wheat malt, (unspecified) hops and salt as the ingredients, whilst also noting that the brew is vegan. The voluminous white head created upon dispensing reveals a tropical fruit aroma together with a certain fizziness. The fruitiness naturally leads on into the taste - creating what seems like a passionfruit mocktail. Despite the five listed fruits there is also a real pineapple note to this gose (a fruity beer style that originated in Germany). The refreshing summery character of the drink's mouthfeel ends with a dryish and not overly sweet finish.

4 / 5

Mind Hop - Nitro Stout

Mind Hop is a Scottish brewery and donate an impressive 10% towards mental health initiatives (as hinted at in the name). The 0.5% ABV beer is vegan but not GF. The ingredients on the 330ml can are given as barley, maltodextrin, oats, wheat, cacao nibs and (unspecified) hops. The vibrant head created upon pouring the stout into the glass is soon lost, leaving one to appreciate the decidedly coffeeish aroma. A rich combination of chocolate, coffee and vanilla makes for a well-balanced character and the mouthfeel is quite smooth, if a tad thin. The finish is akin to sipping an iced coffee and all in all this nitro stout is an enjoyable brew.

3 / 5

Mash Gang - Chug IPA

This IPA from the London-based brewer comes in a 440ml can and is no more than 0.5% ABV. The can has typically cool artwork and it lists the ingredients as being malted barley, wheat, oats, mango, hops and "natural flavours" (thankfully I've yet to see a beer with "unnatural flavours"). The hops are El Dorado and Citra, typical of those found in IPAs. The beer is hazy, quite possibly mango coloured too, whilst on the nose it is assertively hoppy. Tastewise Chug is an excellent combination of fruits, both citrus and tropical. The mango gives a touch of sweetness, but nothing overpowering; a nice addition to the flavours in fact. The smooth body and rich mouthfeel is followed by a crisp and bitter finish. Eminently chuggable. 

5 / 5

Track - Sonoma AF Pale Ale

This is the Manchester brewery's 0.5% ABV version of their leaded Sonoma pale ale and is offered up in a 440 ml can. The beer is vegan and contains barley, oats and wheat as well as Citra and Mosaic hops. The beer goes flat quite quickly and leaves little lacework down the glass. The aroma is assertively floral and quite bitter in character. Tastewise there is a heady combination of flavours: at once tropical, citrussy, grassy and resinous. A moderate and clean mouthfeel ends with a hoppy and crisp finish. Maybe a touch more body could have been present but it is still a very worthwhile AF version of Sonoma. 

4 / 5

Below Brew - All Hopped Up IPA

True to its name, this IPA contains quite the list when it comes to the hops: Citra Lupomax, Citra Dynaboost, Idaho 7 CGX and Amarillo. The brewers have also found room for some barley, oats and wheat in there too. The beer is vegan, has 0.5% ABV and comes in a 440ml can. The head doesn't last long when the beer is dispensed into a glass, releasing a quite floral aroma. Tastewise it is very much fruity - mostly tropical and with just a hint of pine, and there is a lightly malty base. Hoppy is definitely the word to use in describing the finish, so all in all it is a very pleasant IPA from the Bath brewer.  

3 / 5

Firebrand Brewing - Shorebreak Hazy Pale

Firebrand Brewing is based in Launceston in Cornwall and currently brew three AF beers amongst their range: a lager, an IPA and this hazy pale. The 440ml can offers up the following: the beer is 0.5% ABV, vegan friendly, gluten free (via a unique brewing process) and is brewed with barley, wheat and oats whilst the hop varieties are Simcoe, Citra and Cascade. There is a powerful tropical fruit character to the aroma and this carries through to the taste, together with a great mix of passion fruit, grapefruit, pine and a soft maltiness. The mouthfeel is beautifully smooth and the finish is hoppy, bitter and clean. It's a multi-award winner and has now just won another one from me. Full marks. At least!

5 / 5

Moersleutel - Motor Oil Imperial Stout

Hailing from the Netherlands, this 0.5% ABV brew arrives in a 440ml can and is suitable for vegans. The ingredients are listed as being malted barley, flaked oats, flaked barley, flaked wheat, roast barley, natural flavourings and hops. (It also declares the beer to contain gluten and possibly with traces of nuts - including peanuts). As one might expect of motor oil, the frothy pale brown head soon dissipates, leaving behind a glass of near black stout. There is a strong aroma - mostly of vanilla but with some woodiness in there as well. And the taste.... The taste is massive. Dark chocolate, vanilla, tonka, liquorice, coffee and treacle practically explode on the palate. The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, whilst the finish is soft and mellow. Moersleutel describe themselves as beer engineers and on this evidence I'd appreciate them designing more AF beers. And soon! 

5 / 5

Lakedown - Sound Alcohol Free Juicy Pale Ale

This is a 0.5% ABV pale ale "brewed with Sussex spring water", as it says on the 440ml can. It is both vegan and GF. The East Sussex brewery also produce an AF pilsner. The beer went flat very quickly upon pouring into a glass. Lemon is the fragrance that I noticed as I came to take a drink. The taste is both citrussy and floral. The light bitterness is very restrained and the mouthfeel is rather on the thin side. The hoppy finish is likewise rather lacking. The beer has won a silver at the 2025 world alcohol-free awards but for me it does not make that much sound. I would expect more volume from a "juicy pale."

2 / 5

Loch Lomond - Alcohol Free Southern Summit APA

Not to be confused with the brewery's 4% ABV version, this Scottish beer arrives in a 440ml can and the ABV is just 0.5%. There is a light floral character to the aroma. The Citra and Summit hops combine to give a citrussy flavour, with also a touch of herb and tropical fruit; all held in place by the malted barley and wheat. Low carbonation means that the beer has a light mouthfeel, whilst the finish is both clean and slightly sweet. Southern Summit is certainly an ascent worth making in order to quench a thirst. 

3 / 5