Cloudwater & Reserve Wines - Red

The Manchester brewer Cloudwater and wines purveyor Reserve Wines have teamed up to produce... well, to produce what? (Hence the photo!) On the can it says "low alcohol beer" but also "serve in your favourite wine glass." The listed ingredients are carbonated water, Chuckleberry Wild Ale (barley, wheat, oats, hops, yeast), fruit juice concentrates (cherry, grape, pomegranate, blueberry, lemon), cacao, lemon zest, orange peel, blackberry leaf, black pepper, ginger, natural colouring, chilli, citric acid and preservatives. Quite the list! The 440ml can also states it to be 0.5% ABV and vegan. With all this fruit it is no surprise that the aroma is of red fruit - particularly cherry. The taste is likewise all fruit - cherry and blueberry in the main. The body is rather slight and the finish is pretty tart. It is an AF beer that is very heavily tilted towards the fruit ingredients, hence the "red wine alternative" declaration on the can, so there is little if anything in the way of expected beer characteristics to the drink.

2 / 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

Van Honsebrouck - Kasteel Rouge Original 0.0%

Founded in 1811, the Belgian brewery has 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

Funky Fluid - Tropical Smoothie

This Polish unfiltered beer lists barley, wheat and rye malts, oat and wheat flakes and lactose as the ingredients on the 500 ml can. The description on the can is "non alcoholic smoothie ale" and the aroma is certainly dominated by a fruity sweetness. The flavours released upon drinking are similarly of fruits - particularly of peach, but also of pineapple and mango. There is a very low level of carbonation and the mouthfeel is thick, bordering on cloying. The finish has a touch of sharpness but the overall impression is one of overpowering sweetness. I suppose Tropical Smoothie does exactly what it says on the tin - it delivers a smoothie. For me, it is 805 calories that I was disinclined to finish.

1 / 5

Force Majeure - Kriek

Force Majeure is a Belgian brewer that specialises in alcohol free beers, making it quite unusual given that Belgium is traditionally a land of high strength beers. As with their other beers, this one comes in a brown 33cl bottle. The label promises "100 % taste 0 % alcohol." The ingredients listed includes concentrated cherry juice, so unsurprisingly the nose is completely of cherries. A sweet and fresh cherry taste follows. The level of carbonation is low and so the mouthfeel is smooth and gentle. The finish has a touch of acidity but overall it is the cherry notes that linger. It is a simple affair, but pleasant nonetheless. 

3 / 5

Funky Fluid - Free Gelato

The sub-title is Berries & Cream, and the 500 ml can is declared to be "packed up to the ceiling with forest fruits, marshmallows and vanilla." It is a < 0.5 % ABV beer containing barley malt, wheat malt, rye malt, oat flakes, wheat flakes and lactose so it is not a vegan beverage. It is pasteurised but unfiltered which means it is completely opaque in the glass, like that of a red berry smoothie. There is no mention of hops. Funky Fluid is based in Warsaw, Poland and was set up in 2018. Free Gelato, as the name suggests, takes its cue from Italian ice cream, and the aroma is very distinctively of fruits - particularly the sharpness of raspberry. Likewise the taste is all about the fruit - there's more raspberry and the sweetness comes from the softer flavour of blackcurrant. The domination of the fruits - both the sweet and the sour means that there is little place for marshmallow or vanilla; it is a very tart drink indeed. The carbonation level is low and there is a very smooth mouthfeel. Dictionary definitions of "beer" seem to be somewhat behind the times, but on a blind tasting, "beer" is not a word that would spring to my mind. Fruit smoothie would be my impression.

2 / 5

Omnipollo - Nyponsoppa

Omnipollo is a Swedish brewery, based in Stockholm. Nyponsoppa is a sour fruit style of beer, which comes in a 330ml can and is 0.3% ABV. Nyponsoppa is Swedish rosehip soup that is served as either a drink or as a dessert. This brew seems to be packed with the rosehip fruit - it is a vivid orange colour and as opaque as could be. When poured it creates a moderate white head. All in all, it is a very distinctive looking beer. The nose is very floral, with an underpinning of sweetness. Tastewise it is a full-on sour beer. Tartness is the strongest characteristic on display. There is moderation from the sweetness in the fruit, but overall it is a decidedly zesty beer. It stays just this side of too much bitterness. 

3 / 5