Brulo - Highway to Helles Lager

Once one has appreciated the pun (presumably a German-style beer aimed at fans of AC/DC!) this Scottish beer pours into the glass creating a frothy white head which soon subsides. It's 0.5% ABV and vegan too - barley malt, maltodextrin and hops are the ingredients listed on the 330 ml can. The grain-like character of the aroma transfers through to the taste - a gentle malt flavour topped off with a slight hoppiness and with no real bitterness. The mouthfeel is soft and it has a low carbonation which means a very light finish to the brew. All in all, it is a typically smooth helles lager.

3 / 5

Birra Moretti - Zero

Birra Moretti is brewed in the Netherlands, the Italian brewery now being owned by Heineken. The 330ml bottle gives the ingredients as malted barley, hop extract and natural flavouring. The ABV is no more than 0.05%. The modest white head sits atop a pale amber body, pretty much a standard looking lager in fact. The aroma is gently of lemon. Tastewise it is a citrussy affair and has a light malt base, whilst the finish has that same touch of lemon. The mouthfeel is light, the carbonation being rather modest. Indeed, it is very easy to drink; maybe going well with a pizza or pasta dish. 

3 / 5

Wiper and True - Tomorrow Lager

This dealcoholised and unfiltered 0.5% ABV lager arrives in a 440 ml can which declares it to have won the Bronze medal at the World Alcohol Free Awards 2024. It is vegan friendly. The ingredients are listed as malts and traditional German hops. The aroma is a very slight herby one and with maybe just a touch of citrus. The taste and mouthfeel of this pale beer is immediately very pilsner: crisp, fresh, light and smooth. The clean, hoppy finish makes for a very pleasant beer indeed. And, as an aside, the Bristol brewery try to be as eco-friendly as possible - in terms of carbon footprint, solar power and packaging - and so are doing their bit for a better tomorrow.

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

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

Asahi Super Dry 0.0%

Brewed under the supervision of Japanese master brewers, it says on the 330ml can. It's a de-alcoholised beer and the ingredients are given as "barley malt, corn grits, hops, corn starch and natural flavours." It is therefore not GF. The beer is brewed and canned by Birra Peroni in Italy, for Asahi UK Ltd. A strong head is created upon pouring and the aroma is restrained and rather herby. Biscuity is how I would describe the taste and quite sweet as well. Smooth and well rounded is the mouthfeel, no doubt assisted by the corn starch. As per the name, the finish is quite dry. The word "lager" does not seem to appear on the can, but I think I would describe it as such. Best drunk well chilled and makes for a nice accompaniment to a meal. 

3 / 5

Big Drop - Reef Point Craft Lager

This East Anglian 0.5% ABV lager comes in a 330ml can and is vegan, GF and low calorie. Ingredients listed include malted barley and glycerine, together with Hallertau, Hersbrucker and Citra hops. The beer is very effervescent as one dispenses it into the glass, but the head that is created soon disappears. The aroma is a pleasing floral one, not powerful but neither is it overpowering. This continues through into the taste together with a nice balance of other flavours - particularly melon, pine and orange - all sitting on a gentle maltiness. Reef Point has a light level of carbonation and a gentle if rather thin mouthfeel. The finish has a restrained  pine character. Overall then a very pleasant AF lager.

3 / 5

M&S Low Alcohol Czech Lager

Bottled in the UK, but brewed in the Czech Republic (specifically at the Litovel brewery in Moravia), this lager comes in at 0.5% ABV in a 500 ml bottle. Zatec (Saaz) hops are used in the brew, together with malted barley and glucose-fructose syrup. It's also labelled as a vegan beer, which seems to be increasingly common. When poured into a large glass a good foamy head is created which hangs around impressively. The aroma is bready, albeit a very slight one. The taste is of a traditional lager, with touches of mandarin and green tea providing some distinctiveness. The body is well-rounded and it has moderate carbonation. A slightly bitter finish rounds off a pleasant if rather modest brew.

3 / 5

Corona - Cero

The "100% natural ingredients" are listed on the bottle as "barley malt, maize, sugar, hops and natural flavours." Neither of the latter two are specified. Each 330ml bottle contains 2.1g of sugar. Although it says 0.0% ABV on the front, the small print says "not more than 0.05%." It is a lager-style beer from the Belgian-based global drinks giant AB InBev (so no longer a strictly Mexican beer as it is brewed in Brussels). In appearance it is much like Corona Extra, the leaded version, whilst the slight head soon dissipates. The aroma is clean and light; there's a touch of malt but no real hoppiness. On the palate Cero is a simple, crisp drink, somewhat sweet but pleasant enough. It has only a light mouthfeel and the carbonation level is low. In the finish that sweetness lingers, so perhaps that's why a slice of lime is traditionally added. A friend who drinks the Extra says it's a similar drink but rather lighter in taste. Overall, it does the job of being a refreshing drink to wash down all that Mexican food. 

3 / 5 

So-Beer - Grapefruit Lager

The Naked Collective is based in County Kildare and this is their "non-alcoholic vegan lager with a hint of grapefruit." It is 0.3% ABV and contains B vitamins, whilst having only 7g of sugar and a measly 40 calories in the 30cl can. The Collective are a 2022 World Food Innovation award winner. Barley, wheat, oats, natural flavouring (grapefruit juice?) and unspecified hops combine to produce a very clear looking brew topped off with a decent frothy white head. There is a definite grapefruit note in the aroma and this carries through into the citrussy taste of the lager. The body is quite light and the carbonation level is moderate. The crisp finish means it has quite a bite to it. Overall, it is a refreshing lager with a strong touch of grapefruit.

4 / 5

So-Beer - Lager

From County Kildare comes The Naked Collective and this is their "non-alcoholic light refreshing vegan lager." It is 0.3% ABV, contains only 7g of sugar as well both vitamins B2 and B12 and it has just 40 calories squeezed into the 33cl can. The Collective are keen on being "good for the planet" and are a 2022 World Food Innovation award winner. Barley, wheat, oats and unspecified hops go to produce this clear looking brew which supports a decent frothy head. There is a fragrant, floral aroma and this translates into a zesty taste underpinned by a little caramel sweetness. The mouthfeel is light and the carbonation level is moderate. The crisp finish means it has quite a bite to it. It is indeed what it says on the tin - light and refreshing. 

4 / 5

Nittenauer - Freie Liebe

A German lager, Freie Liebe (Free Love - hence the hippie vibe of the label) comes in a 33 cl bottle and creates a foamy billowing white head when poured into the glass. The label describes it as a light, soft and malty lager. Malty isn't particularly a word I associate with lagers but I'm sure this brewery know what they are doing, given that they are the producers of both the excellent IPA Le Chauffeur and Lola Coffee Porter. On the nose it is quite yeasty, whilst the taste is biscuity and, yes, a little malty. Not much like a British lager, Freie Liebe is closer in character to a wheat beer in its creamy softness. A clean albeit slightly sweet finish rounds off a most enjoyable beer. 

4 / 5

Good Karma - What's Your Mantra?

Good Karma Beer Co is based in London and this is a black lager described as being 0.0% ABV (more strictly speaking <0.05% ABV). On pouring from the 330ml 1970s psychedelic style can the lager creates a modest head that soon subsides. A very malt dominated aroma translates into a very malt dominated taste. The mouthfeel is adequate, whilst the finish is quite a sticky sensation from all that malt. This lager is very much a one dimensional affair. The ingredients are listed on the can as including malted barley extract and hop extract. Perhaps that explains the character of this lager: using malt extract rather than grains means the loss of the subtle flavours of the grains. (I used to be a regular sparger of worts and never used malt extract to brew my beers because of this).

1 / 5

Sheep In Wolf's Clothing - Lager Day Saints

SIWC is a London-based brewery and this beer is a Munich Helles - a style of lager obviously originating in Bavaria. It is vegan, 0.5% ABV and utilises several malts (Caramunich, Pilsen, Melanoidin and Munich) but just the one type of hop (Hallertauer Mittelfrueh). As well as listing the ingredients, the 440 ml can also provides the Standard Reference Method colour intensity score (4 - pale) and the International Bittering Unit rating of 5 (very low). Initially there is a full billowing white head but this quickly all but disappears. A slight floral aroma leads to a bready maltiness in the taste, whilst the finish is quite sweet. The carbonation level is low, giving a smooth texture, albeit rather watery and thin. The emphasis on the malt element makes for a lager that is not particularly refreshing or crisp. 

2 / 5

Fungtn - Chaga Lager

Fungtn is a company that utilise mushrooms in their brewing process, although there is no hint of a mushroom taste in the AF beers themselves. The beers are both vegan and GF. This dark lager contains chaga mushroom extract. Chaga grows (unlike money) on trees and is used as a traditional medicine in countries such as Russia and other northern European countries. On a more traditional beer note, the recipe includes both Tettnanger and East Kent Golding hops together with barley, malt and wheat. On pouring from the 330ml bottle a billowing head is created which remains intact for a good while. Floral and herbal aromas greet you on raising the glass and the taste is a very pleasing combination of sweet malt, earthiness and a big smack of hops. For a lager, the level of hoppiness is quite unexpected. The mouthfeel is moderate albeit with somewhat too much fizz, but the finish is very clean and crisp. 

4 / 5

Big Drop - Coba Maya

This cerveza, or "lager" as it's known round here, is delivered from a 330 ml can, has a mere 33 calories contained therein and scores a modest 11 IBU - so I'm not expecting much of a hop punch. The ingredients include lactose - thus it is a cerveza not suitable for vegans. Hersbrucker and Hallertau hops are used, together with barley, oats and rice. The modest white head dissipates quite quickly whilst the aroma is distinctively floral and fruity. Tastewise the fruits theme continues, with orange and apple in the main, but also with a touch of sherbet. The mouthfeel is rather thin and flat, whilst the finish is clean if slightly too sweet. On the can it is suggested to add a slice of lime. This is a great improvement to the taste - the citrus edge takes away some of that sweetness and makes for a far crisper and refreshing drink. Have your lime slice at the ready.

3 / 5

Lucky Saint - Unfiltered Lager

This 0.5 % ABV lager is brewed in Germany for the London-based Not Another Beer Co Ltd, trading as Lucky Saint. It comes in a squat 330 ml bottle and is suitable for vegans. It is brewed using pilsner malt and Hallertau hops, a traditional lager hop. The hazy pale body creates a good white head that holds up well in the glass as you drink, which is always more appealing than those that disappear before you can even take a photograph! There are flowery, apple and biscuit (digestive, not custard cream) aromas to be found with a good sniff. The taste is lightly malty with a slight lemon zing. The mouthfeel is soft and quite creamy. With a dry crisp finish this is a good straight-down-the-middle lager, especially to be noted for its light body and mellow taste - there's no great bitterness on display. 

4 / 5

Days - Lager

Days Brewing Co is a Scottish AF-only brewery, currently producing just two beers - including this lager. It comes in a 330 ml bottle, contains only 73 calories and is suitable for vegans. The listed ingredients include malted barley, maltose and Hallertau hops. It is produced by a double fermentation method, unique to the company (apparently) and results in the production of no alcohol. Unfortunately the modest white head soon disappears after pouring and the aroma is mainly a malty one. This continues into the taste which is akin to brown bread and with a caramel undertone. The finish is smooth and quite sweet but with no real bitterness or bite. Overall it's certainly of a different character to a typical lager, not as thirst-quenching as one usually finds and not much hoppiness.

2 / 5

Drop Bear - New World Lager

Described by the Swansea-based brewery as an India Pale Lager, it is (typically for Drop Bear) GF, vegan and low in calories. Drop Bear only make AF beers and a (currently) small range too. But the quality of them is outstanding; definitely a case of quality over quantity. So, does this lager continue that impressive pedigree? Well...It has a faintly yeasty nose combined with a gentle citrus fragrance that seems to be a signature of the brewery. The hops used are Motueka, Rakau and Wai-iti. The lager malt provides a soft, biscuity taste which underlies the range of fruits on show - particularly apricot and lime. A very refreshing drink which finishes off with a pleasing crispness. So... yes... another winner from Drop Bear.

4/5

Freestar - Alcohol Free Beer

When is a beer not a beer? AF beers can be produced by one of four broad methods. One way is to restrict the fermentation process. A second way is to dilute the beer. Thirdly, one can dealcoholise the beer. Each of these methods involves a yeast and, hence, fermentation. Freestar (based in London) use no yeast and so there is no fermentation in the fourth, and final, method. The finished product (a lager in style) is a blended product consisting of malted barley, Perle hops and "other natural ingredients" (as per the label) to create a truly (unsurprisingly) 0.0% ABV drink. It is vegan, gluten free and there is commendable effort by the company to be as environmentally-friendly as possible. For all the naturalness of the ingredients the aroma is slightly synthetic in nature, being only faintly floral and herby. There is a similarly artificial character to the taste. Bread and mint spring to mind. Freestar have won an award at the World Beer Awards so who am I to say an unfermented drink is not a beer? Unfortunately, it wasn't a drink that I wished to finish.

1/5