Recommend a beer (2 Viewers)

[Grendel]

Sending you love and support.

Have you read the Adrian Chiles book? It's an interesting take on excessive drinking.

Oddly I was thinking of acquiring that as I think his wavelength is more akin to mine

AA I found like some religious cult - reading extracts from some book that’s 100 years old - I’d just thrive off the misery and go to the pub afterwards

It was SO depressing

 

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[Brighton Sky Blue]

Oddly I was thinking of acquiring that as I think his wavelength is more akin to mine

AA I found like some religious cult - reading extracts from some book that’s 100 years old - I’d just thrive off the misery and go to the pub afterwards

It was SO depressing

Some of these I’ve tried and are fine. I find regular Guinness disgusting but the non alcoholic was more tolerable.

The best non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer taste-tested 2024

We tasted non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer, from lager and pale ale to deep, rich stout. Discover our top buys and find your new favourite booze alternative

www.bbcgoodfood.com

 

[Kneeza]

I haven't touched a drop of anything alcoholic in over two years, but enjoy the occasional near-beer.
Yep, the Brooklyn Special Effects is excellent, as is Beavertown Lazer Crush IPA.
While we were in NE Spain earlier this year I was on FreeDamm lager quite a lot, and they do a lemon-infused version too which is very refreshing. Too pricey over here though, if you can find it (dirt cheap around Barca though).

 

[Kneeza]

I gave up in deference to my shagged-out liver btw, which is now pretty much recovered, and as a bonus I really don't crave the stuff even though I still enjoy the odd zero (one or two a week).

 

[Grendel]

There has been a shocking mix up in the bar i an in. I ordered a brew dog thinking it was zero and it’s 5.4% - I’m not one to cause a fuss so I’ll own the mistake

 

[fernandopartridge]

There has been a shocking mix up in the bar i an in. I ordered a brew dog thinking it was zero and it’s 5.4% - I’m not one to cause a fuss so I’ll own the mistake

Have another one to check

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Ian1779]

I heartily recommend that you DO NOT explore this as an alcohol free lager. It tastes of literally nothing.

 

[Esoterica]

I heartily recommend that you DO NOT explore this as an alcohol free lager. It tastes of literally nothing.

View attachment 31482

Budvar with alcohol tastes of nothing too. Their market share in Czech Republic has hugely deteriorated in the last 15 years and you rarely see it in pubs these days outside of South Bohemia and Prague. Generally you don't get anything like the variety of beer on tap that you get in the UK though, rather than 8 random different ales and lagers you'll just have a 4% and a 5% lager on tap and maybe an IPA/APA. I think that helps ensure the pubs are serving a quality pint because they get through their kegs quickly.

Some of the Czech Nealko’s are good though, Birrell is Pilsner Urquell's version and it is probably the most popular, Bernard Free is also good. In the 0% market, what has grown in popularity is the 'radler', essentially a non alcoholic shandy made from beer and some fruit flavour e.g. lemon, orange, grapefruit.

 

[Sick Boy]

I've never understood the point of alcohol free beer

Moretti



Everything else is toilet

I hope this is supposed to be ironic.

 

[Saddlebrains]

I've never understood the point of alcohol free beer

I hope this is supposed to be ironic.

Ignoring the Leffe and Staropramen?

 

[Sick Boy]

Ignoring the Leffe and Staropramen?

Moretti is in no way comparable to them, it's not the best.

 

[Sick Boy]

Meant to post earlier...i've never understood the point of alcohol-free beer...I gave it up for an extended period in the past (around a year) to prove to myself that I could do it. It probably says more about my own relationship with it though!

 

[Saddlebrains]

Moretti is in no way comparable to them, it's not the best.

Right well we're going to have to have a fight then arent we?

 

[ccfctommy]

Meant to post earlier...i've never understood the point of alcohol-free beer...I gave it up for an extended period in the past (around a year) to prove to myself that I could do it. It probably says more about my own relationship it though!

Same here - If it works for some people then fine. But I don't fancy a beer then i will get a coke zero or something like that.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Ignoring the Leffe and Staropramen?

Staropramen is shite as well these days, brewed in the UK. Pilsner Urquelle better.

 

[hamertime]

Quite like the Korev when down in Devon, Sapporo is nice in the big silver cans. If anyone likes cider that Savanna dry is delicious.

 

[Sick Boy]

Quite like the Korev when down in Devon, Sapporo is nice in the big silver cans. If anyone likes cider that Savanna dry is delicious.

Korev is decent.

 

[Grendel]

Meant to post earlier...i've never understood the point of alcohol-free beer...

I’m starting to come to the same conclusion

It’s like sex with no orgasm

 

[Esoterica]

Staropramen is shite as well these days, brewed in the UK. Pilsner Urquelle better.

Staropramen is owned by Molson Coors now and changed hands a few times over the last 20 years. Bass bought it originally and then it was with InBev for a bit too. It’s almost solely focused on export now. Another one we palm off on you guys and no one drinks here anymore, like Kozel (which incidentally has the same owners as Pilsner Urquell)

 

[Flying Fokker]

I’m starting to come to the same conclusion

It’s like sex with no orgasm

It works for me. Erdinger Alcohol Free. Brewdog Alcohol Free. Usually one a night just to wash my meal down.

Main reason: A double whisky was always more like 8 times/. 3 of those a night and still no real reason for drinking…..Weight gain even though I’d work on Cardio at the gym. Wine just as much of a pull for me.

Had no alcohol for 5 1/2 years. Dropped nearly 4 stone through road cycling and gym work. Kept it off without dieting. In fact I’m having to eat more carbs and protein due to the cycling.

The key point for me is that I didn’t really enjoy drinking alcohol.

 

[Sick Boy]

I’m starting to come to the same conclusion

It’s like sex with no orgasm

I drink for the alcohol rather than for the ‘pleasure’ of it to be honest - not sure what the pleasure is if it isn’t from the alcohol.

 

[Great_Expectations]

Meant to post earlier...i've never understood the point of alcohol-free beer...I gave it up for an extended period in the past (around a year) to prove to myself that I could do it. It probably says more about my own relationship with it though!

I used to think exactly the same, and to an extent still do, especially if you’re out, but sometimes after a long day you want to feel like you’ve drank something that isn’t water/squash/fizzy drink etc, but without the calories of a real beer!

We also have a subscription to Trip - CBD infused drinks. It’s a bit of a fad, but again it feels like you’re not just drinking kids drinks every evening.

Budvar with alcohol tastes of nothing too. Their market share in Czech Republic has hugely deteriorated in the last 15 years and you rarely see it in pubs these days outside of South Bohemia and Prague. Generally you don't get anything like the variety of beer on tap that you get in the UK though, rather than 8 random different ales and lagers you'll just have a 4% and a 5% lager on tap and maybe an IPA/APA. I think that helps ensure the pubs are serving a quality pint because they get through their kegs quickly.

Some of the Czech Nealko’s are good though, Birrell is Pilsner Urquell's version and it is probably the most popular, Bernard Free is also good. In the 0% market, what has grown in popularity is the 'radler', essentially a non alcoholic shandy made from beer and some fruit flavour e.g. lemon, orange, grapefruit.

Generally I’m not a lager drinker anyway, however randomly stumbled across a Budvar x Thornbridge collab called ‘Czech Matters’ recently and found it surprisingly nice! Not a massively distinctive taste but it was smooth and very easy drinking. But tbh I’d expect nothing less if Thornbridge are involved!

 

[Esoterica]

I used to think exactly the same, and to an extent still do, especially if you’re out, but sometimes after a long day you want to feel like you’ve drank something that isn’t water/squash/fizzy drink etc, but without the calories of a real beer!

We also have a subscription to Trip - CBD infused drinks. It’s a bit of a fad, but again it feels like you’re not just drinking kids drinks every evening.



Generally I’m not a lager drinker anyway, however randomly stumbled across a Budvar x Thornbridge collab called ‘Czech Matters’ recently and found it surprisingly nice! Not a massively distinctive taste but it was smooth and very easy drinking. But tbh I’d expect nothing less if Thornbridge are involved!

I'd heard of that, it's called 'Czech Mates' if we're talking about the same one? It's all British ingredients I think but they 'borrowed' Budvar's double decoction method - they use an old traditional method of splitting their mash and boiling it over a long period of time, something like 6 hours (which used to be needed before the days of heavily modified malts).

Actually Budvar did release a new lager during COVID I think, called Budvar 33, and I do like that one a lot. It's more bitter than their other lagers (the 33 relates to the 33 IBU rating) due to the Czech Agnus hops in it. But it's never on tap anywhere, only seen it in bottles.

To be honest I don't like beers with a heavy flavour. I don't especially enjoy IPAs etc and I never drink at home - so my drinking experiences are down the pub with mates or a few after football with the lads (not as holy as I sound there, we train twice a week and there's 2 matches at the weekend ). So a lager I can merrily chug away on while having a chat or dissecting the match is perfect for me.

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Had a lovely IPA on holiday called I-AIN-GANNALIE

 

[Esoterica]

Had a lovely IPA on holiday called I-AIN-GANNALIE

In a 2 litre glass so they could fit the name on it?

 

[Kneeza]

I used to think exactly the same, and to an extent still do, especially if you’re out, but sometimes after a long day you want to feel like you’ve drank something that isn’t water/squash/fizzy drink etc, but without the calories of a real beer!

We also have a subscription to Trip - CBD infused drinks. It’s a bit of a fad, but again it feels like you’re not just drinking kids drinks every evening.



Generally I’m not a lager drinker anyway, however randomly stumbled across a Budvar x Thornbridge collab called ‘Czech Matters’ recently and found it surprisingly nice! Not a massively distinctive taste but it was smooth and very easy drinking. But tbh I’d expect nothing less if Thornbridge are involved!

I actually know the owner (more his wife, Emma, who financed the whole shebang) through having once lived near their holiday home. They are fanatical about their products, and when I was a drinker I used to weigh in with far too high a percentage of their profits

 

[Grendel]

I used to think exactly the same, and to an extent still do, especially if you’re out, but sometimes after a long day you want to feel like you’ve drank something that isn’t water/squash/fizzy drink etc, but without the calories of a real beer!

We also have a subscription to Trip - CBD infused drinks. It’s a bit of a fad, but again it feels like you’re not just drinking kids drinks every evening.



Generally I’m not a lager drinker anyway, however randomly stumbled across a Budvar x Thornbridge collab called ‘Czech Matters’ recently and found it surprisingly nice! Not a massively distinctive taste but it was smooth and very easy drinking. But tbh I’d expect nothing less if Thornbridge are involved!

Some of the decent non alcoholic beers actually are pretty high in calories. The best one I could find is over 100 in a 330ml bottle

 

[no_loyalty]

Has anybody tried any of the Aunt Bessie’s ales? if so which one(s) do you recommend?

 

[Great_Expectations]

Some of the decent non alcoholic beers actually are pretty high in calories. The best one I could find is over 100 in a 330ml bottle

I was really surprised by that too when I started my research.

The BrewDogs ones, the Big Drop one I mentioned and the Thornbridge one are all low calorie and decent. On the other end of the scale, the Erdinger one I recommended is higher than some actual beers!

 

[Great_Expectations]

Has anybody tried any of the Aunt Bessie’s ales? if so which one(s) do you recommend?

I think I’ve tried the custard one - it sort of rings a bell but it was a while ago and I have no memory of it either way, so it didn’t stand out for good or bad!

Good excuse to buy some tomorrow for the weekend now!

 

[Grendel]

Guiness zero I’ve discovered is a devil in disguise. The the only time in my life I’m now regularly consuming the real thing

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

I’ve been enjoying these from Aldi over summer, very drinkable and fairly light. Can normally rely on Seven Bro7hers for a good beer.

 

[Sick Boy]

Guiness zero I’ve discovered is a devil in disguise. The the only time in my life I’m now regularly consuming the real thing

Once you start drinking it regularly your default first drinks order is for two pints of it.

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

Picked this up from Aldi earlier, needed something to celebrate not drinking for a month. 750ml, flavoured with rhum-infused oak chips.



Edit: The football's boring but can confirm this is very tasty

 

[Grendel]

Does anyone actually waste their time on dry January. My resolve ended at 10 am yesterday