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I've cut back by switching to non-alcohol beer. I've found that I enjoy the taste of beer, but I don't enjoy how shitty alcohol makes me feel. NA beer tends to

I've cut back by switching to non-alcohol beer. I've found that I enjoy the taste of beer, but I don't enjoy how shitty alcohol makes me feel. NA beer tends to solve that for me. Lots of good options coming out. * Just the Hazy by Sam Adams is top tier. * Athletic brewing is solely NA beer - lots of different varieties. * Heineken 0.0 is great * O'Douls amber is surprisingly passable as well I suspect the options will get even better over time. It sounds like Gen Z aren't big drinkers and alcohol companies are responding to that with better NA options. ---- Lastly, I've discovered that I have an issue with wheat and/or gluten. Impact varies across beers (based on their mash), but it became really obvious that some beers would make me feel absolutely terrible.

01100011 4y ago
Glad to hear this. With the exception of a finger of scotch every few months I've given up on drinking. With the change of seasons I've been craving a beer. Looking forward to trying these.
wfrew 4y ago
Seconded! I'd also add that NA beer also tricks my brain into not feeling awkward when I'm at a bar with friends who're all drinking. Have also noticed that some NA beers make me feel elements of what I previously attributed to being hungover.
- zachrip 4y ago
  What elements are you referring to? Just curious. Maybe it's a calorie thing?
  - fleddr 4y ago
    Or an association/placebo thing. My brother and I once accidentally gave our dad NA beer. He didn't know. We soon realized it yet kept giving it to him all night. Bizarre, he actually got "drunk". Slower talking, ever more exaggerated stories, etc. It's not just a personal anecdote, this has been replicated with two student groups in a bar, one served alcohol, the others not. Both groups got "drunk". Likewise, you can give people a blue-colored and red-colored water and they will consistently report that the blue one is cool and refreshing whilst the red one is sweet. Neither has any actual taste. Most people have experienced this glitch in our brains without realizing it. You have a glass of water and you take a sip. You violently spit it out. It's sprite, not water. It tastes like poison, even if you love sprite. Being aware that you're drinking NA is technically not a placebo, but strong associations can still play a role in it act liking one regardless.
    - A_Venom_Roll 4y ago
      That's very interesting. Do you have any link discussing the study with student groups?
      - tharkun__ 4y ago
        Not parent and not what you asked for but not all NA beer is actually 0.0%. Just one of the first search results but you can find many: https://steadydrinker.com/articles/this-is-how-much-alcohol-is-in-alcohol-free-beer/ https://steadydrinker.com/articles/this-is-how-much-alcohol-... Also interesting in that regard: https://steadydrinker.com/articles/foods-drinks-alcohol/ https://steadydrinker.com/articles/foods-drinks-alcohol/
      - fleddr 4y ago
        It was on discovery but a very long time ago (maybe a decade).
- tharkun__ 4y ago
  In addition to fleddrs remarks regarding that, if you've been 'hungover' from non-alcoholic beer and potentially other drinks and food, it might have nothing to do with alcohol at all. It might be histamine intolerance. Part of what makes you 'feel hungover' is the fact that parts of the beverage has been converted to histamines/contained histamines already. It's the part that makes headaches. It's particularly bad because of the de-hydration part of drinking and histamine problems are a concentration thing, as in being low on water or having enough water in your system w/ the same histamine amount can be the difference between headache or no headache. Histamines are both present in alcoholic beverages in the first place and alcohol inhibits the DAO enzyme from breaking down histamines. Now the problem with NA beers for example is that even though there's no (or way less) alcohol to inhibit DAO, if you're low on DAO for example, this can still be enough to make you feel hungover as histamines are still present/going to be created from the beverage, even though it's no longer a 'double whammy'. Certain foods will be able to do the same if this is what was causing it for you. An example of what might happen if that's what you have: Non-alcoholic beer -> headache One piece of lasagna a day, no problem One piece of lasagna for lunch and another one for dinner from the left overs -> headache Drink one tiny bottle of Actimel -> headache The exact amounts may vary for different people, some foods are worse than others etc. E.g. it might not happen with tomatoes for you but may happen w/ certain cheeses (e.g. blue cheese might be an issue, so don't eat that whole 200g package of Roquefort all at once even though it's tempting). Basically anything that contains histamines (or biogenic amines in general) or gets converted into histamines (such as histidine - also added to some vitamin/mineral pills for example) can now give you a "hangover headache". Not to mention what lots of yeast can do to your digestive tract if you happen to drink all the yeast that had gathered at the bottom of that bottle of Hefeweizen.
esperent 4y ago
> Lastly, I've discovered that I have an issue with wheat and/or gluten I have exactly this problem but only with wheat beer, not other wheat products. It makes me feel awful, kind of lightheaded and I crash 30 minutes later and feel exhausted. I don't have a problem with wheat or gluten though. My partner runs a bakery and if I had a problem with gluten I'm pretty sure I'd know about it. I have also tried elimination diets in the past to deal with migraines and wheat/gluten never showed up as an issue. I also don't get this effect from non-wheat beer. So my guess is that some other chemical is created from wheat during the brewing process and I'm sensitive to that.
- SkyPuncher 4y ago
  Wow. This nearly describes my issue perfectly. Though, I do experience the issue with some, but not all, other types of wheat based products. I believe there's some evidence that pesticides commonly used with wheat can actually be the source of the issue for some people. I recall having a colleague who said they'd import European wheat because they didn't have bad reactions to it. I believe the reasoning was Europe didn't allow a certain type of pesticide.
  - esperent 4y ago
    It could be but I'm European and pretty much all the wheat beers I've tried have been European - mostly Belgian I guess.
mbostleman 4y ago
I wish the Athletic stout were more available in my area. It’s amazing.
ojl 4y ago
Brooklyn Special effects 0.4 is also very nice.
postscapes1 4y ago
+1 on Just the Hazy by Sam Adams - It would pass a blind taste test and everyone I have had try it likes it. Another good brewery: https://rationalebrewing.com/ https://rationalebrewing.com/ Guiness even offers a non alcoholic now that isn't bad. I think Athletic is way overrated compared to the above though and wouldn't start there.
7speter 4y ago
Its a bit absurd that heineken sells their 0.0 beer for just as much as their regular beer. Also, you seem to have quite the selection of na beers near you :)
- century19 4y ago
  Why? It costs more to produce.
  - jheriko 4y ago
    tax
    - century19 4y ago
      You think there should be more tax on non-alcoholic beer than beer with alcohol? Should be the other way round.
- amval 4y ago
  Well, it's not necessarily cheaper to produce (either by carefully controlling the alcohol production or doing some sort of "dialysis"). It's true they should be cheaper once you think of taxes, but probably the don't want to cannibalize their alcohol sales by outcompeting themselves in price.
- jhugo 4y ago
  It isn't absurd at all, unless you think all products should be sold on a cost-plus model.
- vl 4y ago
  Ironically enough, Total Wine has amazing selection of NA beers. (If you are lucky enough to live close to one of the stores)
langfo 4y ago
Another couple of good ones in Australia are:- * Heaps Normal - Pale Ale (Jordy Smith pro surfer is a co-founder). They also have a lager but I found the pale ale much better. * Hawkesbury - Prohibition Pale Ale
- resonator 4y ago
  I really like Coopers. It tastes great and is the only brand that isn't almost as expensive as regular beer. I'm resentful of how much profit there must since there isn't alcohol excise to pay.
jcims 4y ago
Second the Heineken, definitely recommend trying Guiness's NA stout, I think it's actually quite good. There's an alcohol free wine called Fre. It tastes mostly like a dry grape juice, but it's fairly sippable.
kioleanu 4y ago
For Germany: the NA beer from Wunderbraue tastes amazingly good
- nicbou 4y ago
  Most NA Radler are also fine. You can't taste the difference.
  - kioleanu 4y ago
    If you’re into Radler, but I’m no fan unfortunately
vl 4y ago
+1 for NA beers, I’m drinking them instead of real ones since the beginning of pandemic. In last couple years NA beers really got way better than they used to be. Guinness NA is great. Heineken 0 is great. Clausthaler Grapefruit is great.
woeh 4y ago
Yes, this! The non-alcoholic beers have gotten so much better over the last couple of years. I remember that they smelled quite pungent, but this is no longer the case. I mostly enjoy IPA non-alcoholics, or a Weizen. But for regular NA pilsener I would recommend Grolsch, it's a bit more hoppy then Heineken.
aosaigh 4y ago
I can't believe how much better non-alcoholic beers are these days. In the Ireland/UK, Guinness 0.0 is almost as good as the real thing. Heineken 0.0 is great lager as well as Lucky Saint. Punk AF is an OK IPA replacement (don't like the company though).
- solumunus 4y ago
  Shipyard Low Tide Pale Ale is amazing if you haven't tried that.
globular-toast 4y ago
I used to drink a lot of beer. I went to the pub regularly, beer festivals every year, always had bottled beer in the house and did home brew. Oddly, since going teetotal a few years ago I can't stand the smell or taste of beer any more. Even walking past a pub sometimes I find the smell revolting. I'm not sure if I've "unacquired" the taste or maybe I just associate that smell/taste with being out, drunk and feeling terrible.
- pch00 4y ago
  since going teetotal a few years ago I can't stand the smell or taste of beer any more. Even walking past a pub sometimes I find the smell revolting I've had the same issue with cigarette smoke since I quit ~20 years ago. The smell is awful and I seem to be hyper-sensitive to it if someone is smoking even remotely nearby.
camtarn 4y ago
If you're in the UK, Beavertown brewery does an amazing 'Lazer Crush' alcohol-free IPA that's the best I've tasted. I'm often driving when I'm out with friends, so I've sampled a lot of alcohol-free beers over the years.
- morley 4y ago
  I'm surprised how widespread nonalcoholic beers have become. I was back in the Czech Republic a couple of years ago -- maybe the last place I expected to sell N/A, given they have the highest beer consumption per capita -- but Staropramen, and probably some other local breweries, have N/A labels.
wombat-man 4y ago
Yeah this. I think n/a beer is much better to cap the night off as well. Alcohol was really disrupting my sleep for a while there and this way I still have a nice night time drink without that downside.
CannisterFlux 4y ago
Same for me. I didn't drink loads, but on a Friday if I had a couple of cans I felt like crap on Saturday. Especially if I worked out earlier in the day, I think the body absorbs the alcohol more or slight dehydration made it worse. So I swapped to NA and haven't looked back, just expanded the situations where I'd have NA over a regular beer. Also because you're drinking a beer-like substance, no one thinks you're on a high horse making some anti-alcohol statement (I'm not, I like a beer / wine at times, but don't like the hang-over effect which seems to come on easier and easier the older I get).
Abimelex 4y ago
Working in Germany in food sector and seeing beside only NA beer also functional beer (e.g. joybräu) and also NA spirits (NA Gin etc.) on the rise. I think thats an awesome time for everybody who enjoys the taste of drinking alcohol but it will not help anyone who is already addicted to alcohol. Best thing for me was probably working a while in intensive care when I was younger and seeing what alcohol can do.
ggnall 4y ago
I've been in Spain recently and while there is a big drinking culture, 0,0 beers are everywhere and served on tap! It's nice to see this gain traction and to partake in the social ritual of hanging out in noisy places socializing (the thing I miss about drinking more so than the alcohol itself!)

01100011 4y ago

Glad to hear this. With the exception of a finger of scotch every few months I've given up on drinking. With the change of seasons I've been craving a beer. Looking forward to trying these.

wfrew 4y ago

Seconded! I'd also add that NA beer also tricks my brain into not feeling awkward when I'm at a bar with friends who're all drinking. Have also noticed that some NA beers make me feel elements of what I previously attributed to being hungover.

zachrip 4y ago
What elements are you referring to? Just curious. Maybe it's a calorie thing?
- fleddr 4y ago
  Or an association/placebo thing. My brother and I once accidentally gave our dad NA beer. He didn't know. We soon realized it yet kept giving it to him all night. Bizarre, he actually got "drunk". Slower talking, ever more exaggerated stories, etc. It's not just a personal anecdote, this has been replicated with two student groups in a bar, one served alcohol, the others not. Both groups got "drunk". Likewise, you can give people a blue-colored and red-colored water and they will consistently report that the blue one is cool and refreshing whilst the red one is sweet. Neither has any actual taste. Most people have experienced this glitch in our brains without realizing it. You have a glass of water and you take a sip. You violently spit it out. It's sprite, not water. It tastes like poison, even if you love sprite. Being aware that you're drinking NA is technically not a placebo, but strong associations can still play a role in it act liking one regardless.
  - A_Venom_Roll 4y ago
    That's very interesting. Do you have any link discussing the study with student groups?
    - tharkun__ 4y ago
      Not parent and not what you asked for but not all NA beer is actually 0.0%. Just one of the first search results but you can find many: https://steadydrinker.com/articles/this-is-how-much-alcohol-is-in-alcohol-free-beer/ https://steadydrinker.com/articles/this-is-how-much-alcohol-... Also interesting in that regard: https://steadydrinker.com/articles/foods-drinks-alcohol/ https://steadydrinker.com/articles/foods-drinks-alcohol/
    - fleddr 4y ago
      It was on discovery but a very long time ago (maybe a decade).
tharkun__ 4y ago
In addition to fleddrs remarks regarding that, if you've been 'hungover' from non-alcoholic beer and potentially other drinks and food, it might have nothing to do with alcohol at all. It might be histamine intolerance. Part of what makes you 'feel hungover' is the fact that parts of the beverage has been converted to histamines/contained histamines already. It's the part that makes headaches. It's particularly bad because of the de-hydration part of drinking and histamine problems are a concentration thing, as in being low on water or having enough water in your system w/ the same histamine amount can be the difference between headache or no headache. Histamines are both present in alcoholic beverages in the first place and alcohol inhibits the DAO enzyme from breaking down histamines. Now the problem with NA beers for example is that even though there's no (or way less) alcohol to inhibit DAO, if you're low on DAO for example, this can still be enough to make you feel hungover as histamines are still present/going to be created from the beverage, even though it's no longer a 'double whammy'. Certain foods will be able to do the same if this is what was causing it for you. An example of what might happen if that's what you have: Non-alcoholic beer -> headache One piece of lasagna a day, no problem One piece of lasagna for lunch and another one for dinner from the left overs -> headache Drink one tiny bottle of Actimel -> headache The exact amounts may vary for different people, some foods are worse than others etc. E.g. it might not happen with tomatoes for you but may happen w/ certain cheeses (e.g. blue cheese might be an issue, so don't eat that whole 200g package of Roquefort all at once even though it's tempting). Basically anything that contains histamines (or biogenic amines in general) or gets converted into histamines (such as histidine - also added to some vitamin/mineral pills for example) can now give you a "hangover headache". Not to mention what lots of yeast can do to your digestive tract if you happen to drink all the yeast that had gathered at the bottom of that bottle of Hefeweizen.

esperent 4y ago

> Lastly, I've discovered that I have an issue with wheat and/or gluten I have exactly this problem but only with wheat beer, not other wheat products. It makes me feel awful, kind of lightheaded and I crash 30 minutes later and feel exhausted. I don't have a problem with wheat or gluten though. My partner runs a bakery and if I had a problem with gluten I'm pretty sure I'd know about it. I have also tried elimination diets in the past to deal with migraines and wheat/gluten never showed up as an issue. I also don't get this effect from non-wheat beer. So my guess is that some other chemical is created from wheat during the brewing process and I'm sensitive to that.

SkyPuncher 4y ago
Wow. This nearly describes my issue perfectly. Though, I do experience the issue with some, but not all, other types of wheat based products. I believe there's some evidence that pesticides commonly used with wheat can actually be the source of the issue for some people. I recall having a colleague who said they'd import European wheat because they didn't have bad reactions to it. I believe the reasoning was Europe didn't allow a certain type of pesticide.
- esperent 4y ago
  It could be but I'm European and pretty much all the wheat beers I've tried have been European - mostly Belgian I guess.

mbostleman 4y ago

I wish the Athletic stout were more available in my area. It’s amazing.

ojl 4y ago

Brooklyn Special effects 0.4 is also very nice.

postscapes1 4y ago

+1 on Just the Hazy by Sam Adams - It would pass a blind taste test and everyone I have had try it likes it. Another good brewery: https://rationalebrewing.com/ https://rationalebrewing.com/ Guiness even offers a non alcoholic now that isn't bad. I think Athletic is way overrated compared to the above though and wouldn't start there.

7speter 4y ago

Its a bit absurd that heineken sells their 0.0 beer for just as much as their regular beer. Also, you seem to have quite the selection of na beers near you :)

century19 4y ago
Why? It costs more to produce.
- jheriko 4y ago
  tax
  - century19 4y ago
    You think there should be more tax on non-alcoholic beer than beer with alcohol? Should be the other way round.
amval 4y ago
Well, it's not necessarily cheaper to produce (either by carefully controlling the alcohol production or doing some sort of "dialysis"). It's true they should be cheaper once you think of taxes, but probably the don't want to cannibalize their alcohol sales by outcompeting themselves in price.
jhugo 4y ago
It isn't absurd at all, unless you think all products should be sold on a cost-plus model.
vl 4y ago
Ironically enough, Total Wine has amazing selection of NA beers. (If you are lucky enough to live close to one of the stores)

langfo 4y ago

Another couple of good ones in Australia are:- * Heaps Normal - Pale Ale (Jordy Smith pro surfer is a co-founder). They also have a lager but I found the pale ale much better. * Hawkesbury - Prohibition Pale Ale

resonator 4y ago
I really like Coopers. It tastes great and is the only brand that isn't almost as expensive as regular beer. I'm resentful of how much profit there must since there isn't alcohol excise to pay.

jcims 4y ago

Second the Heineken, definitely recommend trying Guiness's NA stout, I think it's actually quite good. There's an alcohol free wine called Fre. It tastes mostly like a dry grape juice, but it's fairly sippable.

kioleanu 4y ago

For Germany: the NA beer from Wunderbraue tastes amazingly good

nicbou 4y ago
Most NA Radler are also fine. You can't taste the difference.
- kioleanu 4y ago
  If you’re into Radler, but I’m no fan unfortunately

vl 4y ago

+1 for NA beers, I’m drinking them instead of real ones since the beginning of pandemic. In last couple years NA beers really got way better than they used to be. Guinness NA is great. Heineken 0 is great. Clausthaler Grapefruit is great.

woeh 4y ago

Yes, this! The non-alcoholic beers have gotten so much better over the last couple of years. I remember that they smelled quite pungent, but this is no longer the case. I mostly enjoy IPA non-alcoholics, or a Weizen. But for regular NA pilsener I would recommend Grolsch, it's a bit more hoppy then Heineken.

aosaigh 4y ago

I can't believe how much better non-alcoholic beers are these days. In the Ireland/UK, Guinness 0.0 is almost as good as the real thing. Heineken 0.0 is great lager as well as Lucky Saint. Punk AF is an OK IPA replacement (don't like the company though).

solumunus 4y ago
Shipyard Low Tide Pale Ale is amazing if you haven't tried that.

globular-toast 4y ago

I used to drink a lot of beer. I went to the pub regularly, beer festivals every year, always had bottled beer in the house and did home brew. Oddly, since going teetotal a few years ago I can't stand the smell or taste of beer any more. Even walking past a pub sometimes I find the smell revolting. I'm not sure if I've "unacquired" the taste or maybe I just associate that smell/taste with being out, drunk and feeling terrible.

pch00 4y ago
since going teetotal a few years ago I can't stand the smell or taste of beer any more. Even walking past a pub sometimes I find the smell revolting I've had the same issue with cigarette smoke since I quit ~20 years ago. The smell is awful and I seem to be hyper-sensitive to it if someone is smoking even remotely nearby.

camtarn 4y ago

If you're in the UK, Beavertown brewery does an amazing 'Lazer Crush' alcohol-free IPA that's the best I've tasted. I'm often driving when I'm out with friends, so I've sampled a lot of alcohol-free beers over the years.

morley 4y ago
I'm surprised how widespread nonalcoholic beers have become. I was back in the Czech Republic a couple of years ago -- maybe the last place I expected to sell N/A, given they have the highest beer consumption per capita -- but Staropramen, and probably some other local breweries, have N/A labels.

wombat-man 4y ago

Yeah this. I think n/a beer is much better to cap the night off as well. Alcohol was really disrupting my sleep for a while there and this way I still have a nice night time drink without that downside.

CannisterFlux 4y ago

Same for me. I didn't drink loads, but on a Friday if I had a couple of cans I felt like crap on Saturday. Especially if I worked out earlier in the day, I think the body absorbs the alcohol more or slight dehydration made it worse. So I swapped to NA and haven't looked back, just expanded the situations where I'd have NA over a regular beer. Also because you're drinking a beer-like substance, no one thinks you're on a high horse making some anti-alcohol statement (I'm not, I like a beer / wine at times, but don't like the hang-over effect which seems to come on easier and easier the older I get).

Abimelex 4y ago

Working in Germany in food sector and seeing beside only NA beer also functional beer (e.g. joybräu) and also NA spirits (NA Gin etc.) on the rise. I think thats an awesome time for everybody who enjoys the taste of drinking alcohol but it will not help anyone who is already addicted to alcohol. Best thing for me was probably working a while in intensive care when I was younger and seeing what alcohol can do.

ggnall 4y ago

I've been in Spain recently and while there is a big drinking culture, 0,0 beers are everywhere and served on tap! It's nice to see this gain traction and to partake in the social ritual of hanging out in noisy places socializing (the thing I miss about drinking more so than the alcohol itself!)