'It's nicer than alcohol-free wine': readers on non-alcoholic beer

‘Non-alcoholic beer is nicer than non-alcoholic wine’

I signed up for Dry January because I wanted to cut down on my drinking. My wife and I usually drank a bottle of wine a night between us. She also signed up. I have tried a few non-alcoholic beers. Some are better than others, but it’s a matter of personal choice which ones an individual enjoys. I enjoy the taste of beer, and am enjoying the taste of a few different non- alcoholic beers. No feeling sluggish in the mornings! I think I will carry on with my newly discovered drinking habit. By the way, we tried non-alcoholic wine, not nice. My wife has discovered non-alcoholic gin and tonics, which she quite likes. I wonder if pubs will sell a wider selection of non-alcoholic beers? John Lowe, 72, retired, Huddersfield

‘It’s taught me Britain is not an easy place to not drink’

I’ve drastically cut down my consumption of alcohol over the past couple of years, with 18 months being the longest I have abstained. My experiences of going alcohol free over the past couple of years has taught me that Britain is not an easy place to not drink. If you don’t drink there are often attitudes of being a killjoy, not joining in, that you’re being judgmental or that you’ve been an alcoholic.

I drink non-alcoholic beer as I feel I want to ‘join in’ when socialising. I enjoy the taste of a number of AF (alcohol-free) lagers and would usually only have one. Only after a long period of abstinence can you appreciate the mental and physical effects of not having alcohol in your system. I’m a much better person being a non drinker, and look so much better for it too. I feel non alcohol beer serves a purpose in bridging a gap between being a drinker and being stone cold sober. Natalie, Manchester

‘I simply prefer the taste’

I simply prefer the taste of non-alcoholic beer. When I go for my weekly Sunday roast with friends, I always drink non-alcoholic beer, with the added benefit that I can drive home afterwards which is very helpful as I live in the countryside. Toby Carr-Verri, 35, Italian tutor, Hull

‘Brewdog’s Punk AF beer replaced my craving for a nice pint, that I may stop drinking for good’

Last October I decided to try staying sober for the whole month. It’s not like I had a big drinking problem. I just realised that I spend too much time and money on booze. I experienced some difficulties like nausea and low mood, but overall my experience was pretty good. I tried to replace beer with diet coke, then soda, then tonic. Finally I tried Brewdog’s Punk AF beer. Bingo! It clicked and completely replaced my craving for a nice pint. I even decided to stay sober after the end of October and stop drinking at all. Maybe even forever. Non-alco beer was one of the reasons for me to realise that I simply don’t need alcohol in my life. Pavel, 34, journalist, London

‘I assumed non-alcoholic beer would be pretty unpleasant but it was a game changer’

My New Year’s resolution in 2019 was to have 16 days a month without drinking alcohol; this roughly equated to not drinking for half the year but felt more flexible than only drinking on weekends for example. I assumed non-alcoholic beer would be a lowly alternative and pretty unpleasant so I had never tried it before. It was a game changer to be honest. Gone were endless evenings drinking ginger beer in the pub, now I could order half a pint and feel like I was actually out for the night like before.

I find there is a mixture of beers on offer in pubs, many are not to my taste and it’s a bit hit and miss but still worth it. The biggest change has been at home; I now have a fridge with non-alcoholic ale in (a mix of the 0.5% low-alcohol and 0%), all of which so far have been excellent. Nanny State by BrewDog is my favourite, with Adnams’s Ghost Ship a second. It has broken the alcohol habit because there is a viable and just as good alternative, and it still feels like a treat. Now I don’t even count the days I don’t drink, the change feels permanent. Sarah, Bristol

‘It means I don’t have to drink sweet drinks’

An alcoholic, I gave up drinking entirely almost exactly two years ago. I still like a drink in the evening but was worried non-alcoholic beers would just whet my appetite so I’ve only recently (about six weeks ago) allowed myself to drink them, and find I enjoy them without the threat of reverting to alcohol. What I particularly like is that they mean I don’t have to drink sweet drinks (the alternative for me is a mixture of fruit juice and sparkling water), and in fact drink less during an evening. Rick Johnson, 70, retired solicitor, Lancaster

‘They are scarcely as complex and interesting as alcoholic beers’

I drink very cold alcohol-free beer from time to time. I like it because it delivers the refreshing hit of a beer at the end of a day spent in 40C temperatures, yet don’t disrupt my sleep, nor give me a hangover, which is great as I have to get up at 5am every day. There are a few nice tasting beers on the market, although I must admit they are scarcely as complex and interesting as alcoholic beers. However, on a recent trip to New Zealand I encountered a few craft breweries that offered some delicious choices. Jonny, 34, coffee shop owner, Alice Springs, Australia

‘It gives me a placebo effect that alcohol used to’

I quit drinking when I started my own business as I couldn’t afford to be hungover or off my game for a minute. Non-alcoholic beer allows me to be sociable while staying true to my values. It also gives me a placebo effect that alcohol used to. It helps mark the end of a stressful work day, and helps me relax as I move into my own time. I don’t miss alcohol nor the hangovers. Amelia Kallman, 36, London