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Non-alcoholic beer is nothing new. Pretty much every major brand has its own version of NA beer. You might be surprised to hear this, but making beer without alcohol usually changes its taste. In our experience, most non-alcoholic beers are pretty bad and most don’t have a passing resemblance to the taste of actual beer. But, if you believe the folks at Heineken, that’s about to change.
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Recently, the world-famous beer brand released a zero alcohol-content beer they claim actually tastes the same as regular Heineken. Heineken 0.0 is listed as an alcohol-free malt beverage and was created as an alternative to alcohol-fueled beers, without losing any of the flavor. Plus, its only 69 calories per bottle, so that’s pretty cool, too.
“For the U.S., the time has come for an innovation that disrupts the category and offers a new take on how and when people enjoy beer,” Jonnie Cahill, chief marketing officer for Heineken U.S. said in a press release. “Heineken 0.0 brings an incredible beer taste to the non-alcoholic space and opens a world of opportunity for people to come together and enjoy a brew that expands drinking occasions, not limits them.”
Part of the reason the alcohol-free beer actually tastes like beer is because Heineken didn’t just take its classic beer and removed the alcohol. “Removing alcohol from regular 5 percent Heineken would have been easy, but it wouldn’t deliver the same premium beer taste that Heineken is known for,” Willem van Waesberghe, global craft and brew master at Heineken said in a press release. “Heineken 0.0 is brewed from scratch and has a perfectly balanced taste with refreshing fruity notes and soft, malty finish.”
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Available nationwide, this zero-alcohol brew might be the perfect addition to your Super Bowl party as it allows designated drivers to still enjoy their favorite beer without the alcohol. Or, at the very least, it’s a nice respite from the myriad high-alcohol craft beers currently on the market.
