Non-alcoholic beer is quickly growing in popularity as more and more brewing companies develop delicious alcohol-free beverages. It may seem hard to imagine for a beer lover that a non-alcoholic beer could come even close to the real thing. I mean, vegan cheese is a disappointment, and anyone who's tried ice cream made from bananas can agree that nothing can replace the real deal. However, beer companies have produced some pretty tasty alcohol-free versions that give the originals a run for their money, one being the Heineken 0.0!
Videos by Wide Open Country
The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beer
Low-alcoholic brews go back to medieval times, when drinking water was risky due to pollutants and parasites, so people would opt for a low-alcohol brew instead. In the United States, non-alcoholic beer was also popular during the Prohibition era for obvious reasons. In 1917, President Wilson even suggested limiting the alcohol content of malt beverages to appease prohibitionists. Two years later, the alcohol content of all alcoholic beverages was limited to 0.5%, so breweries began creating low alcohol beverages to stay in business.
When prohibition ended, most breweries went back to serving regular beer. However, in the '80s and '90s, the desire for low-alcoholic beer resurfaced because of concerns about alcoholism. Breweries once again started producing low-alcohol and alcohol-free beers to meet this need. The market for alcohol-free beer is also affected by the Middle East, where the product is popular because the Islam religion permits drinking beer as long as large amounts can be consumed without leading to intoxication.
Although the market for non-alcoholic beer has been around for a while, it gained recent speed in 2020, when many Americans began wanting to experience the beer taste without getting drunk or having to deal with a hangover. Especially with covid keeping us at home, drinking less alcohol couldn't hurt. This is why it's so wonderful that there are more and more tasty non-alcoholic beers like Heineken 0.0 being created!
The Heineken 0.0
(Photo by KOEN VAN WEEL/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Most low-alcohol beers are lagers, but there are other options as well. The regular Heineken is a light lager with 5% abv, and it's a go-to for many beer drinkers. Known for its slight malty notes and golden color, this Dutch beer was created in the Netherlands back in 1873.
In 2017, Heineken came out with the Heineken 0.0, taking the NA beer market by storm with an incredibly tasty and satisfying zero alcohol beer that tastes just like the real thing! Heineken's Global Master Brewer, Willem van Waesberghe worked on Heineken 0.0 for a full 15 years before releasing it to the public. The brew master's determination to make the perfect nonalcoholic beer paid off because many non-drinkers find that this is one of the best NA beers out there.
With great taste and natural ingredients, pick up a cold bottle of Heineken 0.0 and relax.
(LEX VAN LIESHOUT/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Heineken 0.0 truly has 0% alcohol, a perk for anyone who is avoiding even small quantities of alcohol. Many of the popular alcohol-free beers actually have a small amount, such as Beck's Blue and Bitburger Drive, each of which has 0.05%. Heineken 0.0 manages to produce the natural flavor of beer using ingredients like malted barley and hop extract, and it does so without any alcohol. Thanks to Heineken and its incredible alcohol-free beer, non-drinkers won't have to sit through drinking occasions making do with seltzers and coke; they can enjoy a refreshing and flavorful Heineken 0.0!
READ MORE: I Tried America's Best Cheap Beers to Rank Them from Worst to Best
Products featured on Wide Open Eats are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
