Beers have been a staple in our culture. From celebrations to the regular get-together with the old crew, the regular lager has evolved from simply fermented hops to finely distilled lagers and ales.
But there’s teeming evidence of the many negatives around taking alcoholic beers including obesity, diabetes, and liver diseases. But with the cultural and social benefits that beer brings to the table–literally–there’s no way we can get our beloved beers off the menu.
There comes the idea of alcohol-free or non-alcoholic beers like UNLTD. They are the solution, should you find yourself stuck between an evening out with the gang and making a healthy drinking choice.
Already, there’s a growing market for alcohol-free lagers in the UK and you might find yourself in a fix on which to settle for. Here are a few things to look out for in your preferred non-alcoholic brew.
What Does Non-Alcoholic/Alcohol-Free Beer Mean?
Before we get to the features, we thought you should get familiar with the terms.
Non-alcoholic beers are of two kinds:
● Alcohol-free beers, which have 0% alcohol content. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines them as having no detectable levels of alcohol.
● Non-alcoholic beers, which could contain up to 0.5% alcohol.
Taking the alcohol out of the beer, or reducing its content, makes beers healthier for most people. Less alcohol, less calories, and there’s still no difference in taste from the regular lagers. Wicked, innit?
How to Choose Your Alcohol-Free Lager Beers
Now that the alcohol-free beers are filling the menus, you’d want to know the best way to select one that offers you that regular ol’ beer feeling minus, of course, the alcohol.
Here’s our list of what to look out for; note that it’s still all down to your preference.
● Taste
Now, it’s very likely you’ve never seen–or heard of–any of the non-alcoholic brands on display, so determining the taste might be more of a trial. There’s hardly a difference between regular beer and the alcohol-free ones, but the latter come with added perks–the best brands have them in varying flavours.
So from the regular deep malt to the more adventurous citrus and fruity mixes, you can experience beer in a different light. And a healthy one, too.
● Gluten content
Healthy is the watchword here, or you’d be chugging down any of the regulars. And while we are on the topic of healthy choices, you can stretch your preferences to be as healthy as you want.
That way, a gluten-free label makes for a more appealing alcohol-free brand. With alcohol out of the way, you can also cut down on gluten for a healthier beer choice.
● Extra nutritional value
Of course you’d want to go for a brand that puts some extra effort into the brewing. And it’s quite easy to fortify alcohol-free lagers with added nutrients.
Like most other non-alcoholic beverages, good alcohol-free brands have extra added vitamins for healthier living. And in more amounts than their regular beer counterparts.
● Calories
Still on the healthy choice subject, you’d want to go for a low-calorie alcohol-free beer over one that has a lot more calories. Already, with alcohol off the checklist, a significant amount of calories are gone (alcohol contains almost as many calories in one gram as pure fat).
But the more calories you can chalk off, the better, especially if you’re making the switch from regular beers to alcohol-free variants for health reasons. Apparently, 13 calories per 100ml look a lot better than 23 calories per 100 ml; that could be your tiebreaker between a good drink and an even better one.
● Alcohol content
Well, that’s the whole point of ‘alcohol-free’, isn’t it? From our classification initially, alcohol-free has zero alcohol in it, as against non-alcoholic beers that will still have up to 0.5% ABV.
So, if you get to choose between either variant, alcohol-free beats non-alcoholic. Then again, you might have to adjust your preferences, like in cases where the non-alcoholic brand tastes better.
Bringing It Home
Speaking of non-alcoholic beer brands that balance the features, UNLTD beers are top of the list. From gluten-free to reduced alcohol (0.5% ABV) and even vegan compatibility, you can be sure you’re still in the healthy band with UNLTD.
And if you are a fan of variety, UNLTD beers cover quite the range in taste and containers. You get all the regular malt flavours as well as fruity options, and you can get your non-alcoholic goodness from cans and bottles.
Plus point: the UNLTD brand is an award-winning one, with a streak of awards across the UK and Europe for its great taste and quality.
With delivery and subscription options, you can get your UNLTD beers anyway in the UK. Care for a beer? Check out UNLTD non-alcoholic beer collections here.
