My obsession with non-alcoholic beers all started when my sister gifted me a Craft Zero Advent Calendar prior to Christmas of 2021: it was a box of 25 local craft beers with zero or ultra low alcohol content. I decided to keep notes on each one that I tried.
Eventually this list grew into my personal tasting notes of all non-alcoholic beer that I could get my hands on (in my area). I don’t otherwise drink beer, and I have very little experience, so don’t take this info too seriously. It’s also been a long time since I last tasted some of these, so my opinions may well have changed since then.
UpFlow Stout
RATING: 7, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 74
Smells like good coffee. Good body. Quite bitter, but not unbearably so. Creamy, round taste without acidity. I like it. I still react to the alcohol content a little.
Hawkesbury Prohibition Pale Ale
ABV: 0.2%, CALORIES: 120, RATING: 9
Clean, pure, crisp taste. A little tart in a nice way, just barely. Slightly fruity, smokey or hoppy aroma, but not quite clear on that. Not overly bitter. Very refreshing. I like it a lot. No effect from the alcohol.
Molly Rose Strawberry Sublime
ABV: 0.2%, RATING: 2, CALORIES: 83
Wow it’s sour. Quite refreshing, yes, but not really my thing. Smells a bit like cider, but not much aroma. Taste is kind of vinegary. The fruity notes are there. It reminds me of kombucha, but harsher.
Australian Sports ZERO+ Pale Ale
RATING: 8, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 40
Electrolyte enhanced, but I couldn’t taste anything that made it seem that way. That said, it tasted similar to a standard pale ale. Maybe on the more bitter side. I liked it. Light and refreshing. I would have it again. Low calorie, and I couldn’t detect the alcohol despite it being <0.5%.
UpFlow Coconut Brown Ale
CALORIES: 74, ABV: 0.5%, RATING: 7
A little similar to the stout, as if it’s in between stout and a pale ale. Brown sugary aroma, which was quite pleasant. Mild bitterness. Quite enjoyable, but not my favorite
Sobah Pepperberry IPA
RATING: 3, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 75
Very bitter, as expected of an IPA. Rich in flavor, but I couldn’t have it quickly because of the bitterness. I couldn’t taste the pepperberry infusion, maybe because I’m not familiar with it. Not my favorite.
Heaps Normal Quiet XPA
RATING: 9, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 63
Super light and refreshing. Herbal aroma with a clean, crisp flavor. Almost as light as soda water, but with a rounded and balanced flavor. Just the right amount of bitterness for me. I wish I had more cans.
Nort Tropical XPA
RATING: 8, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 56
Similar to Heaps Normal Quiet XPA, but not as bright (could just be me today). I finally figured out what they meant by tropical, by comparing it with Great Northern Zero. Definitely leagues better. I would love another can of this.
Athletic Run Wild IPA
ABV: 0.5%, RATING: 4, CALORIES: 70
Standard IPA bitterness, which is not my thing (yet?). Fairly good otherwise. Nothing much interesting to report. Not one of my favorites.
Sobah Lemon Aspen Pilsner
RATING: 5, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 120
Nothing too offensive, but also nothing too special. A pleasant beer. I could taste the lemon aspen I think, which gave it a weird twist. I don’t think I like how savory it is, so that’s why it’s not rated high. Very high calorie too!
Sobah Finger Lime Cerveza
RATING: 7, CALORIES: 95, ABV: 0.5%
Light and pleasant. I think I could taste the finger lime. It was citrusy in a nice way. I like it, but not as much as the more traditional beers.
Nort All Day IPA
CALORIES: 60, RATING: 8, ABV: 0.5%
Extremely light, fruity smell, not much taste. Not bitter at all for an IPA. Goes down really easy, but doesn’t have a very strong taste. Just fresh and clean. I wouldn’t say it’s much like an IPA.
Coast Beers Centennial IPA
CALORIES: 33, ABV: 0.0%, RATING: 7
Probably my favorite “true” IPA with the bitterness so far. Clean, puckering, but still has a nice sweet contrast (not in the artificial way). Extremely low calorie, and 0.0% ABV to boot. I would have it again, but the bitterness would stop me from rating it any higher. The hops aroma is very nice though.
Athletic Upside Dawn Golden
CALORIES: 50, ABV: 0.5%, RATING: 7
Not sure what they say it is, but it tastes like an IPA to me. Quite bitter, but not overly so like some of the others. I like it. A solid choice. Clean, hops flavor.
Hawkesbury Prohibition Pacific Ale
RATING: 8
This brewery is still one of my favorites. I like the clean flavor a lot. Classic flavor. Doesn’t have any strange aftertastes.
UpFlow Classic Pale Ale
RATING: 7, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 71
A bit funkier than the other pale ales I like, but I wouldn’t hesitate to grab one of these if I had the chance.
UpFlow Ultra Pale Lager
RATING: 8, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 71
Kinda sweet, and lightly bitter. Very refreshing. Nutty or herbal hops aroma. Not much lingering taste. I like it.
Big Drop Galactic Milk Stout
RATING: 2, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 88
Very black, tangy like an under-extracted coffee. Only a little bitter. Smells like hops and rye. Grassy aftertaste. Not really my thing. A very strange combination of flavors. The milkiness is off-putting
Mornington Free Pale Ale
RATING: 5, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 81
It’s the style of beer I like, but it’s a bit watery and it has a nutty twang that isn’t too pleasant. Not that offensive though. Light hops aroma. I’d prefer another one of my favorites.
Molly Rose Citra Citra
RATING: 7, ABV: 0.5%
Quite sweet from the orange juice. Very nice flavor in small amounts, but a whole can is too much (unless paired with some astringent food that needed the sweetness). I enjoyed it quite a lot still. A very unique flavored beer. Not at all too bitter like other IPAs.
Mash Gang Hazy IPA
RATING: 0
Awful. Had to tip it down the drain. Not even worth recording any other details.
UpFlow New World IPA
ABV: 0.5%, RATING: 7
Classic UpFlow funky flavor. Pretty good. I would have it again. Not too bitter like other IPAs. Goes down pretty easy.
Bridge Road Free Time Pale Ale
ABV: 0.5%, RATING: 8
Great classic pale ale. One of the better ones.
Big Shed Desi Drive Pale Ale
RATING: 7, ABV: 0.5%
Another solid classic pale ale. Wouldn’t mind this one at all.
Parc Pilsner
RATING: 8, ABV: 0.5%
Very nice. Still not sure what a pilsner is supposed to taste like, but if this is it, I seem to like pilsners too.
Tinnies Ultra Low Alcohol Hoppy Ale
RATING: 10, ABV: 0.5%
My new 2023 favorite. Full, rich, tastes just like regular beer. Sweet in a natural way, not in an artificial way like the Heineken Zero or Greath Northern Zero.
Nort Refreshing Ale
RATING: 7, ABV: 0.5%, CALORIES: 57
Low calorie and very light. Goes down easy. Wouldn’t complain about getting served a can of this, but it’s also nothing spectacular. Notably, it’s my father-in-law’s favorite, even compared to some others on this list.