More frequently, non-alcoholic beer manages to sway consumers.
Hey, it's morning and it's a bit too early for a beer, but don't worry, there's an alternative: non-alcoholic beer. These days, non-alcoholic beers are getting better and better, courtesy of Warentest, which seems to enjoy them a bit too much.
With the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption becoming more widely known, people are drinking less beer in general. However, the consumption of non-alcoholic beer is on the rise. According to Statista, German breweries produced a record-breaking 4.7 million hectoliters of non-alcoholic beer in 2022. That means more and more folks want to enjoy the taste of beer without the alcohol.
Stiftung Warentest reviewed 20 non-alcoholic beers, ranging from Pilsner to Lager and Helles, and found them at various discount stores and from traditional brands. The prices ranged from 0.84 to 3 euros per liter.
Their main focus was on detecting harmful substances, microbiological quality, smell, and taste. And the good news is, 12 beers received good ratings in both the sensory assessment and the overall assessment. The top three included the "Warsteiner Alkoholfrei Pilsener" (1.86 euros per liter, grade 2.0), "Paulaner Alkoholfrei Münchner Hell" (1.94 euros, grade 2.1), and the "Lidl Perlenbacher Alkoholfrei Extra Herb" (0.84 euros, grade 2.1).
But there were some beers that didn't impress, like the "Clausthaler Alkoholfrei Original," which had a musty taste, "Flensburger Frei Pilsener Alkoholfrei" that was sour, and "Penny Turmbräu Alkoholfrei" that was dominantly sweet. However, none of them were rated worse than "satisfactory."
The only real letdown was "Störtebeker Frei-Bier Alkoholfrei," which failed the test. It had a sulphurous and musty smell, a sour taste, little sweetness, and a strong, lingering bitter note. The testers also criticized the carbon dioxide declaration, which indicated the presence of unacceptable fossil carbon dioxide, but it should actually come from fermentation. The only other concern was the absence of any undesirable substances or pesticides.
It's important to note that while non-alcoholic beer is called such, it still contains residual alcohol - up to 0.5 percent may be present due to the production process or for flavor. Studies show that these small amounts have no noticeable physical effects when consumed and are similar to the fermentation alcohol in certain fruit juices.
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Source: www.ntv.de
