ABV: 0.0%
Calories per bottle: 69 (21 per 100ml)
When Heineken launched their first ever alcohol-free beer in March 2017, with a £2.5 million marketing campaign, it was a sure sign that the ‘dry’ drinks market is one the big players are taking seriously.
Heineken are making a big push to get their new beer out to pubs and bars. Like Carlsberg 0.0 it comes in a smart bottle that cries out, “Drink me while you’re watching the footy on the big screen!” It’s also one of a selection of beers that have made the cut in the excellent new alcohol-free section in major Tesco supermarkets.
Like Erdinger and FitBeer, Heineken are also hoping to attract “health-conscious young consumers who are drinking less or abstaining all together”, and the bottle has some very comprehensive nutrition information on the back.
Gerard Heineken and his descendants have been brewing beer in Amsterdam since 1864, so we’d like to think they know what they’re doing by now. This new beers suggest that they certainly do. The company says that the initial response to Heineken 0.0 has been “overwhelmingly positive” with a “strong preference” for their beer over other zero-alcohol brews. It’s not hard to see why.
It looks, smells and tastes like a great lager. It pours well, with a nice colour and a decent head, and it has none of the unpleasant aftertaste that mars so many other zero-alcohol beers. At least 4 out of 5, we say.
