ABV: 0.5%
Calories per bottle: 86 (26 per 100ml)
The Krombacher Brauerei was founded in 1803 and nestles under the Rothaar Mountains in rural west Germany. From a small family business, it’s grown to become one of the country’s most successful breweries.
The Krombacher bottle design looks a little dated, but the beer inside is first-class. It’s a pils (or pilsner), a style of light lager first invented in the Czech city of Plzeň (hence the name). What that means is, if you’re looking for something with strong and complex flavours, look elsewhere. If you fancy a refreshing, easy-drinking lager, this one is for you. If it can get a foothold on supermarket shelves in the UK, it will offer some serious competition to the big low-ABV lager brands.
Like a lot of German alcohol-free beers, Kromacher Pils is marketed in Germany as an isotonic beverage, and is said to be “popular with amateur athletes and fitness fans as a drink to enjoy after exertion on the track and field”.
We got our Krombacher via Morgenrot in Manchester, who import beers and wines for pubs and shops. You can also buy it online from Dry Drinker.