On a reluctant quest to refrain from drinking the intoxicating liquid known as alcohol; I needed a substitute: but nothing was slightly comparable to the lovely booze. I had almost conceded, my will power had abandoned me and I found myself on the beer aisle of a super market. Low and behold, ... Read review
Advantages: No threat of liver cirrhosis and no beer goggle vision Disadvantages: wheres the lovely booze gone?
On a reluctant quest to refrain from drinking the intoxicating liquid known as alcohol; I needed a substitute: but nothing was slightly comparable to the lovely booze. I had almost conceded, my will power had abandoned me and I found myself on the beer aisle of a super market. Low and behold, it was as if a divine entity had recognised my impending failure and intervened; I found myself looking at ‘alcohol free beck’s beer’. The last place I would ... .../>
Why did I consider giving up booze? alas, regular drinking of substantial quantities of booze can very easily damage your liver, your heart, your brain, and other organs. Among the biggest threats is cirrhosis of the liver - which (quite honestly) is a pretty awful illness to suffer from.
Booze is also crammed packed with nasty calories, and puts on weight at a phenomenal rate.
Beck’s alcohol free beer comes in a six pack ... more
On a reluctant quest to refrain from drinking the intoxicating liquid known as alcohol; I needed a substitute: but nothing was slightly comparable to the lovely booze. I had almost conceded, my will power had abandoned me and I found myself on the beer aisle of a super market. Low and behold, it was as if a divine entity had recognised my impending failure and intervened; I found myself looking at ‘alcohol free beck’s beer’. The last place I would have expected to find a nice none alcoholic drink.
Why did I consider giving up booze? alas, regular drinking of substantial quantities of booze can very easily damage your liver, your heart, your brain, and other organs. Among the biggest threats is cirrhosis of the liver - which (quite honestly) is a pretty awful illness to suffer from. Booze is also crammed packed with nasty calories, and puts on weight at a phenomenal rate. Beck’s alcohol free beer comes in a six pack of 275ml bottles. The six bottles are contained within a handy carry cardboard box, complete with two sturdy handles. The bottles are made from the sturdy green glass which is often associated with beers of this quality. Around the neck of the bottle is a silver band upon which the beers shield trade mark is emblazoned. The most important factor of this product (Alcohol free) is clearly labelled in a magnificent 3 places, which makes it almost impossible to confuse with standard beck’s. As with most beers, information such as protein and fat content isn’t advertised.
Beck’s is a German company who launched their beer in the UK in 1984. Beck’s (alcohol free) beer is brewed in the same way that the regular 5% Beck’s beer is brewed ‘in strict accordance with the ‘Rienheitsgebot’; the German purity law of 1516’ (and we all know what the Germans are like for rules!). This regulation only permits barley malt, hops, yeast and water to be used in the brewing process. The water that beck’s use in the brewing process comes from glacial wells 300m deep (that’s deep and cold!). It is only after the beer has been fully brewed that the alcohol is taken out through which method I do not know, beck’s website providing no enlightenment on the process.
Now, it states its alcohol free, when actually it is 0.05%. This fact is hidden in the small print on the back of the bottle and should perhaps be made more prominent. In fact, this beer isn’t alcohol free at all hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, bad news for those with allergies to booze related booze. Is 0.05% enough to knock an alcoholic of the wagon? Or could 0.05% be enough to produce counter affects on medication; where alcohol should be avoided? Is 0.05% dangerous for children or pregnant women to drink? I imagine not to all of the above; although I do think it is information that should be better displayed. Alcohol free is very misleading. However, all other alcohol free beer brands that I have encountered also contain 0.05% alcohol and also fail to advertise this fact clearly.
Although I had been ecstatically grateful and proud of my find, I didn’t hold much hope. I was afraid to taste it, I feared I would be let down by what could potentially be my saviour. It reads on the back label; ‘only after the brewing process is complete is the alcohol removed, producing the distinct, crisp, clean taste you expect from beck’s beer, but without the alcohol’. Despite their positive claims; I wondered how beer without alcohol served a purpose and assumed it would taste vile. My inner strength at an all time low and with the will to resist the lovely booze almost at an end; I decided to take the plunge. In actual fact, it tasted oddly like the real thing, so much so I had to re read the label to confirm that it was alcohol free. As claimed, it had a distinct, crisp, clean taste. It tasted distinctly of ‘hops’, more so than regular beer and it left a rather nasty after taste, that’s a small price to pay in my opinion. After a few weeks however; the nasty after taste wasn’t so prominent and I began to think that this alcohol free booze wasn’t so bad after all. Armed with this conviction, I decided to test this product on a budding alcoholic. The unfortunate response was that this product just tasted like hops and water (which is what it is) and had a hideous after taste. In conclusion to my experiment, I surmise that beck’s alcohol free beer is for some people could be a poor substitute to the real thing. As much as I wanted it to, it did not feel like real beer; I think that was more due to the lack of the ‘drunken’ effect. Regardless, it did the job! It was just what I needed in my moment of weakness.
Priced at £3.78 I found the price a little steep, after all; it is not alcohol. However it was once real beer and perhaps the process of removing the precious booze may be quiet expensive. The only other product on the market that is similar is ‘kaliber’ made by Guinness which is cheaper for a larger quantity and tastes a good deal better. So comparatively it’s not up to scratch with its competitors. However even with the price I feel we should support beck’s as it’s the only other company (other than Guinness) that makes alcohol free beer. This product can be found in all supermarkets (usually with the real booze, just to test your inner might) but most small off licenses avoid it as it tends not to sell very well.
In summary, by no means is it equivalent to real beer, but it’s a great way to ease yourself of alcohol should you desire. It frees you of the drunken effects (including the dreaded hangover) it holds little addictiveness and I suppose it’s good for children or teenagers wanting to have a drink. Sadly it is Still jam packed with calories therefore this product perhaps isn’t suitable for those on a diet. It also serves a hugely useful purpose for those in a similar situation as me; trying to cut down but feeling the desire for a beer. With this at your side, your Kung Fu will indeed be strong, and strong Kung Fu is needed to kick the booze habit. Nonetheless, the thought still comes to mind; tasting the same as regular beck’s beer and costing practically the same as regular beck’s beer, I don’t see why you don’t just buy regular beck’s beer. I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to drink less booze, it’s a good drink to keep in handy for social events as it still has that special taste and look. This product is also good for those designated drivers amongst you, as it may help you feel that you’re not missing out (which of course you are). Although this is a great idea, I feel the company is stabbing itself in the foot due to the lack of advertising and information on this product. And that’s all I have to say about that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Should you wish to obtain more information, beck’s have a website; www.becks.co.uk.
Packaging Green bottle, same as the usual Becks bottle, but with a blue and red label rather than a green a red label.
Quantity Per pack
Sold in six packs
Price Varies from £2.98 to £4.00 depending on where you do your shopping.
Alcohol Content
0.05%
My experience of the product.
Why would you drink non-alcoholic beer? You may ask. I for one have been asked it many times and the truth is I would much rather be drinking normal lager. However ... ...years, I have been doing everything I can to reduce my symptoms. As a lot of us do I enjoyed the odd pint of beer after work, but felt that my anxiety increased when I had a hangover. I really like the taste of beer so I would have missed it too much!
When I was in Italy I a few years ago I came across this product in the supermarket and thought I'd try it.
As soon as I did I knew that it was the way forward for me, it actually tasted like beer, ...
domingal 05.05.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
Quick review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
On the usual post Easter min-detox (just three weeks as opposed to the bi-annual month) and LOVE Becks Alcohol Free, it fools your mind and body for a split second into thinking you are having a beer, and that is enough to stop wanting a real beer! ...
pr_chick13 25.04.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
Quick review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
I am absolutely disgusted.
My partner is a recovering Alcoholic and has been off the drink now for 3 months, well until today when he had your Alcohol Free - Becks.
We were so happy to discover this drink in our local restaurant, We tripple checked it definatly was non alcoholic to which we were told YES. With that we went to our local supermarket and purchased some!
We got it home and read the back which actually states it has 0.05% alcohol in it!
So thanks to your false advertising he has had an alcoholic drink today.
What a let down......... :-( ...
Lou1981lou 26.07.2008
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
Advantages: Comes in a bottle that looks like a mans drink! Disadvantages: Doesn't get you trollied, not very available
OK, so it's an alcohol free beer? So what's the point? You drink it, you still have beer breath, you can still belch and you don't get to appear on the Bravo channel as you get scooped up by the local constabulary for picking a fight with a lamp post.
This stuff is actually OK. Having been off the beer for 6 months I tried Kaliber which is OK as a placebo (lets be honest, who would drink that stuff by preference?) but this stuff is postively nice. ... ...work and relaxing for a few minutes. Plus it comes in a inconspicuous bottle that actually looks fairly like a real Becks bottle, so no loss of macho pride.
I guess the acid test is what would someone who does drink alcohol say? Well my wife says it tastes fine, she can't tell the difference between it and other beers.
So in summary - in my limited experience this is the best alcohol free beer I have found, if you are looking for one then give ...
vipper_of_vip 30.08.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
Quick review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
I am so impressed by this, I'm 17 weeks pregnant, and have been craving the taste of lager, but for obvious reasons have not wanted to drink any! I tried this last night and it is perfect! It tastes just like lager, is very cheap to buy in Asda (not sure about anywhere else) and best of all, I don't feel guilty that I might be hurting baby by drinking it!! Would even go so far as to say I'd continue drinking this after baby is born! ...
molly_ripple 16.05.2008
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Beck's Non-Alcoholic
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Beck's Non-Alcoholic"
Advantages: There are none at all Disadvantages: Tastes like very weak shandy
it is bloody horrible.
Thank you all for reading. I have left the original version of my review below just to remind myself how crap this review was originally. It was one of the first I ever wrote so I don't feel too bad about it.
Shame it tastes so bad. My taste buds tingled in anticipation as I took my first sip. Ugh its very mild shandy was my first thought. And my second etc. The problem is what are your choices for non-alcoholic beverages here in the UK. Certainly not Kaliber for me. I really cannot think of anything nice to say about it. I just will not be buying it again. Ever.
Kaliber and Becks are the only non-alcohol beer I have tried, or been able to get. Becks is a different story as it does taste very much like Lager.
Kaliber is approx £2.99 for 4 cans so not a bad price if you like the taste. There are a few ...
Advantages: I can't think of a single one Disadvantages: Far too many to list here. read my opinion.
~ ~ As many of you may be aware, the ‘mad cabbie’ is a recovered alcoholic, (over 24 years now since my last drink) so you’re not liable to catch him writing too many opinions in the “booze” Category here at Ciao, as any knowledge I might have of the product would be somewhat out of date.
But there are now a number of ‘non-alcoholic’ or low-alcohol beers on the market, such as Clausthaler, Becks, and the one I’m going to talk about here, Kaliber, from the renowned Irish brewers Guinness.
~ ~ Lets start off by making something perfectly clear from the start. Kaliber is *NOT* an alcohol free beer! It contains 0.5% alcohol by volume, which I admit is so low as to actually make it alcohol free for all intents and purposes, as you would have to drink about fifty gallons of the filthy stuff ...
Advantages: Doesn't get you legless. You can drive your car in safety. Disadvantages: Tastes bloody awful
Sometimes it just isn’t on to drink alcohol.
If you’re out for the night with your mates, and you’re the driver, for instance. Apart from the fact that drinking and driving is just plain stupid anyway, the police really target younger drivers late at night.
Sometimes when it’s my turn to take the wheel, I just get fed up with drinking soft drinks like coke or orange all night though. That’s when I first thought of trying one of these non-alcoholic beers.
There are a few on the market, like Becks, Clausthaler, and Kaliber.
They are mostly lagers, and Kaliber is an Irish beer from the makers of Guinness, and is supposed to taste like their alcohol-based lager, Harp.
That’s not too good a recommendation anyway, as even Harp is rotten when you compare it to the likes of Millers or Budweiser ...
