KROMBACHER NON-ALCOHOLIC PILS

I drink Krombacher. It is one of the beers on tap at the Crutched Friar, my old local from when I lived by Tower Bridge. So let’s try it.

Sip 1: Tasty. Light. Refreshing. Really good. Does it taste like the version I drink at the pub? I couldn’t say.

Sip 2: Nice little aftertaste. And drinking it whilst eating a Sloppy Guiseppe pizza. Two or three swigs and the jalapenos and spicy beef are tamed.

It was nice. I drank it to the bottom and can see me drinking this on a hot sunny day, after a race or at a BBQ. How do I rate it?

FURSTENBERG ALKOHOLFREI

Next up is the Furstenberg Alkoholfrei. Brewed since 1283 if seit means since, and containing only 11 calories if nur means only this one has a bit of history.

First Sip: More flavourful that the Krombacher and tasting more like the kind of lager I Top Deck was based on – a bitter.

Several swigs and I am hard pressed to consider this an alcohol free beer. It has the European flavouring that makes you think of being driven on the wrong side of the road in an open top tour bus and is probably not as light and refreshing as I would want. If I had just finished a summer run and wanted to have a nice cold, ice cold beer in the garden it may not be this. I think it needs an accompaniment, maybe a BBQ, and something spicy. It would probably do well in taming a curry.

Still drinkable though. I give it…

 JUPILER

Over to Belgium for Jupiler and a staggering 0.5% of alcohol despite it being sans alcool.

First few sips…. it is very watery and has no body.

Few last sips… I think I am getting a lemony aftertaste.

I score it…

SUPER BOCK

Super Bock is a popular Portuguese beer on tap in London.  I have drunk a lot of it in Lisbon.

First few sips. Refreshing and light but with a bit of a citrus aftertaste.

Rest of bottle. Refreshing and light but with a bit of a citrus aftertaste.

So what is my score for the Bock? Was it super?

BUDWEISER/BUDVAR B:FREE

Ok and now for the big boys. Budweiser in the hizzy!

First taste. WOAH! This is different. Rather than a particular citrus aftertaste B:FREE (Yes, they called it B:FREE – my favourite brand name for crotchless pants) this has a full on flavour. But is it good? I wasn’t expecting it. Am going in again.

Few Swigs: Now this doesn’t taste like the others. Maybe something to do with the Mini Egg Cakes I have been eating today. It tastes more like beer. But it doesn’t taste like Budweiser.

PAULANER HEFE-WEISSBIER

The first wheat beer from the crate. Paulaner was one of my Go To beers during my “time off” at the Slaughtered Lamb.

First sip… now a wheat beer is not my thing. So am going to drink as much as possible with the next tasting… Drank the rest in one… am I getting pomegranate?

AIGUA DE MORITZ

From Barcelona this next beer is 0.0% alcohol and 100% refreshing. It has a floral taste though, that I can’t quite place. It has a little beer taste but very weak. Refreshing though. Although it is very perfumey (new word).

Very light. I could drink this after a race. It is refreshing and light. Maybe too light. But drinkable.

BERNARD JANTAR

Finally a Czech beer, and finally a beer that tastes that the kind of beer that I drink. First taste… well, forget that, the smell. This smells like a beer. It looks like a beer. Let’s go in and enjoy the 0.5% of pure booze.

First taste… Yum. Ok I am drinking the rest. It is lovely. I could drink a crate of this. If you want your low alcohol post race beer to taste like real beer. I will be ordering some from Dry Drinker for sure. And the score?

MAISELS’S WEISSE

I wish I had left that Czech beer for last. The remaining cold ones in the fridge are not my thing.  This one for starters. It it very watery. It is not my cup of tea. It has a weird aftertaste.

SCHNEIDER WEISSE

Very light. I could drink this after a race. It is refreshing and light. Maybe too light. But drinkable. How do I score it?

And is there you have it. A crate of low and no alcohol beer. I have enjoyed trying them. There are only a couple I would  buy. The Krombacher and the Bernard were stand out. Give Dry Drinker a go, if you cannot drink for medical reasons, or if you have made a decision for your health but will miss beer. You won’t regret it.