The best non-alcoholic beer 2024: Low ABV lagers, pale ales and more

With many of us giving booze a wide berth for Dry January, there’s bound to be a bit of a buzz around low- and no-alcohol beers. After all, after water and tea (yes, even beating wine and coffee), beer is said to be the third most popular drink in the world, but it’s taken years for brewers to crack an alcohol-free version that rivals the real deal.

Gone are the days when staying away from the booze meant choosing between fresh OJ or lime and soda on every trip to the pub. Now, breweries are cottoning onto the buzz around all things low ABV, and that’s not only when it comes to serving low- and no-alcohol tipples when Dry January and Sober October roll around – or for those who are pregnant or hungover.

In fact, there’s been an unprecedented rise in consumers choosing non-alcoholic beverages. Younger people especially are interested in alcohol-free (AF) beverages, to help protect their physical and mental health.

The generation of “sober sceptics” has fizzled out, and, increasingly, people are realising you don’t need to drink a high-ABV beer to socialise. This helps to explain why the UK’s “lo ’n’ no” market appears to be on the increase.