Slowly but surely a lot of us are getting aware of the bad things alcohol does, so it isn’t strange that the rise of non-alcohol beverages is constantly increasing. In fact, it’s said that over the past 12 months the market share of non-alcoholic beer in Australia has doubled in volume. Because of this, the range of non-alcoholic beers is constantly increasing and manufacturers are striving to make as many unique non alcoholic beers as possible. But what exactly are these beers? Do they contain a bit of alcohol or they don’t?!
What Are Alcohol-Free Beers?
Truth be told, non-alcohol beers do contain alcohol but in smaller amounts. According to the Australian government, the amount of alcohol in low alcohol beers varies between countries, but generally, non-alcoholic beers are considered to have 0,5% or less ABV (alcohol by volume). The reason why these beers contain alcohol is that some alcohol naturally forms during the beer brewing process, just like in the case with alcohol-free wines.
How Is Alcohol-Free Beer Made?
The beer can be made in two ways, where manufacturers remove alcohol from the finished product, or by making sure that alcohol doesn’t form during the brewing process. The most commonly used method for removing alcohol from beer is by heating the beer to boil away alcohol, or to pass beer through a filter the purpose of which is to remove alcohol from it.
Benefits of Consuming Non-Alcohol Beer
It Tastes Amazing
The greatest benefit of all is that non alcoholic beers are incredibly tasty, as tasty as alcoholic beers. Over the years the production of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers has improved a lot and nowadays they can taste exactly the same as alcoholic beers. Ranging from light to rich chocolate and thick fruity pale ales, the choice of alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers is wide. In order to make the right choice and avoid the fewer badly tasting low-alcohol beers on the market, you should do thorough research and turn to a supplier that can provide you with quality alcohol-free beers that can easily rival alcohol beers by all means.
It’s Natural and Healthy
Containing extremely little levels of alcohol makes these beer options one of the healthiest ‘alcohol drinks’ in the world. It’s said that alcohol-free beers are full of vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, potassium and folic acid. Drinking low-alcohol and alcohol-free beers may help you reduce heart-related conditions, it can help you reduce the risk of catching a cold, and it can improve your sleep and aid bone growth.
Most non-alcoholic types of beers are made of four main ingredients: water, malt, yeast and hops. All of them are natural products that are completely safe to use. However, when in the search for the right alcohol-free beer, make sure to check the label since some of them can contain artificial sweeteners, additives and some other chemicals that aren’t that healthy especially if consumed on a daily basis.
It’s Less Caloric
Given the fact that these beers contain less alcohol, this makes them less caloric than alcoholic beers. Usually, they can contain around 60 calories which are considered empty calories because they have no nutritional value. An important thing to have in mind is that the amount of alcohol will depend on the beer ingredients and on the brewing process. So, if this is something that matters to you, then you should certainly check the beer’s label to find out the exact number of calories it contains.
It Can Help You Cut Down Drinking
Whether you want to break free from this bad habit of yours which is drinking beer on a daily basis or you want to reduce the amount of beer you drink, non-alcoholic beer is the perfect option to help you achieve all of this. This beer is great in helping you give yourself a break from alcohol while still feeling the taste and aroma of beer. However, you should be extremely careful with drinking this beer if having an alcohol addiction since this can lead you back to the stronger type of beer. In situations like this, it’s better to speak with a healthcare professional.
It’s Impossible to Get You Drunk
The truth is that beers which contain less than 0,5% alcohol are impossible to get you drunk. First because of the low alcohol content and second because it’s impossible for you to drink beer in that much quantity of this beer so it could get you drunk. Additionally, it’s said that it takes up to 2 hours for an average person to process the alcohol in a pint of 3,6% and more than 3 hours to process alcohol in a pint of 5,6% beer. Nevertheless, make sure to drink moderately since balance is the key to staying healthy and not developing drinking problems.
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