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When non-alcoholic beer was still in its infancy, the number of its followers was limited. On the one hand, this was probably due to human nature: When we have grown fond of something, we tend to be a little skeptical of innovations. On the other hand, the not yet fully developed (Ba-dum-ts!) manufacturing processes were probably responsible for this. Both points have changed over the years, so that non-alcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular. Especially after sports, more and more active people reach for the "lead-free", after all, it contains only about half as many calories as "normal" beer, but has the same isotonic properties.
The processes for producing alcohol-free beer can be divided into two basic approaches: Either the beer is brewed in the conventional way and the alcohol produced is later removed. Or the fermentation process is stopped before the alcohol content exceeds 0.5%. This is precisely the limit up to which the designation "alcohol-free" may be used.
During the brewing process, the yeast converts the sugar contained in the malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It therefore makes sense to interrupt this process before the 0.5% limit is reached in order to obtain alcohol-free beer. Since more sugar than usual is retained in this way, such beers often taste slightly sweet. Very low temperatures and specially bred yeasts help to mitigate this effect.
The alternative is to remove the alcohol from the finished beer. In vacuum distillation or rectification, for example, the alcohol is evaporated, but the aroma substances associated with it are captured and subsequently added back. In addition, various filtration techniques exist to separate the alcohol from the beer. A very important keyword in this context is "reverse osmosis". For all those who only dimly remember their bio and chemistry lessons: here is a comprehensive explanation.
Many breweries now use a combination of several methods, but keep their exact process secret so that it cannot be copied.
This question is not so easy to answer. The first experiments were probably carried out before the end of the 19th century. In 1930, the Gurten brewery's "Ex-Bier" actually made it to market maturity, but its success was short-lived. In 1965, the Hürlimann Brewery came on the scene with its "Oro", which was later renamed "Birell". The product enjoyed great popularity and was even exported to the USA. A not insignificant role in this was certainly played by the advertising partnership with Clay Regazzoni, who was at the height of his career in automobile racing at the time.
Which brings us straight to another frequently asked question: Beer can be called non-alcoholic as long as its alcohol content is below 0.5 percent. Does this already have an effect on driving ability? The answer is quite clearly: no! According to studies, drinking non-alcoholic beer is harmless even for new drivers, since the human body breaks down the alcohol faster than it is absorbed via the beer (in this concentration). On the other hand, it is not suitable for people who should completely abstain from beer for health reasons. For example, it lowers the inhibition threshold for dry alcoholics to drink "normal" beer again. Alcohol-free beer is also not a solution for gout patients, as it contains the same amount of purines as its alcoholic counterpart.
As more and more smaller breweries are also involved in the production of high-quality non-alcoholic beers, a respectable variety has emerged over the years. In addition to the classic "Hellen," many non-alcoholic Hefeweizen beers can be found on the market in the spirit of the "after-sports drink. Pilsners and even IPAs are also available in the de-alcoholized version.
Here are some tasty examples:
And with that: cheers... to non-alcoholic enjoyment!
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