A special effect to our taste: a deliciously fresh beer with full flavor, but with less than 0.5% alcohol.

The craft beer movement has completely turned the American beer market upside down in just a few years. Whereas not so long ago - no disrespect, folks - a certain uniformity still prevailed there, today we are experiencing an almost limitless variety and an incredible attention to detail. In view of this pleasing development, it is a little surprising that the trend toward non-alcoholic alternatives has so far barely been able to establish itself in the USA. But fortunately, there are our friends at Brooklyn Brewery who have gone out to change that.

At first, head brewer Garret Oliver couldn't get excited about the idea at all, as he himself admits. "But why?" is said to have been his terse reaction when the idea of an alcohol-free beer with the iconic Brooklyn logo was first put to him. It didn't stay that way for long, however. As the creative mind behind numerous beer innovations, he felt challenged: Was it possible to create a non-alcoholic beer that would live up to his own standards? Absolutely, as he proved with Brooklyn Special Effects.

BROOKLYN SPECIAL EFFECTS: FOR THOSE WHO STILL HAVE BIG PLANS

The refreshing Lager surprises with a wonderful pine aroma, followed by a pleasant bitter note in the finish. So what is the secret behind Special Effects? How did Garret Oliver manage to do without alcohol without compromising on taste? The solution lies in the extra-slow brewing process. Thanks to the special fermentation method, all the aromas can develop freely without alcohol ever being produced, which would later have to be removed again. Subsequent dry hopping with the finest Citra and Amarillo hops brings a slight additional grapefruit freshness into play, which rounds off the overall package perfectly.

Special Effects ideally joins spinach salad, fresh goat cheese or omelettes. If you are looking for a very special taste experience, try a Swedish Toast Skagen. Above all, Special Effects is the ideal drink for those who enjoy a beer and want to stay active afterwards. That's because, at just 0.4%, its alcohol content is roughly equivalent to that of a ripe banana - so the intoxicating effect is absent. Or, as Garret Oliver puts it so perfectly for Brooklyn Brewery: "Real beer, no buzz"!

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