The global alcohol market has seen a decrease in beer consumption, yet there's been an evident uptick in the demand for nonalcoholic beer. The nonalcoholic beer trend is not just transient, it seems it's here to stay, and is anticipated to see the market reach a record $4 billion by 2028.

This growing inclination toward nonalcoholic drinks, driven largely by millennials and Gen Z, isn't just reserved for 'Dry January' or those choosing sobriety. Even those who regularly consume alcoholic beverages are often seen trying nonalcoholic beer varieties, driven by the improved quality of offerings in this category.

What’s interesting to note is that while the tag of ‘nonalcoholic’ is adorned by these beers, they technically may contain traces of alcohol, normally less than 0.5% ABV. Coming to the question of whether they can still be called beer, and whether one can get intoxicated from them, opinions diverge.

“Nonalcoholic brews date back to Ancient Egypt, where workers would drink diluted, lightly fermented beer as a source of calories and hydration”, says Tomas Josas, 2023 Lithuanian Beer Sommelier Champion, and beer historian. He affirms that the trend of nonalcoholic beer gained momentum in the US during the prohibition era, where the consumption of alcohol was prohibited for a significant span of 13 years following the 1920 Volstead Act.

Stateside breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company responded by producing ‘near beer.' Unfortunately, the produced drink was far below the quality beer enthusiasts had grown accustomed to. In Europe, breweries were driven to produce alcohol-free beer not by prohibition, but out of necessity due to increased penalties for drunk driving.

Interestingly, nonalcoholic beer has been promoted by influential figures such as Swiss race-car drivers. Zürich-based brewery, Hürlimann, even created Birell, a brand of beer that was produced with a unique yeast which naturally minimized alcohol content.

In the face of growing demand, both boutique and commercial brands have had to step up their game. The brewing of nonalcoholic beer involves a lot more effort and expense, but as Anton Hirschfield of Weihenstephan Brewery admits – this category is far from petering out. Top beer brands across the world from Germany’s Weihenstephan, Heineken, to Denmark's Carlsberg now offer a nonalcoholic beer variant.

Despite the fame of the 'nonalcoholic' label, these beverages do contain trace amounts of alcohol, mostly resulting from the natural fermentation process. However, the face that even after exhausting about 50 ounces of NA beer in an hour, blood alcohol levels remain unaffected, can reassure most consumers. Any amount of alcohol present in such drinks cannot result in noticeable impairment-- no "alcoholizing effect," as it were. 

Today, crafting nonalcoholic beers involves two key methods - removing the alcohol after regular fermentation process or halting the fermentation before any noticeable alcohol can develop. Breweries now employ a careful and slow approach as opposed to the crude techniques used during Prohibition, to ensure the beer produced is enjoyable, not an overly sweet, mealy affair.

“We don’t halt the fermentation, which leaves a sweet and malty beer, like some other breweries”, says Tobias Zollo, head brewmaster at Weihenstephan. "The aroma is preserved until dealcoholization, after which the alcohol is removed.”

A poorly executed method can result in a beer tasting flat or it can strip it of its character, says Josas. However, decades of innovation now mean nonalcoholic beers no longer have to be the last choice - they can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, legitimate class of beer.

“Nonalcoholic beers once were something you drank when you had no other choice,” says Josas. “Today? It’s often something I actually recommend, not as a substitute, but as a genuine beer in its own merit.”