Enjoy these beers with no fear of a sore head, says Susy Atkins

The recent huge increase in no or ultra-low alcohol beers is something to welcome with open arms. Firstly, because more of us than ever want to cut back on our units (or stop drinking alcohol altogether, temporarily or permanently), and secondly because so many of these new brews, weighing in at just 0-2.5% ABV, taste surprisingly good.

Author and beer writer Melissa Cole puts this success down to “the combination of an increase in love for craft beer and advances in knowledge about yeast and technical brewing”.

Brewers are simply more able to get rid of alcohol without affecting flavour these days.

They can halt the fermentation process early, or heat the beer to steam off the alcohol, or do something niftier like Adnams does for its Ghost Ship ale: ferment as normal to produce a full flavour, then remove the alcohol by reverse osmosis until the beer gets down to just 0.5%.

The Original Small Beer Company delivers one of the best ranges around. Set up for the sole purpose of brewing 0.5-2.8% beers, it claims to be reigniting the old tradition of “small beer”.

The weak stuff was once a staple of British life – but I bet it rarely tasted this satisfying, fresh and properly moreish.

As well as the three to the right, check out M&S’s wide range of no/low-ABV beers, which has expanded from seven to 13 in one year.

I especially tip its refreshing, slightly grassy, Infinite Session IPA (0.5%, £1.50 for 330ml) for the rest of the warmer weeks.

ADNAMS GHOST SHIP CITRUS PALE ALE

Southwold, Suffolk

(0.5%, Waitrose, £1.30 for 500ml; Tesco, £1.70)

Citra hops give a tangerine tang here and there is a subtle, well-balanced bitterness on the finish. A decent drop with a classic ploughman’s of cheddar and crusty bread.

THE ORIGINAL SMALL BEER DARK LAGER

London (1.0%, thewhisky exchange.com, £2.25 for 350ml; mastersofmalt.com, £3.38)

Aromas and flavours of freshly roasted coffee beans, toasted hazelnuts and high cacoa dark chocolate here – whoever said extra-lowalcohol beer was bland?

LOWLANDER WIT BEER

Amsterdam, Holland (0.0%, boozefree.uk, £1.99 for 330ml; 31dover.com, £2.02)

A brisk citrus freshness meets softer, mildly creamy notes. Produced using leftover oranges and lemons from bars and restaurants, so gets eco marks too as well, as being totally alcohol-free.