They drink it’s all sober

We put alcohol-free beers to taste test

IThis frothy Italian lager was a bit too peppy and shot out of the bottle like a Ferrari when it was opened. Fans of hoppy notes will enjoy this boozefree option with a pizza, even if it’s let down by smelling a bit like the empty cardboard box.

Best for... pizza t has been a favourite tipple for decades, but now our traditional beers are changing.

Brewer Heineken has reported double-digit growth in sales of alcohol-free beers.

So, with more of us opting for low or zero alcohol tipples, which brands taste best?

Here is my sober assessment of the booze-free brews...

Another one with a whole 0.4% alcohol, which really helps with the taste. This pale, hoppy effort from a small, German brewer tastes like beer, looks like beer and, more importantly, gives that nice beery mouthfeel – and burps!

Best for... craft ale drinkers

One of the first craft brewers, Brewdog originated in Scotland but is now mainly owned by a faceless conglomerate. Its beers are still loved by trendy millennials, though, and this very pale and bitterly hoppy IPA will be right up their street. Best for... hipsters

Caramel-coloured hoppy lager which packs a whole 0.4% alcohol.

This Swedish brew is similar to real ale. Trust the Scandis to take our brew and make it cool.

Best for... real ale drinkers

Smooth, cloudy wheat beer with a pleasing, creamy head and a whiff of vitamins. This German beer has added nutrients and is branded as “isotonic”. If you like your refreshment to taste like a slap with a birch branch in a health spa – go for it. Best for... health nuts

The head fluffed up in a glass like a meringue and, for a while, I couldn’t place the smell. Then it hit me – it gives off a whiff of rainy car windows. Good flavour, but followed by a slightly bitter, saccharine taste. Best for... dudes

A German wheat beer with a chubby monk on the label – though he surely didn’t put on weight drinking this. Tastes a bit like Weetabix but is refreshing, fruity and won’t put the oompah in your joompah.

Best for... bierkellers

Clausthaler Unfiltered SOBER AS A JUDGE Siobhan gives verdict Brewdog Punk AF Birra Moretti Franziskaner Weissbier

Brooklyn Special Effects

Erdinger Weissbrau

Peroni Libera