Belgies choke on zero beer

A BELGIAN brewer will make history when it produces the first ever non- alcoholic version of one of the country’s celebrated abbey beers Leffe.

The beers, brewed either by monks or on licence from them, have long been praised as a central part of cultural heritage in the country and are notable for their complex taste, high alcohol content and bespoke glasses.

Traditionalists may cry sacrilege but the brewer said that the decision was a sign of changing attitudes towards beer.

Non- alcoholic lagers and wheat beers have grown in popularity in Belgium, with a 30 per cent growth in the market last year.

AB InBev will begin selling a zero alcohol version of its usually 6.6 per cent Leffe beer this month.