The best non-alcoholic beer right now is Guinness 0.0, a genuinely hop-forward NA IPA that shows how far the category has come. Non-alcoholic brewing has moved on enormously in the last few years, and the best alcohol-free beers now have real hop aroma, real malt body and, in most cases, far fewer calories than a standard pint.
I am Dan, and beer is my life. I have been an active homebrewer for over 10 years and have tasted breweries all over the world. This guide is built from my own tasting notes, with honest scores and a full review behind every pick. You can read more about me or see everything I have reviewed on my author page.
Below are the 11 non-alcoholic beers worth knowing about right now, from a benchmark NA IPA to an uncanny alcohol-free stout and a lager that is hard to tell from the original. We buy, drink and research everything ourselves; some links are affiliate links, and if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Non-alcoholic beer has quietly gotten good. A few years ago the choice was one dusty bottle of something thin and sweet. Now there are proper IPAs, spot-on lagers and stouts you would struggle to pick out in a blind taste.
Best Non-Alcoholic Beers, Ranked
Here is the short version, ranked by how they actually taste. Full reviews are linked under each pick.
| Rank | Beer | Style | ABV | Calories | Our score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guinness 0.0 | Non-alcoholic stout | 0.0% | 17 kcal per 100ml (about 57 kcal per 330ml can) | 4.4/5 |
| 2 | Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA | Non-alcoholic IPA | Under 0.5% | 65 kcal per 12oz can | 4.3/5 |
| 3 | Clausthaler Extra Herb (Dry-Hopped) | Non-alcoholic dry-hopped amber | 0.0% | 20 kcal per 100ml | 4.1/5 |
| 4 | Heineken 0.0 | Non-alcoholic lager | 0.0% | 21 kcal per 100ml (about 69 kcal per 330ml bottle) | 4.0/5 |
| 5 | Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale | Non-alcoholic golden ale | Under 0.5% | About 70 kcal per 12oz can | 4.0/5 |
| 6 | Partake Pale | Non-alcoholic pale ale | Under 0.5% | 10 kcal, 4g carbs, 0g sugar | 4.0/5 |
| 7 | BrewDog Punk AF | Non-alcoholic IPA | Under 0.5% | Approx. 68 kcal per 330ml can | 4.0/5 |
| 8 | Lawson’s Finest Sip’N | Non-alcoholic IPA | Under 0.5% | About 100 kcal per 12oz can | 4.0/5 |
| 9 | Corona Non-Alcoholic (Corona Cero) | Non-alcoholic pale lager | 0.0% | 56-60 kcal per bottle | 3.8/5 |
| 10 | Kirin Zero Ichi | Non-alcoholic lager | 0.00% | Approx. 45 kcal per 330ml can | 3.8/5 |
| 11 | Budweiser Zero | Non-alcoholic lager | 0.0% | 50 kcal | 3.7/5 |
Best Non-Alcoholic Beers at a Glance
Swipe through the top picks and tap any card to jump straight to the full write-up.
Best Stout: Guinness 0.0
Brewed to the same recipe as draught Guinness, then dealcoholized, keeping the dark ruby-red color, creamy head, and the brand’s signature roasted coffee and chocolate notes balanced with a light bitterness.
- True 0.0% ABV
- Keeps the dark color and creamy head that make Guinness recognizable
- Roasted coffee and chocolate notes come through clearly
- Stout is a narrower style than lager or IPA, so it will not appeal to drinkers who do not already like stout
- Creamy head needs a proper pour to show at its best, less impressive straight from the can
Read our full Guinness 0.0 review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Best Overall: Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA
Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops for citrus and pine aromas with an approachable bitterness balanced by a specialty malt body. One of the most decorated NA beers in the category, a fixture of Athletic’s core lineup.
- Five-hop blend gives it genuine IPA bitterness, not a watered-down approximation
- Only 65 calories per can
- Widely distributed – one of the easiest NA IPAs to actually find
- Session-strength body means it will not satisfy drinkers chasing a heavier double IPA profile
- Citrus/pine profile is common in the category now, so it competes with a crowded field of NA IPAs
Read our full Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Maltiest, Fullest-Bodied: Clausthaler Extra Herb (Dry-Hopped)
Marketed as the world’s first dry-hopped non-alcoholic beer, using Cascade hops imported from the US for a citrus aftertaste on top of a full-bodied, malty-caramel amber base. Sold internationally as Dry-Hopped/Extra Herb; some US listings use the name Clausthaler Amber for the same style of beer.
- True 0.0% ABV
- Cascade dry-hopping gives a distinct citrus edge most NA lagers lack
- Full-bodied amber character rather than a thin, watery profile
- Naming varies by market (Dry-Hopped/Extra Herb internationally vs Amber in some US listings), which can cause confusion when shopping
- Only the Original pilsner from the Clausthaler range turned up confirmed on Saucey, not this specific dry-hopped/amber variant
Read our full Clausthaler Extra Herb (Dry-Hopped) review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Most Convincing Lager: Heineken 0.0
Double brewed with Heineken’s proprietary A-yeast, then had the alcohol removed, aiming for the brand’s signature refreshing fruity notes and soft malty body rather than a stripped-down substitute.
- True 0.0% ABV, not just under 0.5%
- Same core Heineken recipe and A-yeast as the full-strength lager
- About as widely available as any NA beer on the market
- Soft malty body reads as a bit thin next to heavier NA styles
- Mainstream lager profile, not much of a novelty for craft beer drinkers
Read our full Heineken 0.0 review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Best Everyday Session Beer: Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale
A golden-style brew with notes of citrus and herbs, brewed with select malts and American hops for earthy, spicy aromas. Crisp and light-bodied, positioned as Athletic’s most sessionable everyday option.
- Crisp, light-bodied and easy to drink across a whole session
- Citrus and herb notes give it more character than a plain lager
- Crafted to remove gluten, though the brewery notes gluten content cannot be fully verified
- Lighter flavor profile means less to talk about compared to Run Wild or a stout
- Gluten-removal claim comes with an explicit caveat from the brewery itself
Read our full Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Lowest Calorie Pick: Partake Pale
A blend of fruity and floral hops giving vibrant orange zest, grapefruit and a touch of pine, dry on the palate with a crisp finish – built around one of the lowest calorie counts in the category.
- Just 10 calories per can, among the lowest of any beer in this list
- Fruity, floral hop profile with real grapefruit and pine character
- Non-GMO, vegan and kosher-certified
- Not currently listed on Saucey in our check
- Smaller Canadian brewery, so US distribution is less consistent than Athletic or Heineken
Read our full Partake Pale review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Best Craft Starting Point: BrewDog Punk AF
A non-alcoholic ipa at Under 0.5% ABV, around approx. 68 kcal per 330ml can. Read the full review below for the complete tasting notes, pros and cons.
- Real hop character from BrewDog’s flagship Punk IPA recipe
- Brewed in Scotland with a generous hop mix for a distinct citrus aroma
- Part of a wider NA lineup (Hazy AF, Nanny State) if you want to try more than one
- Less widely stocked in the US than the big-brand NA lagers
- Craft IPA pricing, so it costs more than a mainstream NA option
Read our full BrewDog Punk AF review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Best New NA IPA: Lawson’s Finest Sip’N
A non-alcoholic ipa at Under 0.5% ABV, around about 100 kcal per 12oz can. Read the full review below for the complete tasting notes, pros and cons.
- Made with a maltose-negative yeast built for flavor, not just alcohol removal
- Citra and Mosaic hops give it a genuinely IPA-shaped aroma
- From a brewery with a strong reputation for hoppy beers
- New release (mid-2026), so distribution is still limited to Lawson’s existing markets
- Higher calories than some other NA IPAs on this list
Read our full Lawson’s Finest Sip’N review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Best Warm-Weather Pick: Corona Non-Alcoholic (Corona Cero)
A fruity aroma with light sulfite notes, slightly sweet and sour on the palate, fizzy mouthfeel with a dry, mild-bitter finish – the same beach-lager profile Corona is known for, just without the alcohol.
- True 0.0% ABV
- Low calorie count for the style
- Keeps the light, fruity Corona character people already know
- Thin body typical of the style, not much to it beyond the classic Corona-with-lime profile
- Less widely stocked in the US than Heineken 0.0 or Corona’s alcoholic lineup
Read our full Corona Non-Alcoholic (Corona Cero) review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Richest Malt Profile: Kirin Zero Ichi
A non-alcoholic lager at 0.00% ABV, around approx. 45 kcal per 330ml can. Read the full review below for the complete tasting notes, pros and cons.
- Rich, bready malt profile that is unusual among NA lagers
- Zero artificial sweeteners or bittering agents
- Genuinely 0.00% rather than under 0.5%
- Some unusual chemical-adjacent notes in the aroma that a few drinkers dislike
- Harder to find outside Japanese import stores
Read our full Kirin Zero Ichi review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Most Familiar American Lager: Budweiser Zero
Brewed with the same fresh, verdant rice and aromatic hops Budweiser uses in its full-strength lager, aiming to preserve the brand’s crisp taste and smooth finish at zero alcohol and zero sugar.
- True 0.0% ABV with zero grams of sugar
- Same rice-based brewing approach as full-strength Budweiser
- Backed by Anheuser-Busch’s distribution, so it shows up almost everywhere Bud does
- Not currently listed on Saucey in our check, so alcohol-delivery apps are hit or miss for it
- Light rice-lager profile is straightforward rather than distinctive
Read our full Budweiser Zero review for the complete tasting notes and where to buy it.
Explore More Beer Guides
Want a fuller-bodied European style? See our best European non-alcoholic beers guide. Want something newer to try? See our new non-alcoholic beers to try list.
- Best beers (all our guides)
- Best Canadian beers
- Best lager beers
- Best American beers
- What’s the point of non-alcoholic beer?
- Best beer to drink on a diet
Non-Alcoholic Beer FAQs
What is the best non-alcoholic beer?
Guinness 0.0 is the best all-rounder, a genuine NA IPA with real hop aroma and a clean finish. For a lager, Heineken 0.0 is the most convincing everyday pick, and Guinness 0.0 is the standout alcohol-free stout. The right one depends on which real beer you usually reach for.
Do non-alcoholic beers taste like real beer?
The best ones get remarkably close now. Modern NA brewing has largely fixed the thin, sweet character that used to define alcohol-free beer. Options like Guinness 0.0, Athletic Run Wild and Heineken 0.0 keep real malt body and hop aroma, and in a proper glass many people struggle to tell the difference.
Are non-alcoholic beers lower in calories?
Usually, yes. Most NA beers land well below a standard pint, often between about 10 and 70 calories a can, because the calories in beer come largely from alcohol. Partake Pale is around 10 calories, Heineken 0.0 about 21 per 100ml, and Athletic Run Wild roughly 65.
Looking for something specific?
For fuller-bodied European styles, see our best European non-alcoholic beers guide. For newer releases worth trying, see our new non-alcoholic beers to try list.
How We Test and Score
Every beer here was bought and tasted properly, not skimmed from a spec sheet. We score each on aroma, balance, body and drinkability. You can see every score on the individual beer reviews.
Curious about the wellness angle? We covered the wave of NA beers brewed with adaptogens, electrolytes and fiber in functional non-alcoholic beer’s next wave, and broke down the brewing process itself in how non-alcoholic beer is made.
Wondering about the practical side? We answer whether you need ID to buy non-alcoholic beer and whether it is safe to drink while pregnant in separate guides.
Worth knowing before you buy: not every “alcohol-free” claim is as strict as it sounds. We break down the labeling loophole behind it in why some nonalcoholic beers still have trace alcohol in them.
