Ales are a very diverse group of beers. They are warm, top fermenting beers using ale yeast compared to the cold, bottom fermenting lagers.
There are many subtypes and every smaller splits in those groups. I have tried to sample them all. These are some of the various types of ales i have tried and rated on my master list of the best non alcoholic beers…
- Dark ales
- Brown ales
- Amber ales
- Summer ales
- Saisons
- Belgian ales – abbey, trappist, blond, brune, white
- Pale ales – American, English, West Coast
- India pale ales – English, New England, West Coast
- Cask ales
I have learnt a lot trying over 150 different non alcoholic beers so far. The average of all non alcoholic beers calories per 100ml is 23kcal, carbs are 5g and sugar 2g. Whilst i really love the breweries trying to make ultra low carb and calorie beers, the simple fact is, the best and most reliable way to replace the body and mouthfeel that alcohol gives, is with carbs.
After i reviewed and scored all the beers i have tried, it was no surprise that the best tasting and fullest body beers were invariably not the ultra skinny ones. If you are drinking for pleasure and not trying to drink the lowest carb and calories beer you can, i does pay to have more carbs in the beer. There are of course notable exceptions but that it is the generalisation i would make.
That said, there are some cracking very low carb and calorie beers in my top 10, so whatever your priorities are in a non alcoholic beer, there is a beer for you, i promise.
Let’s get cracking on my top ales…
The 25 Best Non Alcoholic Ales and IPAs To Try
I have so much fun trying all these ales, they are such a diverse bunch compared to the lager family. You can go from really malty dark ales to super citrus zinging IPAs.
These are all personal choice and beers that i have drank myself. I am in the UK so unfortunately it is difficult to get many North American craft NA beers at this time but i am working on it for the next list.
1. Ceria Indiewave AVB 0.5%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 28kcal per 100ml 99.4kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 4.5g per 100ml 16g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | Unknown per 100ml Unknown per 12fl oz |
This beautiful IPA ran the Schneider weisse a close second.
This was silky smooth and creamy with hints of orange and lemon. I found the hoppy bitterness with pine and citrus was exactly the right amount with everything in balance.
Amazon.com has these and you can check out the latest price here
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
2. Le Chauffeur AVB 0.34%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 32kcal per 100ml 114kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 6.8g per 100ml 24.1g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 3.4g per 100ml 11.9g per 12fl oz |
From the makers of Lola Porter, this IPA mixes citrus and orange flavoured IPA with caramel and malt.
This is more an ale lovers IPA than for huge bitter hop hits but that is what i like.
This was worth all the calories and more, delicious.
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
3. Athletic Brewing Run Wild AVB 0.5%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 19kcal per 100ml 67.5kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 4.3g per 100ml 15.3g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 1.2g per 100ml 4.3g per 12fl oz |
This has just the right amount of zingy citrus hops to malt ratio for my palate.
It tastes and feels like a big alcoholic IPA with an ABV of 6%.
If you are transitioning to non alcoholic IPAs this is a great one to get the toe in the water.
To check out the latest Amazon prices you can follow this link
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
For Australian readers, Craft Zero has a range of products, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 10% off
4. Infinite Session IPA AVB 0.5%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 12kcal per 100ml 42.6kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 2.2g per 100ml 7.8g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 1.8g per 100ml 6.4g per 12fl oz |
Fragrant hops combines with a luxury, creamy mouthfeel to make a fantastic NA IPA.
Infinite Session make some fantastic beers but this might just pip their American Pale Ale. Although on another day i might flip flop
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
5. Brewdog Nanny State AVB 0.5%
| Type | Ale |
| Calories | 6kcal per 100ml 21.3kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 1g per 100ml 3.55g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.1g per 100ml 0.355g per 12fl oz |
Not a new beer but one of the lowest calorie beers out there.
Brewdog have rammed so much flavour into this. It is quite bitter and uses 5 hops and 8 malts to produce a masterclass in low calorie brewing.
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
Light Drinks in the UK have them and if you use the discount code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get 5% off
You can of course click through to Amazon to see if they are cheaper
In Australia you can get 10% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE at CraftZero
6. Incel “Surfers” AVB 0.5%
| Type | Summer Ale |
| Calories | 32kcal per 100ml 114kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 6.4g per 100ml 22.7g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.5g per 100ml 1.8g per 12fl oz |
This is my second pick from Incel and another cracker.
This is a big, fruity and luscious ale. I found a really pleasing orange flavour coming through and the same huge body and mouthfeel you expect from Incel.
Not low calorie but delicious
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
7. UNLTD. AVB 0.5%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 4kcal per 100ml 14.2kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 1g per 100ml 3.6g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.1g per 100ml 0.36g per 12fl oz |
As the lowest calorie beer i have drank, it is worth a mention but they have managed to create a really flavoursome IPA which isn’t just flavoured fizzy water.
If you want a IPA on a diet, this is for you.
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
8. Aegir Minus AVB 0.5%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 10kcal per 100ml 35.5kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 1.1g per 100ml 3.9g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.1g per 100ml 0.36g per 12fl oz |
Most IPAs you drink now are very citrus heavy whereas this was a beautiful fragrant pine styled one.
Despite being very low calorie it had an excellent body and great mouthfeel.
It is certainly one you could keep drinking more of in a session.
Follow this link to buy these from Dry Drinker in the UK
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
9. Lowtide Brune-DMC AVB 0.5%
| Type | Belgian Abbey |
| Calories | ?kcal per 100ml ?kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | ?g per 100ml ?g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | ?g per 100ml ?g per 12fl oz |
Much like a German wheat beer, the Belgian Abbey style beers are top notch.
This has mountains of malt, caramel, coffee and toffee, so it is hard not to like.
It is a bit naughty not to tell us the nutrition. I suspect its leffe 0.0 bad.
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
Follow this link to buy these from Dry Drinker in the UK
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
10. St Peters Without ABV 0.0%
| Type | Amber Ale |
| Calories | 26kcal per 100ml 92.3kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 6.2g per 100ml 22g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 2.6g per 100ml 9.2g per 12fl oz |
St Peter’s Without has huge malty caramel flavours bursting into your mouth.
With quite a lot of carbs, it have a big body and luxury mouthfeel.
My lasting memory is the caramel flavour that coated my tongue.
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
11. Infinite Session Pale ABV 0.5%
| Type | Amercian Pale Ale |
| Calories | 11kcal per 100ml 39kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 3.3g per 100ml 11.7g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 2.8g per 100ml 9.9g per 12fl oz |
Infinite Session only make great beers and this APA is nip and tuck with their IPA.
The APA has more pine and floral notes and i found it incredibly easy drinking.
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
12. Big Drop Pine Trail ABV 0.5%
| Type | Pale Ale |
| Calories | 18.5kcal per 100ml 65.7kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 3.6g per 100ml 12.8g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.1g per 100ml 0.36g per 12fl oz |
I am a bit shocked Pine Trail has slipped down to 12th in my rankings. It shows what competition there is now as this is a brilliant beer.
There is plenty of malt along with a citrus and pine hop hit that goes down very easily.
For Amazon UK follow this link
UK – Light Drinks and Sober Sauce have it and you get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
Australia – Craft Zero is the place to go and get 10% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
13. Venture point five ABV 0.5%
| Type | Amber Ale |
| Calories | 25kcal per 100ml 88.8kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 5.4g per 100ml 19.2g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 2.8g per 100ml 9.9g per 12fl oz |
Venture Point Five has a lovely depth of malty goodness wrapped up in a big body, easy drinking, amber ale.
There is hints of tropical and pine hops but just a whiff
Follow this link to buy these from Dry Drinker in the UK
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
14. Doom Bar Zero ABV 0.0%
| Type | Amber Ale |
| Calories | 13kcal per 100ml 46.2kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 3.2g per 100ml 11.4g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 1.1g per 100ml 3.9g per 12fl oz |
Doom Bar is one of the UK’s leading cask ales and their 0.0 offering is very good.
Its got a lovely dark colour for an amber ale. Beautiful roasted hop taste, almost some coffee/chocolate to it.
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
15. Lowtide NEIPA The Cosmic Turtle ABV 0.5%
| Type | New England IPA |
| Calories | 10kcal per 100ml 35.5kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 1.6g per 100ml 5.7g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.4g per 100ml 1.4g per 12fl oz |
Lowtide have done very well here. It is a very low calorie beer and reasonably full and hoppy all things considered.
There is a nice bitter undertone.
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
For Australian readers, Craft Zero has a range of products, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 10% off
16. A Ship Full Of IPA 0.0%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 20kcal per 100ml 71kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 5.3g per 100ml 18.8g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.5g per 100ml 1.8g per 12fl oz |
This is a great, clean and crisp IPA with the added benefit of the darker ale flavours and increased malt. They mix very and the flavours balance beautifully.
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
17. Leffe Blond 0.0 ABV 0.0%
| Type | Belgian Abbey |
| Calories | 40kcal per 100ml 142kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 9.8g per 100ml 34.8g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 1.1g per 100ml 3.9g per 12fl oz |
If we ignore the huge carb and calorie load this is a serious beer.
There is huge mouthfeel and depth. It has loads of body from the carbs and tastes like a slightly sweeter Leffe 6.6%
For Amazon follow this link for the live prices.
UK – Visit Dry Drinker and first order is 10% off
Australia – Craft Zero is the place to go and get 10% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
18. Beavertown Lazer Crush 0.3%
| Type | IPA |
| Calories | 25kcal per 100ml 88.8kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 5.9g per 100ml 20.9g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 3g per 100ml 10.7g per 12fl oz |
Beavertown is brilliant conventional brewery and this is their only NA beer to date.
Despite being slightly on the sweet side it packs lots of hops and flavour that you would expect form these guys.
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
19. Lowtide West Coast Hop Lock ABV 0.5%
| Type | West Coast Pale Ale |
| Calories | ?kcal per 100ml ?kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | ?g per 100ml ?g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | ?g per 100ml ?g per 12fl oz |
You get some hops and lemony citrus bitterness form the hops. The body is slightly lighter than some of the beers above so maybe the carbs are a bit less.
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
20. Incel Swimmers ABV 0.5%
| Type | Saison |
| Calories | 32kcal per 100ml 113.6kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 6.4g per 100ml 22.7g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.5g per 100ml 1.8g per 12fl oz |
Incel-Brauerei is a special brewery. This Saison is extremely interesting if you haven’t drank many.
Spices, fruits, body, there is so much going on here to fill the palate.
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
21. Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn ABV 0.5%
| Type | Golden Ale |
| Calories | 14kcal per 100ml 49.7kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 3.2g per 100ml 11.4g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 1.4g per 100ml 5g per 12fl oz |
Athletic Brewing need no introduction and Upside Dawn can count itself unlucky to be down in 21st place.
This is as easy drinking as you get.
To check out the latest Amazon prices you can follow this link
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
For Australian readers, Craft Zero has a range of products, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 10% off
22. Big Drop Woodcutter ABV 0.5%
| Type | Brown Ale |
| Calories | 22kcal per 100ml 78.1kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 4.9g per 100ml 17.4g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 2.7g per 100ml 9.6g per 12fl oz |
There is some caramel, chocolate and coffee notes wrapped up in malty goodness.
Big Drop are a first rate NA brewery and this is a great offering.
To check out the latest Amazon prices you can follow this link
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
23. Pica Nova ABV 0.3%
| Type | West Coast IPA |
| Calories | 16kcal per 100ml 56.8kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 3.5g per 100ml 12.4g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 1.4g per 100ml 5g per 12fl oz |
This is a tropical, juicy, west coast IPA.
There is decent body and structure and certainly a very memorable can
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
24. Ceria Grainwave ABV 0.5%
| Type | Belgian White |
| Calories | 22kcal per 100ml 78.1kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 3.9g per 100ml 13.8g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | ?g per 100ml ?g per 12fl oz |
I think i have been too harsh here on Grainwave vs Indiewave.
This is a great Blue Moon substitute with all the Belgian White beer tastes you want.
Orange, fruits and a hint of spice. Lovely
Amazon.com has these and you can check out the latest price here
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
25. Nirvana Hoppy Pale Ale
| Type | Pale Ale |
| Calories | 9kcal per 100ml 32kcal per 12fl oz |
| Carbs | 1.4g per 100ml 5g per 12fl oz |
| Sugar | 0.1g per 100ml 0.36g per 12fl oz |
Nirvana have produced a really low calorie and nicely hopped pale ale.
It is very easy drinking with nice flavours. Nirvana as a NA brewery are worth a few buys to try.
You can buy this at Sober Sauce and get 5% off with code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE
You can try these at Wise Bartender as well, a brilliant non alcoholic retailer
For UK readers, Light Drinks has this and others, if you use code OPENINGTHEBOTTLE you get an additional 5% off
