Snooks

Last evening at a meeting an individual stated he'd had an O'Douls, but "didn't like the taste". It's my impression O'Douls beer still has alcohol in it. The individual has lots of problems......what about it, is it a slip to drink "near beer"?

fritolay

Non alcoholic beers contain about .05% alcohol, compared to a light beer at about 4.5%, or a regular beer at just over 5.0%. You would have to consume an unthinkable quantity of it to become intoxicated, however the minute amount of alcohol you do ingest from it can lead to an urge to have more, or harder drinks for those who cannot have just one. Call it a stepping stone, or what have you. Unless you really love the taste of beer (most people don't!), I see no reason to drink it.

degadar

Never tried that particular brand, but eeeeeew. alcohol free beer is pants! It sucks, it's like drinking rancid rainwater out of a saucer that's been sitting on the windowsill under a geranium for three weeks.

Water - that's the baby.

Deg.

fritolay

It's similar to opening up a candy bar, shaving off a tiny sliver with an xacto knife, and expecting yourself to be satisified. What you've actually done is go through the process of purchasing the candy bar, opening it up, prepared to eat it, and then shortchanged yourself. Now, how many would have the will power to toss the rest of the bar away without another thought? Most would not. The same thing with allowing yourself a tiny taste of alcohol--it's not nearly enough to feel any effect whatsoever, you won't get buzzed or relaxed, but your body has gone through the drinking process, and the natural tendency is to desire more until satisfied.

aasharon90

Hi, Im Sharon and Im an Alcoholic.

Thanks snooks for sharing.

Near beer like the person who shared before me does contain small amounts of alcohol in it. Ud have to drink lots of it to get a buzz. However for me.... i wouldnt drink it mainly because why would i want to drink near beer if i cant drink the real stuff. If i want a drink, I want a drink. and it better be the REAL stuff. And it better be alot of it....which it wont be in this whole wide world. : ) Honest...there would never be enough alcohol to satisfy me and the cravings i have for it.

To drink a near beer would give me the ok that is cool to drink a little alcohol. And for me today, to drink even one drop would mean to eventually get drunk, go crazy or die. And that my friend, i almost did. True story.

I wouldnt touch it with a 10 ft pole. : ) Even longer than that.


Thanks for letting me share.

drew_61

Hi Snooks,
That guy should switch to Clausthaler, it tastes a lot better, LOL! I drink a "near beer" occasionally and it has caused me absolutely no harm. It does not cause me to go out and get wasted. Whatever this guy's issues are, they are not related to O'Douls.

CarolD

Welcome to SR...

Yes... in AA when you drink alcohol it is considered a a slip.

I have been in AA for many years...
the only time I count is my own.
That keeps me out of others business.

Tolerance is the key for my peace.

Glad to see you here...

drew_61

Hmmm...Well, if I was really interested in "slipping" I certaily wouldn't bother with an N/A beer. I'd have to drink 5 billion of them to cop half a buzz.

brigid

I can't imagine that near beer would really taste very good, beer is supposed to be fermented in a particular way that involves producing alcohol. I have tried non-alcoholic wine and not really liked it. Now I just drink lots of other interesting and delightful things, heaps of herbal teas and a lot of a non alcoholic fermented drink that has no alcohol in it, just lots of good bacteria (lactobacillus). There are heaps of other things to drink.

Too, I have found that I worry more about myself and what I am ingesting these days and as long as I am ok with me, I am ok with whatever anyone else wants to do, that is their business, if they want to share with me, that is great too.

love Brigid

markofevil

I've had some NA beer in the past back when I tried to control my drinking on my own. The amber O'Douls was decent as I recall.

However, if you don't want to drink, don't drink anything that tastes anything at all like beer. You're just playing with fire. You just want to be out of the habit of drinking completely.

nocellphone

No, not yet... Recovery from alcoholism can be a slippery-enough slope. Why grease up one's shoes?!? :scratchch

I've thought for years that, for an alcoholic, drinking "non"-alcoholic beer is like shooting oneself in the head with a small-caliber handgun. It might kill ya; it might not...

Why bother when there are soooooooooooo many 100% safe beverage alternatives? Sounds like a continuation of risky behavior to me...




...plus, by most accounts...............it tastes like ASS!

nocellphone

The truth is, those occasional O'Doul's drinkers might never suffer consequences as a result of indulging, and I hope that's the case for them and anyone else who chooses that route.

The sadder truth is that I've met many, many alcoholics who would like to drink like "normal" people (all I know about "normal" is that it's a setting on a washing machine... ) and be the exception who can have a little something alcoholic now and then. For too many of them, the consequences that follow are dire and often fatal.

I just hate to see people take unnecessary chances with their lives and the lives of those around them. No one needs to die (or live miserably) from the disease of alcoholism.

fraankie

well, today o'doul's
tomorrow, rubbing alcohol
next, how about a little beer
after that, slam your little car
into a little light pole

lol

seriously, it's a program of abstinence
as in,
zero tolerance

jimhere

I agree with just about everything that has already been posted on this thread. I guess my question is-why bother? As has been said, if you are going to have a slip, do it good and do it right and get it done with. And then I hope you make it back.

AndrewBeen

At best you are teasing yourself. At worst you are tempting a big mistake.

doorknob

On the same grounds, it probably isn't safe to drink fruit juice, unless it's fresh squeezed. However, I tend to think the problem with NA beer is psychological and behavioral, rather than a reaction to the trace alcohol, an amount which often occurs naturally in other products we consume.

nocellphone

You may be right, doorknob. I imagine that if a person whose drug-of-choice is IV heroin were to shoot up a few syringes of water just for kicks, it would set off an avalanche of cravings.

I've known people to do that, just to get the rush from the ritual around the using process.

Personally, if I see a snake and am not sure whether it's poisonous or not, I'm not picking it up. The risks outweigh any potential gains.

slacker

I see it as a situation with no positives and a plethora of potential negatives.

Not to mention it tastes like crap.

fiat

hi,
I am sober for 4yrs 3months and have been drinking O'doul's for 2 1/2 years. I love the taste of beer and usually only drink one every week or so. There's more alchohol in one swish of mouthwash than in this beer and I'm not trying to get drunk on mouthwash. Very Comfortably Sober with no desire to return to drunkeness.

Peter

Welcome to the forums fiat.