Ultimately, the alcohol content of non-alcoholic beer
isn’t as signifi cant as the drink’s similarity to authentic
beer. If the alcohol content were truly noteworthy, there
would also be reports about the effects of “Orange Juice
Overindulgence,” as the two drinks have comparable
alcohol content. However, the placebo effect of
non-alcoholic beer has attracted researchers’ attention, as has
the ability of “near beer” to normalize the sensory aspects
of beer in preparation for future alcoholic indulgence. “In
the November issue of the Journal Alcoholism: Clinical
& Experimental Research, a team of California scientists
report that smell may be enough to trigger cravings and a
subsequent relapse among certain alcoholics.”