Non-alcoholic beer... Your thoughts?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 5
Non-alcoholic beer... Your thoughts?
It's new years eve in Tokyo. I'm going to have a quiet evening.
Anyway, I've discovered that they have a lot of non-alcoholic beers here (maybe 8 varieties at a grocery store.) In your experience, is non-alcoholic beer a safe option during recovery?
Is it similar to using a non-nicotine based stop smoking aid to quit smoking?
Is there a small amount of alcohol in these beers?
Interested in your thoughts and/or experiences. Happy new year!
Anyway, I've discovered that they have a lot of non-alcoholic beers here (maybe 8 varieties at a grocery store.) In your experience, is non-alcoholic beer a safe option during recovery?
Is it similar to using a non-nicotine based stop smoking aid to quit smoking?
Is there a small amount of alcohol in these beers?
Interested in your thoughts and/or experiences. Happy new year!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,415
I used to be a beer drinker...I don't drink NA beer.
Regardless of what the alc content is...it ticks all my behavoural buttons.
there's many many things I can have that don't remind me of what I used to drink.
here's a recent thread on the same topic
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...lic-beers.html
D
Regardless of what the alc content is...it ticks all my behavoural buttons.
there's many many things I can have that don't remind me of what I used to drink.
here's a recent thread on the same topic
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...lic-beers.html
D
Last edited by Dee74; 12-30-2012 at 08:04 PM. Reason: gibberish
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: pa
Posts: 297
I don't really see a point. There are probably things to drink that I'd find more appealing, taste-wise. However, it's really you're call. If you like how they taste and you can drink them without progressing to the alcoholic variety, then I see no issue.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 37
The great thing about being sober is that we can drink stuff which is actually good for us. I have been drinking beautiful Tasmanian mineral water, full of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonates and shown to reduce cholestorol. Sometimes I add a dash of lemon and reflect on all those years I put poison down my throat.
NA beer, why bother?
NA beer, why bother?
Keeping it simple!
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 3,282
If it was me I would stay away from it and the non-alcoholic wine too. It just re-enforces the "booze" aspect and it can't be good for me. And I think there is a small percentage of alcohol in the beer.
Trudger of Happy Destiny
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Naperville, IL
Posts: 1,918
I don't see the point of NA beer. It is a waste of time, money, and effort on my part. Frankly, it doesn't really taste too great, either. I'd rather drink a coke or some coffee/tea these days. That is just playing with fire, again living in a dream world, trying to get some sort of fulfillment out of something that just won't happen.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 929
I love beer, but I can't and won't drink it.
I don't see the point in drinking one beer, so why a near beer?
Besides, there are so many beverages that taste many times better than beer.
I don't have room in my recovery for consumable goods that taste similar to alcoholic beverages.
I don't see the point in drinking one beer, so why a near beer?
Besides, there are so many beverages that taste many times better than beer.
I don't have room in my recovery for consumable goods that taste similar to alcoholic beverages.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bklyn. NY
Posts: 1,859
I've heard a lot of stories about people going out on NA beer. I've heard a lot of people buying it by the case, drinking it obsessively, and then just saying screw it and getting the real thing. I would never recommend drinking NA beer to a newcomer. It is dangerous. Period.
Yet, I have no problem with it whatsoever and know others who share my experience. The very first time I drank one (about 27 years ago) it scared me. The memory of the real thing was too close and clear, and I even felt like I got buzzed. Some time after that I read an article in a health magazine about non alcoholic beers, and learned that there is less alcohol in a NA beer than in certain fruit juices and sodas. Because of the natural fermenting process there is alcohol in lots of stuff we drink, and more alcohol in some than can be found in an NA beer. The reason they put .05% alcohol on the bottle is because the law requires them to if they claim it's non alcoholic. I found that interesting, as part of why I steered clear was because a lot of people would say, "there's alcohol in them there beers." Anyhow, because I like to live dangerously I gave it a go again. I enjoyed it and it wasn't a problem. To me it's just another beverage. Once in blue moon I'll buy a 6 pack and it can sit in my refridgerator for months. 1 out of every 20 times I go out to eat I'll feel like having one if it's on the beverage menu. It has no effect on me and doesn't make me want the real thing. I don't even think about it. Just like the taste once in a while.
If I ever had any intentions of sitting down and drinking a 6 pack of it because I missed the real thing (or as a replacement for the habit), I wouldn't even consider going near it.
Yet, I have no problem with it whatsoever and know others who share my experience. The very first time I drank one (about 27 years ago) it scared me. The memory of the real thing was too close and clear, and I even felt like I got buzzed. Some time after that I read an article in a health magazine about non alcoholic beers, and learned that there is less alcohol in a NA beer than in certain fruit juices and sodas. Because of the natural fermenting process there is alcohol in lots of stuff we drink, and more alcohol in some than can be found in an NA beer. The reason they put .05% alcohol on the bottle is because the law requires them to if they claim it's non alcoholic. I found that interesting, as part of why I steered clear was because a lot of people would say, "there's alcohol in them there beers." Anyhow, because I like to live dangerously I gave it a go again. I enjoyed it and it wasn't a problem. To me it's just another beverage. Once in blue moon I'll buy a 6 pack and it can sit in my refridgerator for months. 1 out of every 20 times I go out to eat I'll feel like having one if it's on the beverage menu. It has no effect on me and doesn't make me want the real thing. I don't even think about it. Just like the taste once in a while.
If I ever had any intentions of sitting down and drinking a 6 pack of it because I missed the real thing (or as a replacement for the habit), I wouldn't even consider going near it.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Chicago Burbs- Illinois
Posts: 202
Kefir has quite a bit of alcohol in it sometimes- theoretically 3% alcohol would not be uncommon, so my 8oz glass of it would be like drinking something around 6oz of light beer- in theory. Also as a lover of kefir I can definitely taste the beer flavor in many of them- its subtle and beer flavor is an overstatement but its that yeasty carbonated beer flavor. The thing is that kefir is about as far removed from drinking/alcohol/parties/getting wasted as tap water for me so I am not going to worry about it.
There is a kefir soda on the other hand that literally tastes like some sort of alco-pop type drink I wouldn't drink it even though it probably has no alcohol (although it could) just because it feels like an alcoholic drink. Not sure if that makes sense but my point is I think the association is more important than the actual alcohol. Heck I can't drink monster energy it makes me think of nothing but Jager. I'm hardly a pro yet at being sober though lol.
There is a kefir soda on the other hand that literally tastes like some sort of alco-pop type drink I wouldn't drink it even though it probably has no alcohol (although it could) just because it feels like an alcoholic drink. Not sure if that makes sense but my point is I think the association is more important than the actual alcohol. Heck I can't drink monster energy it makes me think of nothing but Jager. I'm hardly a pro yet at being sober though lol.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,415
Kefir has quite a bit of alcohol in it sometimes- theoretically 3% alcohol would not be uncommon, so my 8oz glass of it would be like drinking something around 6oz of light beer- in theory.
Each to their own, but I remember someone here who got in trouble drinking some other kind of fermented milk drink.
It might seem ridiculous to some, and I'm perfectly fine with that - but me? I've learned the hard way to respect the fact I'm an alcoholic.
D
Not Alone
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: South East UK
Posts: 1,513
There have been several threads about non-alcoholic beers in the few months I have been a member of this forum. My experience with non-alcoholic beers was not a good one. You can get 'true' non-alcoholic beers that have 0.0% alcoholic content but the majority of them are something along the lines of 0.005%.
In my experience it is not the alcoholic content that is harmful but rather the association you get when drinking them. They taste vaguely the same (they actually taste worse), they come in what looks, from a faraway glance, like a normal beer bottle or can. And you drink it in the same way that you would an ordinary beer. This is a huge minefield of association for any recovery alcoholic or addict. You are essentially 'teasing' your addiction. My drug of choice was cocaine. I see drinking non-alcoholic beer in the same way as I would see myself sniffing plain white flour. It's pretty pointless but also pretty dangerous in terms of bringing up memories and emotions.
I started drinking non-alcoholic beers in recovery. I limited them to very special occassions. First it was my fiances 18th birthday party, then it was a Christening. Then it was just Fridays and Saturdays. I ended up keeping a pack of them in the fridge. I should really have known something was going wrong then. Long story short. I got bored of drinking fake alcohol and decided to drink real alcohol and popped to the pub and bought myself the first of many Stellas that started a destructive 3 month relapse. Was the relapse caused directly caused by the non-alcoholic beers? No. Were the non-alcoholic beers a major contributing factor as to why I relapsed? Most definitely.
In my opinion, there is no point. You're walking a fine line between association and complacency. And it's just not worth it. Stick to soft drinks. Your sobriety isn't worth throwing away over something that tastes horrible anyway. Have a good new years and stay safe.
Natom.
In my experience it is not the alcoholic content that is harmful but rather the association you get when drinking them. They taste vaguely the same (they actually taste worse), they come in what looks, from a faraway glance, like a normal beer bottle or can. And you drink it in the same way that you would an ordinary beer. This is a huge minefield of association for any recovery alcoholic or addict. You are essentially 'teasing' your addiction. My drug of choice was cocaine. I see drinking non-alcoholic beer in the same way as I would see myself sniffing plain white flour. It's pretty pointless but also pretty dangerous in terms of bringing up memories and emotions.
I started drinking non-alcoholic beers in recovery. I limited them to very special occassions. First it was my fiances 18th birthday party, then it was a Christening. Then it was just Fridays and Saturdays. I ended up keeping a pack of them in the fridge. I should really have known something was going wrong then. Long story short. I got bored of drinking fake alcohol and decided to drink real alcohol and popped to the pub and bought myself the first of many Stellas that started a destructive 3 month relapse. Was the relapse caused directly caused by the non-alcoholic beers? No. Were the non-alcoholic beers a major contributing factor as to why I relapsed? Most definitely.
In my opinion, there is no point. You're walking a fine line between association and complacency. And it's just not worth it. Stick to soft drinks. Your sobriety isn't worth throwing away over something that tastes horrible anyway. Have a good new years and stay safe.
Natom.
So it goes
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 1,620
Its always a temptation in early days to go the NA route.
Ask a coffee fiend if they would touch decaff
There are better drinks out there which succeed in what they do, rather than attempt and just about get there by trying to be something else.
Be brave, order tea or coffee in the bar. I guarantee you will look the coolest person there.
Ask a coffee fiend if they would touch decaff
There are better drinks out there which succeed in what they do, rather than attempt and just about get there by trying to be something else.
Be brave, order tea or coffee in the bar. I guarantee you will look the coolest person there.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 41
NA beers are alcohol-free, there's no trace of the stuff. However, they're pretty disgusting. 
Also, I agree with everyone else - too close for comfort. I'm going out to buy a variety of herbal teas right now, those can't be easily confused with booze.
Also, I agree with everyone else - too close for comfort. I'm going out to buy a variety of herbal teas right now, those can't be easily confused with booze. Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 1,145
I started off similar to the majority of people who have posted here, thinking that NA beer was for non alcoholics, and that if I drank it I was clearly on the road to drinking again, etc. To be honest, I spent a good few months afraid of everything and anything that might cause me to drink again, and I got fed up of it. Feeling like you're living on a tightrope day in and day out is not fun. There was absolutely no reason for me trying NA beer aside from the fact I wanted to have something that I associated with social activities, kind of like the way alcohol started off for me. I have bought 3 packs of 4 since I decided to try NA beer and I have not once finished the pack of 4. Before I get to the end of the bottle I've usually given up on them. I like the taste, but as soon as it gets warm and flat I'm not interested in drinking any more.
NA beer is safe for me. I would not recommend it to people in early recovery, though - I think it's definitely best to replace all the old habits with new ones first.
I was a wine drinker... I don't think I'd ever go near NA wine, just because it's a little too close for comfort in my mind. I've heard it tastes just like grape juice, which I drink every now and again, but since grape juice doesn't come in a green glass bottle and I don't drink it in a wine glass it feels OK somehow.
NA beer is safe for me. I would not recommend it to people in early recovery, though - I think it's definitely best to replace all the old habits with new ones first.
I was a wine drinker... I don't think I'd ever go near NA wine, just because it's a little too close for comfort in my mind. I've heard it tastes just like grape juice, which I drink every now and again, but since grape juice doesn't come in a green glass bottle and I don't drink it in a wine glass it feels OK somehow.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 141
On the whole I don't think beer tastes good, but it is an alcoholic drink that's easy to go down so I would drink it to get wasted.
I wouldn't drink non-alcoholic beer I'd rather drink coke or something like that.
I wouldn't drink non-alcoholic beer I'd rather drink coke or something like that.
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