shaun00

to be honest id rather have my legs waxed than play with that stuff...lol

Sounds like a form of torture.....looks like beer......smells like beer...tastes like beer....

waaay to close to the horror story... thanks but no thanks.

thats my opinion anyhow..........................trucker.

sfields141

Drinking near beer is like being near sobriety, but unwilling to part with the last vestiages of your alcoholism. Toss the near beer in the past and start a real sobriety.

1_day@_a_time

others have posted that it does in fact alcohol in it.......0.5%

but how about this, in CA it's considered an open container it caught.

you tell me...lol........

Sbr123

Thanks guys. I guess it's a no!

Please note I said "zero". I would not dream of drinking a 0.5%.

There are zeroes out there, but I'll take your advice.

Now where's that Dandelion and Burdock...

Taking5

No, I do not believe there are zero alcohol beers out there. Read the label. "Non Alcohol" beer still contains .5%.

If you can find a zero alcohol beer, please tell me what it is. I once checked the fine print one half a dozen non alcohol beers and they all said "alcohol not to exceed .5% by volume", or words to that effect. None of them said zero alcohol.

Mark75

I don't have a serious objection to them... but I don't think they are a good choice for the newly sober... could bring on a bunch of self pity (I can't have the real thing) or worse, a significant trigger or craving.

Wait until you really don't care that much if you have one or not! Then if your choice to have one is not a good one, you can walk away unscathed.

I had one over the weekend... my brother's friend, a beer drinker, always packs some for my brother on our trips... maybe to ease his own issues with it.... but they grilled some brats.... It was fine, I just, honestly, wanted that flavor with the food... I could have had more later, but didn't... then it would have been too much of a substitution thing...

Mark

Sbr123

I know I'm going against most advice here, but I really wanted the taste without the alcohol.

I also have insomnia and figured the hops in beer might be good for that.

So I tried Bavaria 0,0% which is brewed in Holland and has ZERO alcohol.

I got to sleep more quickly so I'm going to have one a week.

smacked

Good luck with that!

Mark75

Can't get Bavaria in the US... so how was it?

BTW... I think there are some teas that have hops and other good sleep things... valerian, catnip, etc..

Mark

Mark75

Oh, one more thought...

I don't know, but you could be setting yourself for problems... you mentioned previously that it was the taste you were after... now it's so you can sleep.... hmmmmm

Time for some rigorous honesty with yourself about WHY you are drinking a beer substitute.... just my 2 cents.... Like I mentioned, I will have an O'douls occasionally, but only with food... I did experiment with them at other times and didn't like it all... felt wrong...

I don't think they are entirely benign for alcoholics.

Mark

smacked

k I have a "just one more thought" thing too.

And yeah, already discrepancies in your "reasoning".. taste, sleep.. eh.

I'm sure the hops aren't making you sleepy, it's likely the psychological/placebo effect of "drinking a beer".

I bet I'd feel a bit relaxed if I banged a syringe of saline (ex junkie here..), but that is INSANE thinking and I prefer NOT to flirt that closely with my addiction.

Pixy1

I may be mad but for the life of me I can't see the problem with zero alcohol beer! If there is no alcohol in it whats the problem? does it really matter if you go the rest of your life drinking the odd non alcoholic beer socially. It sure beats the real stuff!

I loved vodka and diet coke. I dont have vodka now but I can't get through the evening without a cold diet coke does that mean it's too close to the real drink? All thats missing is the alcohol!

Wednesday

This is an interesting discussion. I never really drank beer, well I did but not all the time, I was more into wine and cider and now and then vodka. When I drink cold lemonade to me it sometimes tastes like it has vodka in it to me but I wouldn't consider that I'm drinking it as a replacement to alcohol.

I don't think I would have a problem with drinking zero alcohol beer once in a while (if I can find it.)

Someone told me that low alcohol wine tastes disgusting in case anyone was thinking about drinking it. I don't know if you can get zero alcohol wine, well grape juice I guess.

Mark75

No it doesn't... And I feel a lot like you do, but not everybody does... I had, myself, to figure out how NA beer was to fit into my life, if at all... And what you said... the odd NA beer socially.... fine, except I limit mine to when I am out to dinner with food...

Do you see NA beer as a potential trigger to the real thing and then relapse? I have some concerns about why Sbr is drinking them, not just because he is...

Mark

suki44883

I drink it and I'm 8 days from having a year sober. I've never once been tempted to buy the real thing. Everyone is different and it might definitely be a trigger for some people, but for others it isn't. Just do whatever you feel comfortable with.

Pixy1

Yeah I can understand that also. If it's as a substitute then it would only be a matter of time before you would go back to the real thing I suppose.

I don't actually drink beer. I used to very ocassionaly have a shandy because I like the taste not for the alcohol effect. I quite like the idea that I can have a non alcoholic shandy

smacked

Pixy.. I think a lot of the discussion and go around has to do with 2 things.

1. It does have alcohol in it.
and 2. the psychological triggers associated with still "drinking beer".

Pixy1

The low alcohol beers do and I agree they would lead to drinking but not the zero alcohol beers

suki44883

Those who feel uncomfortable with drinking the NA beers will NEVER agree that it's okay for ANYONE who has EVER had a drinking problem to drink them. There is no purpose in even trying to discuss it with them. They feel they are right and if you do drink the NA beers, you WILL go back to drinking the real thing.

getr345

Bavaria is the only true zero percent alcohol beer I am aware of (there may be others) and the rest generally have "less than .5%" but Bavaria is not exactly served in every restaurant and available in every store, so..."less than .5%" will have to do in most cases if you're looking for a non-alcoholic malt flavored beverage. Doing the math, most beers have 4% alcohol by volume for a typical 12oz bottle, some are higher but 4% is pretty normal. So, one would have to drink 8-10 "less than .5%" beers (pretty quickly) to equate to the alcoholic consumption and effect of one regular beer. Anyone who would do that should seek help, lol...

Now with that said, most people who are truly drinking a "less than .5%" beer for the flavor of it would probably just have one or two spaced out, and that is really like a good sized full swallow of regular beer spread out over the time it takes you to drink them. One is an even smaller swallow...

So, are they a good idea? Considering the debate I've been involved in about recently and the fact that I enjoy one from time to time, I might not be considered the best judge on the matter by some but I would say: For the newly sober, no. For a true no-doubt-about-it alcoholic, no. For someone who is not a true alcoholic and who is not "newly" sober, I don't see a problem if you drink them responsibly, truly for the flavor, and so long as they do not induce cravings or other mental gymnastics about "real" beer.

In other words, the only person who can tell you if they are a good idea for you IS you.