So, a spoiler to start: I’m not doing Dry January, but I certainly applaud the effort of those who do. I have however found myself tasting and reviewing a number of non-alcoholic beers over the past year, and recently BrewDog sent me a full complement of its NA (or AF) lineup to sample with Dry January in mind. So though there’s less than a week left in the month, here are my reviews of these “Tasty AF” beers for consideration if you’re looking for more non-alcoholic options to get you over the finish line—and beyond, of course.

BrewDog is headquartered in Scotland, but also has breweries around the world, including in Columbus, Ohio, where these beers were all brewed. Before all that, however, the brewery first forayed into low-alcohol beer way back in 2009 when it introduced Nanny State—then a 1.1% ABV brew.

Nanny State is mild imperial ale containing more hops per barrel than any other beer ever brewed in the UK. It is an extraordinary little ale jammed full of all the brewer’s favorite hops giving it as much body and mouthy feel as possible, ensuring that low strength does not translate into reduced flavour.

The PR correspondence over the AF beers delve into this backstory a bit and also reveals the brewery’s approach to creating non-alcoholic beers:

The conception of BrewDog’s first AF beer, Nanny State, in 2008 has an interesting backstory and paved the way for the rest of its delicious AF beers. Back then, when high-strength beers were somewhat obsolete, BrewDog made waves in the industry with a 12% imperial stout called Tokyo. As you may know, the brewery is no stranger to criticism, and the same held true for Tokyo’s launch when organizations and public health bodies put up a stink about the high % ABV. So, it did the one thing it could: upped the ABV to 18% and made the strongest beer ever brewed in the UK at that time. When everyone went bananas, BrewDog staged a liquid protest and introduced Nanny State, a pale ale with a whopping 0.5% ABV. [Ed. note — see actual 1.1% above]

When it comes to brewing, BrewDog brews its beer in what could be considered the more challenging ways – and that stands when it comes to its AF options. As opposed to an arrested fermentation, a de-alcoholized product or RO stripping, BrewDog brews a full beer and through the process of its formulation, BrewDog specifically designs a beer that is intended to be consumed at that ABV. It’s by far the hardest way to make a non-alcoholic beer, but provides a product that is far closer to the positive characteristics of beer, but without the alcohol.

That second paragraph lays it out pretty well; BrewDog is actually brewing beers to be 0.5% ABV (the legal limit) or lower. Every other NA beer I’ve tried to date, I believe, is either employing arrested fermentation (halting the fermentation early, leaving residual sugars and unfermented wort) or complicated processes to remove the ethanol from a fully fermented beer.

The problems with those processes tends to be quite noticeable in the flavor and body—I have “unfermented wort” in my notes quite a bit with many of these beers, which isn’t terribly pleasant. However by designing and brewing a beer with such low gravity as to stay under 0.5% ABV (or, a stronger beer that has to be watered down, I suppose), BrewDog is able to offer up fully fermented and finished beers. Honestly I have to admire the dedication to this process, especially as a homebrewer.

The result, if you’re ready for another spoiler, is that these BrewDog AF beers are the best and most beer-like of all the non-alcoholic beers I’ve tried so far (with the exception maybe of Santa Clausthaler). They’re not perfect, but if you’re looking for NA beers that taste and drink like beer without the off flavors, these will scratch that itch.

So let’s get into the individual beers and my notes on them, starting with the one that started it all:

Nanny State

This is BrewDog’s flagship alcohol-free beer, labeled as a pale ale by the brewery but which really reads more like a hoppy brown ale. The website description says:

If you think low alcohol equals no taste, think again. Nanny State breaks the curfew and slips under the radar. A brigade of specialty malts and North American hops sends bitterness to the brink and back. Squeezing this many hops in, and dialing down the alcohol, is a testament to our craft.

The site also lists “amber” malts with barley, rye, and wheat, and Ahtanum hops. Interestingly, however, the Shop page description says:

Packed with loads of Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade and Simcoe hops, dry hopped to the brink and back and sitting at 45 IBUS, Nanny State is a force to be reckoned with.

With a backbone of 8 different malts, Nanny State will tantalize your taste buds and leave you yearning for more.

Odd that there’s the discrepancy on the company’s own website. However, the shop page also shows the alcohol content: 0.48% by volume (remember, 0.5% is the legal defined limit of “non-alcoholic”). According to my PR notes, Nanny State is 21 calories with 4.3g carbs per serving.

Appearance: Brown with amber highlights, fairly clear, with an ample light tan colored head with a nice, fine structure.

Smell: Resiny, slightly woody hops that remind me of boiled hops after draining the wort. Some light malty sweetness that’s caramelly and nutty. None of the “wort” character I’ve encountered in other NA beers.

Taste: At first I wanted to say, there was “a bit of that worty character, but quite mild comparatively,” but upon reflection I think that initial impression was based on past expectations and really this is just quite lightly malty. In fact I’d say it’s over-hopped with a big wood-resin-stem bitterness that borders on astringent. Fairly light malt with some toastiness and nuttiness, not “worty” at all really. Mostly a slightly harsh “big hop” bomb.

Mouthfeel: Lighter-bodied and crisp, somewhat dry, with some finishing hop astringency.

Overall: The least “NA” non-alcoholic beer I’ve tried so far, really just more like an over-hopped mild brown ale—so, success?

Punk AF

This is the non-alcoholic version of the brewery’s Punk IPA, and an interesting addition to the ingredients list is lactose (also present in most of the others), presumably for body and some sweetness. The store page description reads:

Non-alcoholic near beer just got punked up. Say hello to the punkest non-alcoholic near beer in town. Juicy tropical fruits mixes it up with grassy and pine notes, all sitting on a solid malt bassline.

It has 0.47% ABV, and Untappd lists 35 IBUs. The nutritional info is 37 calories and 6.5g carbs per serving.

Appearance: Golden color, a touch of haze, the white head was fizzy but it didn’t last long.

Smell: A bit muted, lightly fruity hops going towards melon, stone fruit, apple. Some wheatiness, grassy notes; it’s quite mild and no “wort.”

Taste: Light, crisp but relatively balanced bitterness and a light fruity character almost kind of like sparkling juice (without the sweetness). Grass and wheat notes, and a lingering bitterness crawls up the back of the throat a bit, it’s a touch piney. Clean, no unfermented flavors.

Mouthfeel: Light, crisp, fairly dry with a lightly bitter finish. A touch gassy in carbonation.

Overall: Beery, wheaty, grassy, there’s hop bitterness and flavor that are restrained… I could go for more fruitiness but it’s pretty good.

Hazy AF

This is, of course, the company’s take on an alcohol-free hazy IPA. This one also contains lactose, as well as oats and wheat to round out the barley and help with its hazy appearance and body. The description says:

Say hello to the juiciest alcohol free near beer in town. Tropical fruits and grassy notes mix it up. Oats and wheat unite for a smoother ride. Full flavor, low alcohol, all out New England.

Hazy AF has 0.47% ABV and per Untappd, has 15 IBUs. Nutritional info is 37 calories and 6.5g carbs per serving.

Appearance: Hazy, lighter orange color with a fruit juice look to it—it definitely looks the part. The head is fizzy and broken up and doesn’t persist.

Smell: Apricot and allium; stone fruit juiciness with that familiar allium “greens” character (garlic greens, etc.) with an earthy note and something that distantly reminds me of yogurt (though there’s no lactic acid or tartness that I can detect at all).

Taste: Quite light with noticeable flavors of wheat, oats — cereal grains — a grassy-herbal bitterness that’s a bit mild and some spicy, earthy hop flavors overall. There’s a touch of citrus, it’s lightly tea-like and minty.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, dry, and herbal with a lightly bitter finish.

Overall: Decent as an allium-forward hazy, though it’s pretty light.

Elvis AF

It doesn’t say it on the can in the picture above, but the store site image is updated to reveal that Elvis AF is a grapefruit IPA, essentially the non-alcoholic version of BrewDog’s Elvis Juice. The description reads:

Shine the spotlight on the newest non-alcoholic near beer. This US AF exclusive has all of the grapefruit treble notes of his stronger sibling, Elvis Juice. Followed by a chorus of orange and pine, loud citrus flavors groove on a solid malt base foundation, giving the hop aromas a stage to shine for an all-night show.

There’s not much other info on ABV and IBUs, other than the can generically saying 0.5% ABV, and this contains lactose like the others. The nutritional info is 49 calories and 9g carbs per serving.

Appearance: Dark orange, bordering on brown, a slight haze, fizzy and minimal off-white head.

Smell: This smell like fresh-cut grapefruit — juice, rind, pith, peel, all of it. Very bright, juicy, pungent; it’s the dominant aroma, over a bit of pine and maybe resin.

Taste: Grapefruit juice in the flavor too, but less prominent, with some pithy bitterness and toasted bread crust. There’s fruit and bitter and a light toasty maltiness for a pretty well-balanced flavor profile. The bitter grapefruit can be a tad distracting but there’s absolutely no sense of “non-alcoholic” character at all.

Mouthfeel: Light with a lightly oily, pithy bitterness and a crisp, dry finish.

Overall: Quite good among this group of beers, and maybe the best overall NA beer I’ve had yet.

Wake Up Call

This is BrewDog’s non-alcoholic coffee stout, brewed with coffee and lactose, which has less than 0.5% ABV and according to Untappd, 15 IBUs. The description says:

Hit the ground running with our full-flavored non-alcoholic near beer stout. Built with strong coffee for a dangerously robust, roasted profile. Brewed with milk sugar, oats, and chocolate wheat.

The nutritional info is a bit different on this one: 77 calories and 39mg caffeine per serving, but no word on the grams of carbs. At 77 calories it’s the “biggest” of the bunch here, which is still pretty low.

Appearance: Dark brown and opaque, a decent tan head with decent legs.

Smell: Fresh-ground coffee with an earthy roastiness but clean. (Roasted dandelion root? Chicory?) A mocha note, perhaps creamy, roasted barley, hints of caramel and molasses.

Taste: Big roasted malt/barley bitterness just edging on burnt with diner drip coffee that’s been sitting in the pot for awhile. Pleasant, actually, kind of comforting, though there’s still a light char-like note that needs to be tempered. Coffee grounds, toasted grains, touch of biscuity malt.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with a roasty dominance that finishes dry.

Overall: This is pretty good, nothing says “non-alcoholic,” though it’s just a touch too roasted.

Ghost Walker

This is a collaboration brew with the metal band Lamb of God, and though it’s not really specified, I believe this is essentially an NA IPA. It’s less than 0.5% ABV, and 60 IBUs according to Untappd. Like most of the others, this is also brewed with lactose. The description says:

Beer gods and rock gods unite. We’ve partnered with one of the very best bands in the metal world – Lamb of God – to bring you the world’s first non-alcoholic beer collaboration.

Ghost Walker rocks a hop-forward flavor, containing less than 0.5% alcohol. Tropical aromas harmonize with grassy, pine notes, all sitting on a solid malt baseline, proving that non-alcoholic beer can taste just as good.

This beer is a liquid celebration of clarity in the face of adversity. We’ve muted the alcohol, but amped up the flavor. So all the thrash, all the passion, and all the attitude remain.

Ghost Walker – Pure metal without the morning after bangover.

Nutritional info is 54 calories and 10g carbs per serving.

Appearance: Orange-amber color with gold highlights; some haziness; off-white head that fell quickly.

Smell: Bright tropical citrus-like fruit with earthy pine, resin, a touch of allium. Woody-ish bitter note, that goes a touch harsh.

Taste: Big bitterness (relative to the strength) that’s a bit too “over-boiled stems” in a woody harsh flavor. It mellows as it warms, to more of a resin character with some mintiness and cooked greens. Mild toasty graininess, no hint of any “non-alcoholic” flavors.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, dry, goes bitter long into the aftertaste.

Overall: It’s ok, but just too harsh on the bitter component of the hops here. Still impressed that there’s no wortiness or anything.

I hope this gives you a good overall view of the BrewDog AF series, if you’re looking for those “dry”/lifestyle options that still taste like beer. One thing to keep in mind, of course, is being BrewDog, they love to hop the beers heavily on the hoppy styles — perhaps sometimes over-hopping. But from what I’ve been tasting so far these past months, these AF beers are as legitimately beer-like as it gets.

And from what I can tell, you can purchase all of these on the BrewDog USA online store, to ship to most states, so even if you can’t find these on shelves near you, that’s an option if you want to try them out for yourself.