BrewDog Alcohol Free Mixed Pack - 12 x 330ml Cans

BrewDog is a company under the spotlight at the moment and there are clearly some corporate ethical problems there. To be clear though, I’m giving five stars here solely on the basis of this specific box of 12 cans, even if I wouldn’t give the whole company the same rating. Their stratospheric success is underpinned by the basic fact that they have some really good products, and this is one of them.I drink non-alco beer quite a lot and BrewDog, as well as offering more variety than many, produce some of the best. There’s a bright, lager-like freshness to these particular drinks that is really thirst-quenching if you’re chugging it, but with which you can also slow down, sip it slowly or with a meal and enjoy some of the complexities of the flavour.The Punk AF version is a great example of how far non-alco beer has come over a decade or two. It does everything a good normal beer does, without the alcohol. It’s gently hoppy, and it has a lovely colour. It’s a great all-rounder.The Nanny State is the odd one out of the three taste-wise, giving a much more hop-centric, rich bready taste that’s less of a thirst-quenching lager-alternative for Summer, and leans more towards an old-fashioned real ale vibe, for slow sipping and wishing you had a Ploughman’s Lunch.The Hazy AF is my least favourite of the three, but that’s personal taste. It’s not too far from the Punk AF, but there’s a tang to it that’s a little bit like wheat beer, but while I like wheat beer, it doesn’t quite work here, it ends up being just a little bit tart. I’ll have no problem getting to the bottom of a pile of four cans of it though, but I’ll probably finish the others first.I will avoid or boycott certain brands for ethical or personal reasons, when presented with solid evidence. BrewDog are in danger of dropping to that category for me, but at the same time I can’t deny that they make some of the best non-alco beer you can find.

Good overall for non-alcoholic

This review is for 12 x 330ml cans of non-alcoholic Brewdog. There are three separate flavours in the box. There are 4 x Hazy, 4 x Nanny State and 4 x Punk. As with most alcohol free beers, when you first drink them, they do feel like they are lacking in the body and fullness that you get with an alcoholic beer. Take a few sips though, allow this to pass and it’s quite easy to forget that you are drinking an alcohol free beer. As with Brewdog’s other brews, these are distinctly hoppy and have the taste of a classic IPA. I find that the hoppiness really helps to mask the lack of alcohol and gives the impression that you are drinking a much stronger brew than you actually are. Nanny State is a hoppy ale, Punk is a classic IPA and the Hazy is a hazy IPA. Each can is low calorie, ranging from just 20 cals for the Nanny State to 49 cals for the Punk. They currently cost £16.95 for 12 cans. That comes in at £1.40 per can. This is pretty standard for a small can of craft beer. Our little boy was born at the end of July 2019, in the middle of a heatwave and my pregnant partner really enjoyed drinking one of these in place of an alcoholic drink in the run up to the birth. Her sister is now pregnant, so I’m sure that she will really appreciate some of these now that she’s teetotal for the next nine months. In short, classic Brewdog, just without the alcohol..If you found this review useful, informative and / or enjoyable to read, please give that ‘helpful’ button a click.

I was quite interested to try this alcohol-free box set from Brewdog. I already know and like one of the alcohol free beers in here (Punk AF) a lot. This is a beer I buy. It has a young, green, citrussy, hops-laden character and is very similar to the alcohol-containing Punk IPA. I only occasionally drink beer (alcohol-free or otherwise), but this is my go-to when I do. In the glass, it’s a pale, clear yellow and has a zingy character.Hazy AF, I wasn’t keen on, but both my Dad and husband enjoyed this. It’s pale in colour and cloudy in the glass – looking quite a lot like ginger beer. I found this less characterful than either of the other two beers in this set, and of the three it’s the one I wouldn’t buy again. But in fairness, I’ve tried the alcohol-containing iteration (Hazy Jane) in the past and wasn’t keen – so the fact I wasn’t a big fan of this one wasn’t a total shocker.Nanny State is the darkest of the three – a light amber-brown. It’s clear and, like Punk AF, very hoppy. A bit different, and I liked this.The 12 can case gives a good mix of alcohol free beers with significantly different character. The price point is decent for alcohol free craft beers. Might buy this set in future after trying – and will certainly buy both Punk AF and Nanny State again.

I find non alcoholic beers can be very hit and miss, quite often a miss with artificial taste or just fizzy flavoured water. This selection of non alcoholic beers (0.5% alcohol) is a good way to try different varieties as having tried them they all have a completely different taste. Of the three I’ve now tried, the Punk AF was better personally, it was a pale ipa, not as bitter, the Nanny state a stronger hoppy taste and strong bitter finish, the Hazy seemed more fruity, a strange taste not as nice. They are all quite gassy beers, and if you don’t like hoppy/fruity ipa type beers you won’t like these. Definitely different tastes so you may find something you like as everyone’s taste is different.The cans all had around 8-9 months best before dates. At around £1.40 a can at time of writing this review i feel this is a little expensive, you would expect alcoholic versions to be more expensive but can often find 12 packs of alcoholic Brewdog for similar if not cheaper price.