by BeerDrinkerThis is the one we’ve been waiting for folks! At least I have. Since giving alcohol the boot at the end of 2019, the plethora of alcohol-free beers available on the market has been enough to slake 99% of my thirst for liquid malt and hops without ethanol. As evidenced by the reviews on this blog, I’ve been sorted for stouts, loaded with lagers, well stocked with wheat beers and swimming in a sea of IPAs. The one thing that has been missing in this beery bonanza is Guinness. Sure, there are some great stouts out there, but nothing comes close to the taste of the black stuff from St James’s Gate in Dublin. It has a taste of it’s own, and I’m sure the majority of you readers will agree with me.
Guinness 0.0 was initially available for a short period at the end of October 2020, before being recalled due to fears of ‘microbiological contamination’ – potentially mouldy beer. I suppose this could be a danger for a lot of non-alcoholic beer, as the presence of alcohol in normal beer would help to inhibit such biological nasties. Diageo spent the subsequent 11 months refining their processes, and Guinness 0.0 was soft-relaunched at the end of August 2021. The brewer uses a technique they call ‘cold filtration’ to remove the alcohol from their beer, and I think this refers to the reverse osmosis system, where the liquid is forced through an extremely fine filter, leaving the flavour compounds on one side and the alcohol/water mix on the other. The alcohol is then distilled away, and the remaining water added back to the tasty stuff.
This is not Diageo’s first venture into the nolo beer world, their previous offerings being ‘Pure Brew’, a lager, and ‘Kaliber’ which was, along with Beck’s Blue, one of the staple non-alcoholic beers available from the 1980s onwards. After their pretty disastrous initial launch I’m betting they’ve pulled out all the stops to get Guinness 0.0 to the highest standard they can. The alternative would surely be a blow for the perception of alcohol-free beer, so I’m sure everyone involved in the industry is hoping for genius. Time for me to pop that can open and prepare to pour.
Opening the can, we get the famous ‘pschhttt’ as the nitrogen in the widget gets to work on the brew. The beer pours with a smooth milky look before settling into a dark ruby red colour, almost completely black. The head settles to a dense, creamy topping, and sticks around as we drink, giving a good amount of lacing. The pour is just like the full ABV stuff, but I think it settles a bit quicker. The nose is Guinness to a tee, dark roasted grains dominating, with only minimal coffee and dark chocolate notes.
The taste is roasted malt forward, hints of chocolate and coffee, with a good hit of bitterness and a background of sweetness. I have read a few opinions mentioning the sweetness was very prominent, but I disagree. The body of the beer is excellent, with the nitrogen giving a creaminess and the carbonation being moderate. The beer is certainly thinner than it’s full-fat big brother, but not to a huge degree. We get a short, bitter, slightly sweet finish to the drink.
Thank the lord, the Irish boyos have done it. Guinness 0.0 is, whilst not an entire carbon-copy of it’s famous sibling, the Guinness smell, taste, and drink experience we’ve been waiting patiently for. From the pour, to the first sup, to the last mouthful, you know you’re drinking a Guinness. Soon to be widely available I’m sure, this is bound to be a success for the company after last year’s setbacks, and will be a treat of mine on many nights to come, accompanied with a packet of salt and vinegar crisps (try it!).
Buy Guinness 0.0
I’ve seen Guinness 0.0 for sale in larger branches of Tesco, Morrisons and Co-Op, and I suspect more will follow suit. I don’t think it will be long before we see it on draught in pubs too. Buy it online from the following shops:
| Nutritional Information (per 100ml, taken from the side of the can) | |
|---|---|
| ABV | 0.05% |
| Energy | 17 kcal |
| Fat | 0g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.8g |
| Sugar | 0.7g |
| Protein | 0.3g |
| Ingredients | |
| Water, Malt, Barley, Roast Barley, Fructose, Natural Flavourings, Nitrogen and Hops | |
| Additional Information | |
| Country of Production | Ireland  |
| Brewer | Guinness & Co – https://www.guinness.com/ |
| Gluten Free? | No |
| Vegan Friendly? | No |
Guinness 0.0 Alcohol-Free Stout Review
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Summary
It’s Guinness! Just without the alcohol! If you’re a fan, you’ll love it!
John Macfarlane
Whilst I have never been a heavy drinker, I have enjoyed a pint of Guinness all of my life. I was delighted when Guinness ’00’ was launched and I do thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy it. The canned version is undoubtedly the nearest to draught I have ever sampled; excellent… but…
When I carefully pour a 440ml can into my original Guinness pint glass, well it comes up a bit short in appearance; my glass is left approximately only 2/3 full! Great product Guinness but come on, presentation is still crucial. Please give us a REAL PINT of Guinness ’00’ in cans , don’t give us half measures; I’ll gladly pay the extra!
Thank you,
John Macfarlane
BeerDrinker
A pint can of Guinness 0.0 would indeed be a thing of dreams!
mad mick
pint cans sold in my pub the hoops barton cambridgeshire
Oli Winton
I had this exact thought, and searched for 440ml guiness tulip glasses and… voila. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224366146693
These have improved the drinking experience markedly.
BeerDrinker
Fantastic!
DP
Recently learned that I should no longer drink alcohol – I love Guinness and got my first cans of Guinness 0 today… I am so grateful… Guinness 0 is amazing!! Love it! My new drink to look forward to.
Jeffrey Delacruz
Tried it at wedding party in Kilkenny. Fantastic product, so close to the real thing you can be fooled, however…
Each pint takes so long to dispense on the micro draught system it will prove impossible to serve enough on a busy night. It cannot be served via keg and beer lines as it is alcohol free and I forsee landlords stopping selling it via micro draught due to the time taken to serve. I can see it sold only by widget cans soon enough.
It is a great product but comes with a massive Achilles heel regarding dispensing in pubs.
Nick Murphy
I was at a funeral today and we went back to the rugby club for tea and sandwiches, they had 0.0 on draught, it was as close to a real pint as you could get, well done Guinness.
Martin
Probably one of the best non alcoholic drinks around without a doubt, it is not far off the alcohol Guinness
Adam
After not drinking for a year ive missed the guinness the most. Love the 0.0% version. Its close enough to the real thing for sure
Walter Downes
I was never a regular Guinness drinker, but would have had a few if I was in Ireland, or in a pub that actually knew how to pour the stuff.
This is an excellent AF beer. My favourite tbh and what I now keep in the fridge. It’s quite sweet, but has the same texture, smell, mouthfeel, and coffee notes as the ‘full fat’ original. Extremely impressed. It also looks absolutely gorgeous when you pour it into a glass and let it settle. Iconic. Would love a pint can version.
BeerDrinker
A pint can needs to happen!
Michael Cunnah
It should be a lot cheaper when there is no alcohol duty?
BeerDrinker
Yep, no duty, but duty doesn’t actually add much to price, about 54p on a pint of 5% beer, whether that be a £5 pint in a pub or a £2 can in an off-licence.
Paul Yeoman
I finally managed to get my hands on a pack of four 0% Guinness tins. What a delight they are too! This is zero alcohol beer at its best! – It is my new favourite – Well done Guiness!
Damian Molyneaux
It’s too expensive, considering it’s not subject to alcohol tax. It’s nice to drink but wouldn’t be able to drink as many as a regular pint
Chris Harrison
Wow 👌 been t/total now for 18 weeks, i used to enjoy a pint of guinness especially in the winter. Got guinness 0% recommended, i thought if the 0% lagers ive tried are anything to go on the guinness wouldnt be up to much? How wrong the taste is the same as the alcohol version. Well done guinness. 👏
Jon mif
Simple the best alcoholic free drink out there, love it, hope these can be in all pubs soon, even better if it could be on draught too
Tony
Guinness drinker for decades. Health reasons require me to get off the A.
So, tried 0.0. Best Afree ever. OK for diabetes patients, and mostly keeping the taste.
Jim Jacques
21/12/2021 It is impossible to buy Guinness 0.0% No supermarket has it in stock, unable to buy online. No-one can give me a straight answer, including guinness themselves. What the hell has happened to it after all the advertising hype?
BeerDrinker
Yeah there certainly seem to be stock problems at the moment!
Alex
Asda have some and Asda online
Dennis
I bought from Amazon
Roman
Great! Reminds me of the taste when guiness was in bottles and draught at cellar temperature!
Timothy Knauth
I haven’t had a Guinness in 35 years… Was this what I was so excited about back then? Because, and I honor all the positive comments- this is… Well I bought sixteen cans, and will drink sixteen cans… But I really wish I had bought four. This just tastes watery and artificial. Now, I don’t know… My German fave, St Pauli, comes through 200%- and the Heineken I get in restaurants – same thing. It’s a Heineken. But, honestly, I’m going to have to force this down as a lesson in trust, but verify. It’s a shame…
BeerDrinker
I’ve heard the same from a couple of other people who had Guinness many years in the past, I suppose tastes do change with time. I’m personally still loving it.
Also, you might think about putting your unwanted cans on eBay or something, as they’re still in high demand it seems!
Laurence Dagley
I agree it does taste watered down I just purchased 4 cans of Guinness 0.0 and 10 cans of Guinness draft and I prefer the draft but the 0.0 ones are still good if I fancy a drink but will be driving later rather than go with squash
Dunc the Drunk
I haven’t drunk alcohol at all for years now. Accidentally, I took a sip of my mate’s alcoholic beer by accident, mixing up the glasses and was surprised at how thick it was by comparison. I think we’ve just got to accept that thin’s part of the equation. Brewdog try & get around it by adding lactose – milk sugar – which is a big mistake and awful I think. Bizarre given how many ‘healthy’ types or vegans might drink alco free beer, or be lactose intolerant. I think I’m glad it is the way it is and just accept it. It still manages to be a lot thicker than every other alco free I’ve tried.
Neil
I’ve been a Guinness drinker on and off for 30 years. Looked forward to trying it but wary because in the past been underwhelmed with zero options. This stuff however is excellent. Truly. I’ve been enjoying a couple of these midweek for the past couple of months. Great pour and it still makes you take those long draws. Thank goodness my Guinness. Well done. Genius.
Mark
Sorry its gruesome and has a nasty soapy aftertaste. Couldn’t finish the can. disappointed as would have quite enjoyed an AF Guinness. Had to have a can of the proper stuff to wash the taste away
BeerDrinker
Was the glass clean?
Phil
Finally acquired Guinness 0. Tried one can and enjoyed the taste and color. But why the little plastic ball in the can?
BeerDrinker
It’s the famous ‘widget’, and is how Guinness create that nitrogen creamy head: https://www.guinness.com/en/our-craft/guinness-draught-can-ball/
Paul
Really nice the best alcohol free beer I’ve had and I’ve had loads of them, very close to original always being a fan of Guinness, 10 out ot 10 from me, good value, a repeat purchase, keep up the great work Guinness.
Dunc the Drunk
A remarkable effort, if one accepts it as it is and does not expect an identical replacement. Still makes a fairly good meal replacement. If only they stuck a few vitamins & minerals in it! Many older timers will argue that the “real thing” has changed a lot over the decades too, & I’d agree with that. I’m not happy with fructose being used over simple malt, but what are the flavourings? Does it have sarsaparilla in it? There is a slightly bubblegum flavour to it I don’t remember for the original. I’d have prefered something a little less sweet, or more bitter. It’s back in Tescos at 4 for £4.50 which is a good deal.
Matt
It’s not Diageo’s first foray. They had Pure Brew, which is an exceptional low alc lager
Houston
We just tried it for the first time and found the aroma to smell off. We thought it smelled a bit moldy, only to come here and read that was one of their initial concerns. I’m not convinced they have fixed the problem. We love the flavor and texture (pretty darn close to the original), however, the smell is keeping us from drinking any more of it because it’s not appetizing at all. (For context, I am a former brewer, my wife is a certified beer judge and we are both international beer judges, so drink a lot of beer. In addition, we have been enjoying Guinness since we were both kids and drank it pretty much exclusively during our 20’s prior to the current craft beer boom.)
BeerDrinker
Interesting, I take it the beer was not short-dated or anything like that?
Daniel Patrick O’Brien
I waited half my life for this, and I’m not disappointed at all. The last Guinness I had before this was in 1984, when I quit alcohol altogether. I’ve tried almost every non alcoholic brew there is, and Guinness 0 is the best.
John
I do wish everyone would stop calling these alcohol free or 0% alcohol, when they are NOT this one for instance is 0.05% ABV
Even this small amount of alcohol affects me and it’s not great for anyone who is not drinking alcohol for religious reasons either!!
BeerDrinker
Most governments around the world class drinks with 0.5% ABV or lower as ‘alcohol-free’, hence the use of the term.
If 0.05% ABV affects you, does this mean you also don’t eat bread, or yoghurt, or ripe fruit etc?
Sean
Guinness 0.0. Ok I have mixed views on the stuff. As a major fan of the Creamy pint, I have tried the 0.0. My first impressions unlike most that have posted here were not good. As pointed out by the author (who disagreed) first taste it is very sweet. I’m sure after a few pint of the real stuff you probably won’t know the difference but I’m not sure that’s the market it’s targeted at. I should caveat that I’m somebody that does watch my sugar intake. For me if I’m going to drink I’ll drink Guinness. If I’m going to drink non alcoholic. I will drink one of the better wheat lager zero options. JMHO
Kelly
I was Very concerned when I found the ball in my beer. I thought I had been possibly poisoned. I sent them an email about it and they never answered. Luckily the day after when I told someone…she knew about the ball. I feel that by Law they should have to have it printed on the can/bottle that the ball is supposed to be in there.
David Billingham
Dear Guinness,
Nailed it!
Absolutely, 100%
Couldn’t ask for more!
On behalf of my liver, thank you.
Ian roberts
Lovely texture lovely to drink.. Not quite got the depth of alco Guinness but is very drinkable.. Like it a lot
Brian
Unbelievable so similar to the real thing. Such a shame it contains fructose, it was going to be my favourite beer forever…