If you’re like me and you’re restricted in the amount of alcohol you can drink (I can only have one drink a day), or you’re teetotal, you can probably relate to the struggle of finding alternatives to alcoholic drinks that aren’t completely disgusting. Becks Blue, which is the only alternative commonly found in supermarkets, couldn’t ever be described as a nice tasting beer.
Non-alcoholic drinks serve an important purpose in allowing people like myself to still enjoy an evening out with friends, or even just enjoying the taste of beer at home. As a fan of craft beer, it was very difficult for me to stop drinking and spending a whole evening out in pubs and only being able to down soft drinks just doesn’t work.
Luckily, my brother Matt got me a box of non-alcoholic craft beer for Christmas. It was really nice to receive the gift, but I have to admit, I was skeptical. Previously, only Brewdog’s Nanny State has been an enjoyable non-alcoholic beer for me. I popped open the box and there was an assortment of beers brewed by Nirvana Brewery. They included a stout, an IPA, and two pale ales.
I love the branding and the designs on the bottles, they’re funky and eye-catching. More importantly, when I tasted them, I was pretty blown away by the taste. The stout is not just drinkable, but I enjoy it just a much as a Guinness. Both “Tantra” and “Karma” pale ales are delicious and the “Sutra” IPA is pretty good. The stand out though has to be Tantra, which I can safely say is better tasting than many alcoholic craft beers, it certainly holds its own.
In fact I would go as far to say that these beers taste so good, they’re a great alternative even if you can drink alcohol. Maybe you are the designated driver, or you want to enjoy the taste without the hangover. Whatever your reason, there is no compromise on taste like you get with cheap alcohol free lagers, so I highly recommend giving Nirvana’s excellent beers a try.