Alcohol-free San Miguel
Summary
Drink – San Miguel 0.0
Producer – San Miguel
Type – non-alcoholic lager
Alcohol content – 0.0%
Rating– 61/100
Review – Overall alcohol-free San Miguel is an average non-alcoholic beer and although it isn’t great, it isn’t dreadful either. There are lots of other alcohol-free lagers out there at the moment that score more highly than this one and I would suggest if you are looking for a refreshing beer you check them out first.
Well, this is one beer that needs little introduction. You may think you know San Miguel, that quintessential ‘Cerveza’ you get on holiday but did you know it was originally created in Manilla and only since 1954 was it taken over to Spain for production. Since then it’s gone on to create quite the fanbase thanks to its refreshing and light taste. In 2001 San Miguel decided to create a 0.0% version of their beer and as such alcohol-free San Miguel is now Spain’s most popular non-alcoholic beer.
Like other brewers San Miguel 0.0% is made by using a grain that creates less fermentable sugar and as such limits the amount of alcohol in the beer; and did you know it is also brewed by our pals Carlsberg in the UK.
So is Spain’s most drunk alcohol-free beer a hit or a miss? Well, you’ll just need to read my review below to find out.
Is alcohol-free San Miguel any good?
Taste
Well, this isn’t what I expected. I thought they may have tried to replicate the flavour of the alcoholic version but I found this to be a rather odd tasting lager that was too sweet for my liking. You do get malty, bready flavours coming through but it was too carbonated for my liking. Compared to the alcoholic version I am afraid this was a real letdown.
Aroma & Appearance
Given the difference in taste, it was quite surprising that this alcohol-free San Miguel had a similar aroma to the alcoholic version, which is fairly malty and grainy. In the glass, it also has a similar look with its medium golden colour and actually a half-decent frothy head that stayed the course of drinking.
Bonus points
San Miguel 0.0% is suitable for vegans but it does have barley malt so not suitable for those who are gluten-free. It also has zero alcohol and a low calorie count compared to other beers. The biggest plus to this beer is its availability (likely thanks to its Carlsberg association) and you can find this beer in a large number of supermarkets.
Buy San Miguel 0.0%
At the time of writing, you could find this beer at a range of supermarkets including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and others. You can also purchase this from the following AF retailers.
Wise Bartender is a very well-respected alcohol-free retailer with a great selection of booze-free drinks and an easy-to-use site.
Key information
per 100 ml serving
Type – lager
Brewery – San Miguel
Country – Spain
Alcohol content – 0%
Calories – 24
Ingredients – Water, Barley Malt, Carbon Dioxide, Hops, Flavourings
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – no
Availability UK / EU – medium
Availability US / CAN – hard
Comparing alcoholic San Miguel vs the non-alcoholic version
As I described above I found the taste of the two beers to be quite different from each other. The alcohol-free version of San Miguel was a lot sweeter and maltier than the alcoholic version which has more body and bitterness to it. Obviously, there is the fact that original San Miguel has 5% ABV which is quite high for a lager and that means removing it would have an impact on the taste. The aroma, however, was similar in both beers and when paired in the glass they look remarkably alike.
“Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.”
-Seneca, AD 50 BC