Alcohol-free Stella
Summary
Drink – alcohol-free Stella
Type – lager
Alcohol content – 0.0%
Rating– 62/100
Review – Ok, so alcohol-free Stella isn’t as bad as I thought it might be. If you enjoy Stella and have given up alcohol then this is a great alternative and to be honest, if you want a fairly basic alcohol-free lager then it is also a decent choice. I found it a bit sweet and lacked some of the bitterness and bite from Stella but overall they’ve done a decent job.
So it was about time I tried out alcohol-free Stella. Why haven’t I tried it before this time? Well to be honest I wasn’t a particularly big fan of the full strength beer so it was put on the backburner. That said there was an offer in the local supermarket so I bought a couple of bottles of Stella home to try for My Dry Bar readers.
Stella Artois is owned by drinks giants AB InBev who have poured millions into promoting their range of alcohol-free drinks including of course Stella as well as Becks and Budweiser. They make alcohol-free Stella in Belgium using standard beer making ingredients water, hops and malted barley but also add sugar and natural flavourings. However, once brewed, the beer then has its alcohol removed making it a 0% alcohol beer.
So does Stella’s non-alcoholic beer deserve a coveted place on My Dry Bar? Well, you’ll just need to read my review below to find out.
Is alcohol-free Stella any good?
Taste
You know what, it wasn’t actually too bad. There are certainly similarities in taste with alcoholic Stella and I found it to be a refreshing and pleasant alcohol-free beer. Although the alcohol has been removed you’re still able to pick out the hoppy bitterness and a subtle citrus flavour but the one downside for me is that it is a bit too sweet for my liking.
Aroma & Appearance
Stella Artois has done a good job in replicating the aromas from the full strength beer so expect notes of malt and citrus fruits. In the glass, it looks pretty similar to the original although there isn’t as much of a frothy head.
Bonus points
Alcohol-free Stella is certainly a lot healthier than alcoholic Stella as it is low in sugar, has no alcohol and is vegan friendly. Worth noting that it is not gluten-free (although Stella does sell gluten-free beer that contains alcohol). As you can expect from a brand name like Stella you can find this non-alcoholic beer at a number of supermarkets as well as online retailers.
Buy alcohol-free Stella Artois
At the time of writing, you can buy this alcohol-free lager from most supermarkets as well as from the online specialist below.
The Alcohol Free Co has one of the best collections of non-alcoholic drinks online. From wine and beer through to spirits, ciders and CBD I am sure you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
COST (at time of publication) – £1.79
Proof No More is a great new alcohol-free retailer that brings all the latest and greatest beers, spirits and more to your door. Check out their extensive collection of non-alcoholic drinks.
COST (at time of publication) – $2.99
Key information
– per 330ml
Type – lager
Brewery – Stella Artois
Country – Belgium
Alcohol content – 0.0%
Calories – 60
Ingredients – water, malted barley, hops, sugar, natural flavours
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – yes
Availability – medium
Alcoholic Stella vs non-alcoholic version
Alcohol-free Stella certainly shares similarities with alcoholic Stella such as the bitter hop flavours but the alcoholic version’s bitterness is a lot more dominant and significantly less sweet. To be fair though alcoholic Stella is currently 4.6% ABV whilst alcohol-free Stella is 0% so you’ll never get a perfect like-for-like comparison. In the glass, it does have a similar aroma but you can tell the difference in looks as the full strength Stella is more carbonated and has a frothy head. Overall AB InBev has given it a good go at recreating alcohol-free Stella but a few changes here and there could make a big difference.
