Non-alcoholic beer: A healthy sip of the golden brew in Dry February
In Czechia, where beer is a cultural staple, non-alcoholic beer is fast gaining popularity, especially during Dry February and among young people. Radio Prague International spoke to an expert about modern brewing techniques that help make non-alcoholic brews as good as the real thing – and much more beneficial.
Czechia is known for being a global leader in per capita beer consumption. From traditional pale lagers or pilsners to more exotic beer styles like IPAs or lambics, beer definitely forms a huge part of Czech culture. Nevertheless, drinking beer does not necessarily mean consuming alcohol. Although non-alcoholic beers were not very popular in the past, their popularity has been steadily increasing in recent years. And it would not be surprising if people most often enjoyed non-alcoholic beer in February. Since 2021, this month has been officially associated in Czechia with the Dry February campaign. On this occasion, Radio Prague International discussed non-alcoholic beer with scientist and analytical chemist Lukáš Kučera from Palacký University in Olomouc, who teaches his students chemistry through brewing beer at the experimental university brewery Euréka.
“If we look at the beginning of non-alcoholic beer in Czechia, it was terrible. It was only for drivers. But after some time, technology introduced some new techniques focused on preserving healthy and aromatic compounds. Now non-alcoholic beer tastes similar to the alcoholic one.”
One of the main factors that has positively influenced the taste of non-alcoholic beer is the change in the production process and the use of new yeast strains. In the past, non-alcoholic beer was produced by stopping the fermentation process shortly after it had begun. The unfermented sugar caused the beer to have a distinctly sweet taste. The beer was then further diluted with water to ensure that the alcohol content was truly minimal.
“Now some big breweries use special techniques like vacuum distillation to remove alcohol from the beer. But the main problem with this technology is that you also remove some of the flavor compounds. Small breweries, however, use this new type of yeast that can’t produce ethanol from maltose, which is a main sugar in beer.”
Since this new strain of yeast cannot ferment maltose, it will only ferment simple sugars like glucose and will produce low level of alcohol while preserving the taste. By the way, when talking about the taste, in order for a beer to have its characteristic bitterness, brewers need to use hops. And that holds true even more when it comes to non-alcoholic beer.
“Hop is very important. It is also one of the reasons why, for example, IPAs or other top-fermented beers are more often produced in their non-alcoholic versions than lagers. With lagers, it is a little bit tricky. You can make them, but the taste can be a little bit different from conventional alcoholic lagers.”
According to chemist Lukáš Kučera, beer can also be viewed as a medicine. However, it has one catch.
“Beer is full of health-promoting compounds such as polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. But the main problem is alcohol, because it is listed as a carcinogenic compound.”
Therefore, non-alcoholic beer seems like a great alternative. Another source of health benefits in beer is the already mentioned hops, which, due to their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, are used not only in beer production but also in medicine.
“If you produce an IPA with a high amount of hops, you also increase these positive compounds in the beer, as they dissolve into it. Moreover, if you use dry hopping, which is a method of adding hops after the fermentation process, the concentration of hops is even higher than when they are added during the brewing process.”
Hops are also a plant to which even anti-cancer effects are attributed. We owe these to a compound called xanthohumol, which occurs naturally in hops, and in the past a special hop variety named Vital was even bred to contain higher amounts of it. Nevertheless, even with all its benefits, will non-alcoholic beer manage to surpass the popularity of its less healthy, alcoholic sibling?
“We can already see that Generation Z doesn’t want to drink alcohol and prefers non-alcoholic alternatives. So I think we are slowly moving toward reducing alcohol in beer and producing low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beer. After all, we could say we are going back to a time in history when all beer contained a maximum of 2.5% alcohol.”
Non-alcoholic beer in Czechia has evolved from a drink primarily for drivers into a flavorful and health-conscious alternative, thanks to advances in brewing technology and new yeast strains. With younger generations favoring alcohol-free beverages, non-alcoholic beer may not only complement Czech beer culture but also redefine it as a drink that is both enjoyable and beneficial for health.
