Tasting: Non-alcoholic wheat beers - Beer tasting - Alcohol-free, vitamin-rich, isotonic?
Konstantin Rohé
· 20.07.2021
"A pure, fresh wheat beer gives courage and muscle strength." This popular saying is still true today, at least for non-alcoholic wheat beer, which is enjoyed after sport as a regeneration drink. After sport, it's not just your psyche that benefits from a wonderfully cool, freshly poured, amber-coloured wheat beer with a magnificent beer bloom. The potassium it contains accelerates the replenishment of glycogen stores, the hops have a calming effect and vitamin B12 and folic acid reduce fatigue. We have compared non-alcoholic wheat beers from major breweries with a selection of less common varieties for you - for realistic assessments after a long day in the saddle, of course. We also brought Matthias Kopp on board, a proven expert, who analysed the character of the beers for us.
Did you know that...
...non-alcoholic wheat beer may contain up to 0.5 per cent alcohol under German food law?
...half a litre of non-alcoholic wheat beer covers up to 50 percent of their daily folic acid requirement?
...non-alcoholic wheat beer is one of the few purely plant-based foods that contain vitamin B12?
...wheat beer with alcohol significantly slows down your regeneration after sport?
...that Erdinger Weißbräu marketed the first non-alcoholic wheat beer under the name Preminger?
...non-alcoholic wheat beer can be advertised as isotonic in Germany, but not in Austria?
...every third wheat beer sold in Germany is a non-alcoholic beer?
...the brewing of wheat beer was not permitted in Bavaria south of the Danube until 1798? Until then, tax revenue from the wheat beer breweries in Lower Bavaria was a major item in the Bavarian state budget.
Attention! Non-alcoholic wheat beer is not a sports drink
Breweries like to advertise their non-alcoholic beers with athletes and active people, even labelling their drinks with the adjective "isotonic", which is usually found on sports drinks. However, in Germany, the sales description "isotonic" only requires the drink to have the same osmotic pressure as blood - the adjective provides no information about the mineral composition. In the case of non-alcoholic wheat beer, this is a problem: the drink contains too little sodium and too much potassium. You lose sodium through sweating and the potassium concentration rises during sport anyway. You can intensify these effects with non-alcoholic wheat beer: Your body cells lose even more sodium due to the lower osmotic pressure and the potassium level threatens to rise further. Non-alcoholic wheat beer is therefore not suitable as a thirst quencher during sport.
"Endurance sports pouring quality" - the wheat beers in detail
Erdinger Alkoholfrei - "The Emperor"
Matthias Kopp: Sunny yellow beer with a stable head. The beer smells of fresh bread, grain and a little lemon. Slightly sweet flavour with fine clove, calm and balanced, fine yeast note. Typically somewhat empty in the aftertaste. Pronounced, refreshing carbonic acidity.
TOUR verdict: 28 years after the invention of non-alcoholic wheat beer, Erdinger is still doing everything right: the beer is wonderfully refreshing and full of flavour without being too sweet. It goes well straight after sport as well as with a sports meal.
Alcohol content: <0.5 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 25
Price: from 0,85 Euro
Hopf Die Alkoholfreie - "The Krachlederne"
Matthias Kopp: Marvellous orange with amber reflections in the glass. Fine-pored and pure white foam, unfortunately collapses quickly. Tastes slightly fruity, somewhat spicy, a bit like mash. Interplay of sweet and sour. Strong carbonic acidity, but subsides quickly.
TOUR conclusion: The sparkling beer is light and easy on the tongue and goes down with a pleasant full flavour - very refreshing after sport!
Alcohol content: <0.5 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 26
Price: from 0,97 Euro
Krombacher Weizen Alkoholfrei - "The Saupreiß"
Matthias Kopp: The appearance is reminiscent of cola mix. The flavour is initially somewhat artificial with a distinct banana note and peach. Slightly acidic on the tongue, great expansive mouthfeel.
TOUR conclusion: The Krombacher is also suitable as an accompaniment to the second or third regeneration meal. We found it almost too intense as a thirst quencher immediately after sport.
Alcohol content: 0.0 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 32
Price: 0,99 Euro
Neumarkter Lammsbräu non-alcoholic wheat beer - "The organic"
Matthias Kopp: Greyish yellow and quickly falling foam. The flavour is dominated by malty bitters. Nevertheless, partly watery in the mouth. Very mature compared to other wheat beers.
TOUR verdict: The organic beer also goes its own way in terms of taste and polarises - you have to like the malty bitterness - but you won't find this in any other comparable product.
Alcohol content: 0.3 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 27
Price: 1,26 Euro
Oettinger wheat beer non-alcoholic - "The saver"
Matthias Kopp: Light orange, creamy foam with a slightly sour odour. Slightly metallic aftertaste then calmly fresh. Traces of banana and clove, somewhat watery. Subtle carbon dioxide.
TOUR verdict: Refreshing and light in flavour, with a hint of sour apple, combined with a sweet and sparkling full-bodied taste - a great thirst quencher after sport.
Alcohol content: 0.5 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 26
Price: 0,45 Euro
Schneider Weisse Alkoholfrei Tap 3 - "The Troadschädl"
Matthias Kopp: Very dark amber colour and a beige tinge in the stable foam. Unfortunately, it smells somewhat aged and leaves a bulky, stale impression. Carbonic acid has too much "burp", therefore enjoyable to consume after sports.
TOUR conclusion: The Lower Bavarian brewery fulfils the expectations of the convinced wheat beer drinker rather than the fan of hop-stuffed craft beers. Too heavy straight after sport, better save it for the second meal!
Alcohol content: <0.5 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 23
Price: from 0,89 Euro
Störtebeker amber non-alcoholic wheat - "The fish head"
Matthias Kopp: Amber-coloured organic beer with a slightly hoppy, fruity aroma (thanks to the Mandarina Bavaria hop variety). Dry and fresh flavour, spicy, unagitated bread note, coarse-pored foam. Pleasant in the mouth.
TOUR conclusion: The organic beer from Stralsund goes its own way in terms of flavour: it convinces those who prefer something sweet after sport.
Alcohol content: 0.4 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 29
Price: 1,18 Euro
Tilmans Mit Ohne - "The Munich man"
Matthias Kopp: Unobtrusive sweet flavour, some lemon, coriander and above all: hops! Light colour, light foam. Carbon dioxide is very balanced, slightly mouth-filling, very refreshing.
TOUR verdict: Tastes as elegant as craft beer. Best enjoyed when the helmet is still on the head and at least one foot is still in the shoe.
Alcohol content: <0.5 vol%
Kilocalories per 100 millilitres: 24
Price: from 2,20 Euro
