Looking for a vegan-friendly sober beer that is also alcohol free? Turns out, animal-derived ingredients can sneak into many products, including non-alcoholic beer!
Logically, all non-alcoholic beers should be vegan since beer is traditionally brewed with four key ingredients – water, hops, grain and yeast.
However, some non-alcoholic beers are not vegan because their brewers add animal-derived ingredients such as Islinglass (a form of animal collagen taken from swim bladders of tropical and subtropical fish) to make the beer appear clear and brighter.
Other non-vegan ingredients such as gelatin, casein, or albumen might also be used to improve clarity or adjust flavor and aroma.
Certain types of non-alcoholic beers might also use milk, for example a non-alcoholic stout might contain lactose for sweetness — a sugar derived from milk – and whey to create a milky mouthfeel.
Thankfully, there are plenty of non-alcoholic vegan beers to try. These are my ten best vegan non-alcoholic beers that should definitely be on your list!
1. Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Looking for a vegan-friendly German lager? We love the taste of Erdinger Alkoholfrei and gave it 4 stars out of 5.
It looks and tastes just like what you’d expect from a German beer, with a nice mouthfeel from the carbonation and dry finish.
Unlike many mass-market lagers, I like that Erdinger Alkoholfrei doesn’t taste watery at all and has a well-rounded flavor profile.
Brewed in strict accordance with the Bavarian purity law, it is brewed with water, wheat malt, barley malt, hops, yeast, and carbon dioxide only. No animal-derivatives are added.
According to Erdinger, no animal components are used during the brewing process or filtration. The bottle, label, and glue is also free from animal products.
Read our full Erdinger Alkoholfrei Alcohol-Free Lager Review here.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailers Proof No More (within the United States) and Dry Drinker (within the UK).
2. Clausthaler Original
Here’s another vegan-friendly German beer for those looking for a light and crisp German lager with a touch of sweetness instead of bitterness.
According to Clausthaler, while the beer itself is vegan, the bottles are not completely vegan.
The cold glue used in the process of labeling the already-filled and sealed bottles contains a minimal amount of casein. Casein is not found on the bottle’s mouth.
Clausthaler Original has a light mouthfeel with notes of grassy hops and a semi-dry finish. The hops and bitterness aren’t as strong as a Pilsner should be.
While the Clausthaler Original might not have the most exciting flavor profile, it is an easily accessible and vegan-friendly German Pilsner to try.
Read our full review here: Clausthaler Original Review
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailers Proof No More (within the United States) and Dry Drinker (within the UK).
3. Brewdog Nanny State
UK’s Brewdog Nanny State is a vegan-friendly hoppy and bitter pale ale full of malt and plum flavors. It is brewed only with water, malted barley, rye, wheat, hops, and yeast.
The hoppy flavor and bitterness are the result of five hop varieties (Ahtanum, Amarillo, Cascade , Centennial, Columbus, Simcoe) and eight kinds of malts.
This is a great vegan non-alcoholic beer for those who like hoppy bitter beers.
Read our full review of BrewDog’s Nanny State.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailer Proof No More (within the United States).
4. Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Hoppy Amber
Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Hoppy Amber is an American Amber lager made with Caramel and Munich malts with an intense blend of hops (Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo).
The beer tastes fresh, zesty, sweet, and tropical, with just a hint of cereal maltiness in the background.
A nice body and the touch of carbonation adds to the overall pleasant drinking experience.
Read our full review of Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Hoppy Amber.
According to Brooklyn Brewery, all of their beers are vegan friendly. The cask beers are filtered with the vegan-friendly Biofine Clear.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailers Proof No More (within the United States) and Dry Drinker (within the UK).
5. Grüvi Golden Lager
If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly non-alcoholic version of your favorite Golden ale, I highly recommend Grüvi Golden.
I love how classic and familiar it tastes, with lots of maltiness and notes of honey. This dry, sessionable, non-alcoholic Golden is a very delicious vegan beer option.
Read my full review of Grüvi Golden here.
Order direct from Grüvi (within the United States).
6. Guinness 0.0 Dry Stout
Over the last few years, Guinness have begun working towards making all of their beers 100% vegan.
Instead of using animal products as finings to help filtration and create a clearer beer, Guinness uses a new state-of-the-art filtration process known as mechanical filtration.
While there are some taste differences from the regular Guinness, Guinness 0.0 has a delicious roasted barley backbone and features notes of coffee and chocolate.
The mouthfeel is creamy and this rich and filling stout will satisfy any Guinness craving. This has got to be one of our favorite tasting vegan non-alcoholic beers.
Read our Guinness 0.0 review for the full tasting notes.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailers Proof No More (within the United States) and Dry Drinker (within the UK).
7. Sober Carpenter Blonde Ale
If you’re looking for a light golden ale that is alcohol free and vegan-friendly, then try this Canadian craft NA beer.
Made in Montréal, Canada, Sober Carpenter’s Blonde Ale is a golden ale with accents of malt and a light hop finish.
I like that it tastes crisp and refreshing as we would expect from a blonde ale, plus it has a satisfying mouthfeel and a long finish.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailer Proof No More (within the United States).
8. Bitburger Drive (0.0% ABV)
Not only is the Bitburger Drive vegan-friendly, it is also one of the best non-alcoholic beers with the least sugar.
This non-alcoholic German beer contains only water, malted barley, hops, and yeast, and they use the mineral, diatomite, for filtration.
We found the malt aroma and taste to be nice and crisp, with a noticeable note of hops, subtle bitterness, and a touch of sour fruitiness.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailers Proof No More (within the United States) and Dry Drinker (within the UK).
9. Partake Brewing Pale Ale
We’ve previously featured Partake Brewing Pale Ale as the lowest sugar non-alcoholic beer.
This pale ale has won the World’s Best Style Gold at the 2018 World Beer Awards, and it is a great vegan and diabetic-friendly non-alcoholic beer. In fact, all of Partake Brewing non-alcoholic beers are vegan-friendly.
This pale ale is brewed with just water, barley, hops, and yeast. There’s a taste of fruity and floral hops, medium bitterness, and a touch of caramel malt sweetness with a dry mouthfeel.
Read our full review of the Partake Brewing Pale Ale here.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailer Proof No More (within the United States).
10. Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden
Give me an Athletic Brewing beer anytime because they taste amazing. Plus, all of their non-alcoholic beers are vegan-friendly!
The Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden is brewed with organic malts from the US and Germany, combined with premium English and American hops.
There’s a subtle floral and earthy aromas, and the light body makes it a refreshing and clean Golden Ale.
Order online from non-alcoholic drinks retailers Proof No More (within the United States) and Dry Drinker (within the UK).
Which Vegan Non-Alcoholic Beer Will You Try Next?
That’s a wrap up of ten of the best vegan non-alcoholic beers that we love. Whether you’re a fan of IPA, lager, or a stout, there are several vegan-friendly non-alcoholic beers for you to choose from!