I enjoy German non-alcoholic beers because they retain the traditional ingredients and flavors that one would expect from a German beer. Being one of Germany’s most famous beer brand, I am curious to see if Erdinger Alkoholfrei is as good as the regular Erdinger.
As the largest producer of wheat beer in the world with over 130 years of brewing history, it’s no surprise that Erdinger Weissbräu brewing company has created an alcohol free version of its famous wheat beer. It is also marketed as an isotonic thirst-quencher that contains vitamins B9 and B12.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei review
Looks & Aroma
Pouring it, it has a wheat yellow color with visible heavy bubbles and slight foam head. The color is exactly what you’d expect from a German wheat beer. Right away, I was impressed by the foam head on this beer. It was thick and stuck around up to the last sip.
The aroma notes wasn’t strong, and it took some heavy sniffing to catch a whiff of light floral note and yeast.
I was disappointed about the lack of hop aroma. There were hint of floral but I really had to stick my nose into the glass in order to smell them.
Taste
I loved this beer and found it very palatable. This non-alcoholic German beer brings up memories of drinking alcoholic Weiss beers in Munich.
I found that the flavor developed more depth the longer the beer sat. In other words, the last sip felt a lot rounder and more complete than the first sip, although I would have preferred a stronger taste of the hops.
As expected from the visible bubbles created by the sparkling carbonic acid, the Erdinger Alkoholfrei has a heavy carbonation that feels zingy and gassy on the tongue.
As for the body, it has a medium body and doesn’t feel as watery as other mass-market lagers – in fact, it tasted almost like what I would expect from a German lager.
“Almost” being the key word, as you would expect to taste a hint of banana flavor in a German wheat beer. Try as I may, I could hardly taste any hint of banana.
It wasn’t too bitter either, with a well-balanced sweetness from the malts and hops to complement the dry and crisp finish.
Customer Reviews
I went on Amazon to get a better idea of what other customers think about the Erdinger Alkoholfrei, and see that it has a 4.0-out-of-5-star rating on Amazon with more than 80 customer reviews.
Many enjoy the flavor and found it better than other mass-brewed NA beers, but the gassiness and foaminess is a concern for some.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei ingredients
Erdinger Alkoholfrei is brewed in strict accordance with the Bavarian purity law, so it only uses the following natural ingredients – water, wheat malt, barley malt, hops, yeast, and carbon dioxide.
The spring water comes from two brewery-owned wells that go 160 meters deep, and it is mixed with fermentation carbonic acid that is naturally produced during the brewing process.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei calories
A 330mL bottle of Erdinger Alkoholfrei contains 82 calories and 17.5 grams of carbohydrates, of which 11.9 grams are sugar.
Being a wheat beer that contains both wheat and barley, it does have more calories than non-wheat beers. It isn’t the lowest calorie non-alcoholic beer, although at 82 kcal per serving it’s still a good beer option for days where I’m more conscious about my calorie intake.
| Avg Quantity Per Serving (330ml) | Avg Quantity Per 100ml | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 82 kcal | 25 kcal |
| Fat | < 0.5g | < 0.5g |
| – Saturated Fat | < 0.1g | < 0.1g |
| Carbs | 17.5g | 5.3g |
| – Sugar | 11.9g | 3.6g |
| Protein | < 0.5g | < 0.5g |
| Salt | < 0.01g | < 0.01g |
Final Verdict Of Our Erdinger Alkoholfrei Review
We think this is one of the best non-alcoholic German wheat beers we have tasted and would recommend it.
It has the taste and looks of a German beer, with a nice mouthfeel from the carbonation and dry finish. It doesn’t taste watery at all, and has a well-rounded flavor profile.
The one thing it could improve on is the aroma. We were rather disappointed by the lack of a strong beer aroma, which is part of the experience of drinking beer. I would also prefer if it wasn’t so gassy.
Great For:
- Those who want the taste of a classic German wheat beer
Not Recommended For:
- Those looking for a low-sugar or low-carb beer
- If you prefer hoppier beers
Where to buy Erdinger Alkoholfrei
If you’re in the US, you can buy from popular online retailer Proof No More.
Within the UK, you can order from Dry Drinker.
You can also find the Erdinger Alkoholfrei in supermarkets around Germany and some parts of Europe.
Other key FAQs about Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Is Erdinger Alkoholfrei vegan?
Yes, Erdinger Alkoholfrei is vegan. No animal components such as gelatine or isinglass are used during the brewing process or filtration.
In addition the ingredients, the bottle, label and glue is also free from animal products.
Is Erdinger Alkoholfrei gluten-free?
No, Erdinger Alkoholfrei is not gluten-free as it contains wheat and barley.
For a list of gluten-free and gluten-reduced non-alcoholic beers, check out this article: Ultimate Guide To Gluten-Free Non-Alcoholic Beer
We hope you enjoyed this Erdinger Alkoholfrei Review. Here are some other German non-alcoholic beer reviews you might enjoy:
It has the taste and looks of a German beer, with a nice mouthfeel and a well-rounded flavor profile for a mass-market beer.