What’s the Best Non-Alcoholic Alternative to an Ice Cold Beer at the End of the Day?

The flavor of beer is rich and complex and I can’t think of anything to replace the experience of beer.

If it helps, I actually like fruity beer, something sweet but with still some bitterness and that complex flavor I can’t describe that most good beers have.

Why not a softdrink or a root beer? It’s just not the same, it’s like a different branch from beer.

  • CaptainBlagbird@lemmy.world
    321·
    2 years ago

    It might be worth a try to get into tea!

    (Loose leaf tea, not tea bags, the quality is usually better and you get a greater selection and much more diversity.)

    There are so many different flavours and types, find out which ones you like.

    If it helps, I actually like fruity beer, something sweet but with still some bitterness and that complex flavor I can’t describe that most good beers have.

    Talk to the tea seller, they should be able to help you find something. It might also be a good idea to start with a small quantity of different tea types, just to see which suits you best (but keep in mind that there might still be a lot of variety for each type): black/white/green/fruit/herbal/…

    Personally on a hot day, I like cold brewed black tea with some fruity additions (orange/peach/bergamot/roses or whatever mix I find that I haven’t tried yet). I don’t add sugar (sometimes a bit of honey, but that only works when hot brewing) because that way I smell the light bitterness of the black tea better, which I like. It sounds like that could also be your thing. Another combination I frequently do is Rooibos + Hibiscus (mixing it myself, about 1/3 or less, by weight, of Hibiscus).

    Experiment with cold brewing, or just regular brewing then icing. And in winter you might drink it hot.

    Keep in mind, the taste is not at all like beer, but as written above it can have the same properties.

    Don’t stop when you don’t like your first one, try another one, or try to prepare it differently.

    • birdpatch@lemmy.world
      2·
      2 years ago

      I find tea to be a great solution to this as well! I have a gong fu set, and learning about the complexities and trying different types is really great. I’m a huge coffee nerd and I’ve also always loved beer but have been cutting back significantly on the latter. Coffee would fit the bill perfectly except that it’s too high in caffeine content - and a good decaf that fits what i’m looking for is hard to come by.

      enter tea! It’s perfect. Much lighter caffeine content so it’s perfect to enjoy in the early evening. And there’s so much complexity and rich history to learn about in the process which feeds the beverages nerd in me lol.

  • neptune@dmv.socialEnglish
    16·
    2 years ago

    Theres a whole world of NA beer and mocktails.

    Sparkling water is the base ingredient. Throw in a little bit of juice, tea, and/or kombucha. And if you aren’t completely avoiding alcohol, a dash of bitters or amaro will give the drink that final complexity.

    Hop tea and hop water are now a thing too.

  • Welder@lemmy.ca
    12·
    2 years ago

    Try a good quality kombucha. Ice cold and carbonated they have a very similar bite/finish to a lot of beers. Most have sweet notes but are low sugar.

      • Welder@lemmy.ca
        51·
        2 years ago

        Technically yes but it’s around .5% or less which is the same as most non alcoholic beers

    • chrizbie@lemmy.nz
      1·
      2 years ago

      I’ve never made it myself but home made kombucha is beautiful! Not as sweet as the store bought stuff, bit of a process though

  • Soylentcolaispeople@sh.itjust.works
    10·
    2 years ago

    To add to any any all of these answers.

    High quality Grape and apple juices - but like pressed/cider/fresh. There is so much incredible depth to the flavor profile and tons of variants and profiles to work through.

    A favorite runner up would be a crisp cold can of la croix

        • febra@lemmy.world
          101·
          2 years ago

          It’s usually around 0.5%. I mean, OP asked for non-alcoholic beverages… I believe we should be honest about that.

          • Player2@sopuli.xyz
            3·
            2 years ago

            Most commercial kombuchas are specifically filtered to remove as much as possible of it, but good point

    • delirium@lemm.ee
      21·
      2 years ago

      It’s not really flavored water. Google “tea mushroom”. Sugars fermented by shrooms, that’s how it’s made.

      But indeed it’s a healthy alternative.

    • U de Recife@literature.cafe
      1·
      2 years ago

      I came here to post something similar, but yours is probably a better suggestion. I’m now fond of beet flavoured water kefir.

  • phoneymouse@lemmy.world
    111·
    2 years ago

    For me it is seltzer. When it’s really cold and you’re thirsty, taking a gulp is like the same as drinking a really cold beer for the first few seconds.

  • BrerChicken @lemmy.world
    8·
    2 years ago

    I had a really cold can of hop water and it was so so good! Lagunitas makes some, but there are other brands that probably taste similar. It was so good and so refreshing!

  • Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org
    8·
    2 years ago

    My family made homemade lemonade today while I was outside working all morning and it was delicious. It’s not a common occurrence, but it just hit the spot today.