When I was in Ireland back in June, I noticed a tap handle for Guinness 0, the fairly new (it’s been here in the U.S. for about a year) nonalcoholic version of the famous Irish stout.
It was in Sally Long’s, which happened to be the closest pub to the Airbnb where I was staying, so I filed that bit of information away with every intention of trying it on tap. I figured I probably wouldn’t find it on tap here in the states very easily - I hadn’t even seen the canned version on shelves here very much at that point.
Well, days came and went in Ireland, and although I visited that pub once or twice more during my extended visit, I never quite got around to sampling draft Guinness 0 there. I’ve had the idea of trying it (at least in a can) on my mind ever since, but it wasn’t the most pressing of ideas, so it took me until last week to actually seek out a four-pack of the stuff and give it a whirl.
My original intent was to compare it to a real draught Guinness on tap, but I figured that really would be unfair. A lot of people drink the canned version, and since that’s how I can drink the NA version here in the U.S., I figured we should do an apples-to-apples comparison.
The first thing I noticed was that visually it poured very close to regular Guinness. The cascading bubbles weren’t as pronounced, and the head wasn’t quite as big, but I also might not have poured it perfectly. Either way, it looked good.
The first few sips caught my attention. I have to say I was fairly impressed with the flavor. It tasted like Guinness. It may be a bit sweeter for some reason (more cocoa notes that the regular stuff?), but overall, it hit the mark pretty well.
But of course it wasn’t perfect. The mouthfeel wasn’t quite as creamy and the body was a tad thinner. There also seemed to be a “certain something” missing (and I don’t mean the ability to give you a buzz) due to the lack of alcohol. Maybe it’s just the thinness mentioned above. But even the best nonalcoholic beers seem to suffer from a nebulous lack of “oomph” on the palate.
Also, Guinness 0 is only 60 calories per serving, as opposed to 125 for regular Guinness, so that’s a plus for those watching their weight. Again, I want to caution folks that I’m comparing it to canned Guinness (with the nitro capsule). I’m not comparing it to Guinness on tap, and especially not on tap in Ireland. (And yes, Guinness is better there.)
If you want to drink Guinness without the alcohol, Guinness 0 is definitely worthwhile. Then again, regular Guinness is only 4.2%, but if you must – or want to – avoid alcohol, this beer pretty much tastes like the real stuff.