# I like NA beer and I don't think I'm missing anything **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934 "2008-10-28T14:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/1 "2008-10-28T14:12:25Z")
I have always been a teetotaler from personal preference. I have on rare occasions tasted alcoholic drinks, just to know what they taste like. I’ve developed a taste for non-alcoholic beer – my favorite is Kaliber, but I also like Buckler, Clausthaler, and St. Pauli N/A. Recently I decided to see if I was missing anything by avoiding the alcohol, so over a period of a few weeks, I had a Stella Artois and a Pilsner Urquell. Am I crazy? – I detected absolutely no difference at all in the experiences of drinking non-alcoholic beer and regular beer! Absolutely 100 percent comparable. I’ll never have to worry again that I’m missing something. Three cheers for N/A beer! ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/2 "2008-10-28T14:14:51Z")
You don’t love yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/3 "2008-10-28T14:17:37Z")
Good for you. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/4 "2008-10-28T14:31:29Z")
Thanks, but I’m curious about other viewpoints. I didn’t taste any difference between NA beer and regular beer. But do you? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/5 "2008-10-28T14:52:28Z")
Well, I usedto really REALLY love beer in all its forms, frequently hosting and attending tastings, cellaring barley wines, and the like. Stopped drinking 4-5 years ago. First off - I DEFINITELY still miss getting drunk! 😛 As far as taste goes, I agree with you that many of the NAs are decent tasting. Even O’Douls Amber will do in a pinch - provided it is ice cold. I recently had a couple of Beck’s NA and was pleasantly surprised. But the variety just isn’t there for someone who loves the variety liquid bread has to offer. As Octoberfest came and went I regretted the inability to sip various Marzen beers. And there is NOTHING NA to approach a good hoppy IPA, or a rich stout. But I agree with you, as far as tipping a few back, there are many NAs whose taste far exceeds that of the mass-brewed swill many Americans drink. I have long thought that if someone wanted to cut down their beer drinking, a good plan would be to alternate beers and NAs. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/6 "2008-10-28T14:54:10Z")
I definitely notice a difference in taste, and, obviously, effect. I still prefer A beer rather than NA beer, even though I’m not supposed to be drinking. I didn’t see it listed, so I don’t know if it’s available in your area, but you should look into O’Doul’s if it’s available, particularly their Amber. Very nice. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/7 "2008-10-28T15:50:41Z")
Never tried non-alcoholic beer, part of the reason I occasionally drink beer is for the alcohol effect, so it wouldn’t make sense for me. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/8 "2008-10-28T17:07:08Z")
Most of the NA/s taste like ass to me. I can drink O’Douls Amber, though. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/9 "2008-10-28T18:50:45Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I have always been a teetotaler from personal preference. I have on rare occasions tasted alcoholic drinks, just to know what they taste like. > > I’ve developed a taste for non-alcoholic beer – my favorite is Kaliber, but I also like Buckler, Clausthaler, and St. Pauli N/A. Recently I decided to see if I was missing anything by avoiding the alcohol, so over a period of a few weeks, I had a Stella Artois and a Pilsner Urquell. > > Am I crazy? – I detected absolutely no difference at all in the experiences of drinking non-alcoholic beer and regular beer! Absolutely 100 percent comparable. > > I’ll never have to worry again that I’m missing something. > > Three cheers for N/A beer! I like St. Pauli but it seems to spoil quickly. O’douls Amber is OK. Haven’t tried them all though. If you don’t miss the alcohol then I’d say you’re in good shape. I drink both NA and A. I like a little alcohol from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/10 "2008-10-28T18:59:18Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Thanks, but I’m curious about other viewpoints. I didn’t taste any difference between NA beer and regular beer. But do you? I can certainly taste the difference, but I like both. In the case of NA beer, I sometimes add a few drops of Angostura to add some bitterness to the taste. It also adds a tiny amount of alcohol, but not enough to make it more intoxicating. Over the past year or so I’ve lost most of my ability to enjoy the effects of alcohol. At the same time I haven’t lost the taste for it, and sometimes it can be hard to find non-alcoholic drinks that aren’t sweet. This is especially true in bars and restaurants, and NA beer is often my choice there. Or I’ll just break down and have a regular beer or glass of wine, but I certainly can’t mop it up like I used to. All this is very strange for someone who owns a cocktail shaker and martini glasses, and knows how to use them. As for brands, I find Haakebeck to be the best-tasting. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/11 "2008-10-28T19:05:06Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Never tried non-alcoholic beer, part of the reason I occasionally drink beer is for the alcohol effect, so it wouldn’t make sense for me. Same here. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I’ve heard so much about “40s” that I bought a bottle of [Camo](http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/881/2789), a high octane beer (8.5%). It tasted like ass. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/12 "2008-10-28T19:08:10Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Am I crazy? – I detected absolutely no difference at all in the experiences of drinking non-alcoholic beer and regular beer! Absolutely 100 percent comparable. > > I’ll never have to worry again that I’m missing something. > > Three cheers for N/A beer! I haven’t had non-alcoholic beer in years, but I do remember there being a huge taste difference. Also, why drink beer for the flavor? I mean.. I guess that’s cool. I dunno your whole post rubs me the wrong way somehow and I’m trying very hard not to be belligerent in my reply :o ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/13 "2008-10-28T23:09:43Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I’ve developed a taste for non-alcoholic beer – my favorite is Kaliber, but I also like Buckler, Clausthaler, and St. Pauli N/A. Recently I decided to see if I was missing anything by avoiding the alcohol, so over a period of a few weeks, I had a Stella Artois and a Pilsner Urquell. This OP is like saying you never had Italian food, and then you decide to try a slice of Domino’s and decide you’re not missing anything. I doubt I could tell the difference between O’Douls and Urquell either; I think they all have that vaguely sour, old taste, with slightly more kick than Bud/Coors/etc. It’s fine if you don’t want to be a beer drinker, but trying a couple of pilsners made in the same style as what you normally drink is not going to teach you a damned thing. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/14 "2008-10-28T23:53:02Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > It’s fine if you don’t want to be a beer drinker, but trying a couple of pilsners made in the same style as what you normally drink is not going to teach you a damned thing. This makes no sense. The whole point is to eliminate as many variables as possible in order focus on the variable that is the subject of the experiment. If they’re exactly the same except for the alcohol, then I can tell whether I’m missing anything by leaving out the alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/15 "2008-10-29T00:54:16Z")
I like some of the NA beers too. Kaliber is my favorite, although St. Pauli and O’Douls are pretty good too. I do like the taste of beer, although the alcoholic effect is a key part of the enjoyment for me. But, when I’m driving or otherwise don’t want to dull my senses, a Kaliber is just fine. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/16 "2008-10-29T01:58:13Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > This makes no sense. The whole point is to eliminate as many variables as possible in order focus on the variable that is the subject of the experiment. If they’re exactly the same except for the alcohol, then I can tell whether I’m missing anything by leaving out the alcohol. I think his point is that you just can’t get high quality NA beer – so of course you’re not missing anything if you would otherwise drink cheap beer (particularly the other type of “NA”). That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/17 "2008-10-29T13:59:24Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Also, why drink beer for the flavor? If you don’t like the flavor, then why drink beer? If you just want to get buzzed, why not flavor a stiff vodka - or everclear - with your beverage of choice? Unless you just like pissing? 😛 I’m really a tad surprised at the number of folks who have said O’Douls tastes good. Sure, this is all just opinion, but O’Douls tastes noticeably different - and IMO worse - than just about any American macrobrew. And EVERY American macrobrew tastes worse that just about any micro/regional brew. The Amber is not horrible, but the regular is a sorry substitute for just about any beer in the taste department. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/18 "2008-10-29T15:23:18Z")
I don’t like light / lite / low _whatever_ fucken ersatz _anything_, as a rule. They can never get it right. If I don’t want alcohol, I’ll drink lemonade or something rather than light beer. If I don’t want sugar, I’ll drink water rather than diet lemonade. At least it’s real water. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/19 "2008-10-29T16:07:16Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > I don’t like light / lite / low _whatever_ fucken ersatz _anything_, as a rule. They can never get it right. Why is light beer like sex in a canoe? Because it is fucking close to water! Years back my wife and I went to a beer tasting attended by members of a new church we had recently started attending. Their first offering was an NA, and I wisely thought the appropriate way to introduce myself to all these folks was by telling THAT joke. And I wonder why my wife says she can’t take me anywhere! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934/20 "2008-10-29T22:07:50Z")
I’m a huge beer fan lucky enough to live in a place with a lot of great local brews. IPAs and Scottish ales are some of my favorites. I’m also pregnant, so beer is off the table for me. I’ve tried Kaliber, and it doesn’t measure up. It’s okay with spicy food, but it’s not even close in quality to what I usually drink. I haven’t tried any other NA beers. If I can’t have the real deal, I’d rather go without. But if you dig Kaliber and other NA beers, more power to you. No skin off my nose. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-like-na-beer-and-i-dont-think-im-missing-anything/469934.md?page=2)