Like beer devotees to whom also the intoxicating effects of alcohol are a negative consequence to the much touted crispness of the age-old drink, the idea of a non-alcoholic beer would appear to be an appealing one, until one tastes it. Is there such a thing as non-alcoholic beer?

Non-alcohol beer can mean the so-called ‘near beer’, which has a small amount of alcohol, below 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume or it could be completely alcohol-less (zero percent alcohol).

Non-alcoholic beer resulted from prohibition of alcohol of more than 0.5 per cent alcohol content in America in 1919, therefore brewers started to produce low alcohol content malted beverages to get around this law.

These beverages were marketed as "near beer.” Non-alcoholic beer, like any other beer, is brewed using malted grain and hops although at the end of the brewing process measures are taken to reduce the alcohol content of the mixture.

This explains the texture and color of the finished product, but the low alcohol content takes something out of the taste.

In the past decade or so, non-alcoholic beers have been targeted at a niche market due to falling market for beer or at the Muslim market in which alcohol is forbidden and is socially unacceptable.

The campaign against drunk driving, drinking while pregnant and the caloric effects of the normal beers on our health has also encouraged drinkers to look towards non-alcoholic brews.

To keep some semblance of beery taste, most nonalcoholic beers leave a 0.4-0.5 percent trace of alcohol, which is non-intoxicating by medical standards. Some consumers are however skeptical about the idea of non-alcoholic beer.

Joel, a teetotaler, who has never tasted beer in his life, decided to try one of the brands available in Kigali, called Bavaria, which is labeled 0.0 per cent alcohol by volume.

After his first sip, he was disappointed to find that the drink reeked of other available beers on the market and instantly spat.

When he shared the drink with his drinking buddies, they found it pleasantly tasty, although rather light on the taste buds.

Chris enjoyed the drink so much that he thought he had found something to keep him away from the intoxicating effects of his favorite drink which had alcohol content on the upper side of five percent.

Mike Teague, Sales Director of Bavaria UK, on their website says, "We are delighted with the success of Bavaria Malt which is credit to our unique approach to brewing.”

Bavaria is brewed without alcohol which helps it to retain the rich taste of an alcoholic beer but with 0.0 per cent alcoholic volume.

Its taste can be compared to a Pilsner and it has all the characteristics of a good refreshing beer, according to the brewer.

As brewers try their best to make non-alcoholic beers to retain the aroma, taste and flavor of a real beer, many experts doubt whether this is a viable proposition.

Michael J. Lewis, a professor of brewing science at the University of California tells the New York Times that despite all the claims and counterclaims, the different processes are pretty well known and all involve some compromise in flavor.

Brewers can make such drinks by brewing a conventional beer and then remove the alcohol (either by distilling it with heat, or by a cold filtration process called reverse osmosis) or brewers can manipulate the fermentation so that it creates very little alcohol.

"‘In both cases it’s the delicacy with which you do the operation’’ that determines the quality, he said, adding that ‘’the brewer’s art is still very important.’”

Professor Lewis adds. British beer writer Michael Jackson just does not see the whole point, "It is not the effect of alcohol on my brain, but the effect of alcohol on my taste buds.”

Heineken another huge global beer brand partnered with Egypt’s non-alcoholic flavored beer seller, Al Ahram Beverages Company to enter the Islamic world with its popular Fayrouz line of nonalcoholic flavored beers, whose brewing process nonalcoholic beers does not yield alcohol.

‘’There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, and many of them want to drink beer but do not because they are religiously observant or for social reasons,’’ Al Ahram’s executive Chairman, Mr. Zayat continues.

‘’They want something fizzy, malt-based, flavored and socially acceptable.’’

Many Kigali supermarket shelves are stocked with ‘near’ beers and ‘real’ beers. The question is can beer be beer without alcohol?

Contact: kelviod@yahoo.com