Low-alcohol beer may seem like a trendy beverage, but its origins date all the way back to Medieval Europe. At the time, drinking water was highly contaminated by poor plumbing and parasites, and — with just enough alcohol present to kill bacteria — low-alcohol brews were seen as a less risky alternative for the working class.
Five hundred years later, low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers have come a long way. As people look to drink less alcohol or cut it out of their routine completely, interest in these alternative beers has grown significantly over the last decade.
In fact, a new survey from the British Beer and Pub Association shows that 86% of pubs across England now serve no- and low-alcohol beer.
"Whether someone is choosing moderation … or just doesn't drink alcohol, these sales show brewers and pubs are catering to all,” British Beer and Pub Association chief executive Emma McClarkin said in a statement.
And as the demand grows, so does the market. Mainstream companies like Heineken and Guinness have offered up “zero point zero” alternatives to popular brews, as breweries like Athletic Brewing Company and BERO devote their entire line-up to non-alcoholic craft brews.
The latter, BERO, is the brainchild of British actor Tom Holland, who began his sobriety journey in 2022 after a “Dry January” challenge revealed how dependent he had become on alcohol. Hoping to push himself farther, he tacked on a “Dry February.” Soon enough, he was taking a whole year off from drinking.
"When I got through to the other side and achieved that first year marker and I felt rid of the hooks that alcohol had in me, I felt so fantastic," he told Food & Wine in October 2024.
In the early days of his sobriety, Holland also felt a shift in his social life. Non-alcoholic beer formed a pathway back to his social circles, without testing his sobriety.
"I felt really passionate about being sober, promoting a healthier lifestyle, making a difference, and helping people,” he said. "One of the biggest inspirations for BERO was to help people like myself reintegrate into that social environment where they might feel like they're not necessarily welcome.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the 2025 Food Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image via cottonbro studio
