With no compromise on taste, Ghost Ship Alcohol Free is a mere 21kcal per 100ml providing a low alcohol but great tasting tipple for those counting calories or looking for a invigorating drink for the approaching summer days and nights. Sour beers aren’t to everyone’s taste. But Big Drop’s Double Strike will appeal to fans of most beer styles, plus those who don’t normally drink beer.

Brewmasters at Stella Artois have worked with specialists to skilfully remove alcohol, without altering the unique taste . Wheat beers include a hefty proportion of wheat alongside barley in the grain bill. Because of the extra protein that gives them body, wheat beers usually make decent non-alcoholic beers. Yet another German brewery that embraces alcohol-free beer, Bitburger has produced a 0% pilsner that tastes and smells great but has none of features that ruin other non-alcoholic lagers. And while the body and taste doesn’t hit such high standards, this is a great option if you like varied and interesting flavours in a beer. It’s produced this alcohol-free version since 2002. The creamy mouthfeel steals the show. The flavour, which is the perfect balance of sweet and bitter, isn’t bad either.The spices at play in this one are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Rather than overwhelm this non-alcoholic beer, they add a little warmth to the other flavours, which include a little burnt chocolate and a hint of berry. Yes” is Manchester brewery First Chop’s 0.5% pale ale, which sits alongside full-strength beers in its range. Hence why it’s the specialist low and no alcohol start ups like Nirvana, Infinite Session and Big Drop that are leading the way. Meanwhile, traditional breweries that have entered the alcohol-free market are producing mixed results when it comes to brewing non-alcoholic beer. In the style of a milk stout, this beer offers a gorgeous, diverse aroma featuring coffee, cocoa, liquorice and a touch of dried fruit.

There are now more choices of non-alcoholic stout, alcohol-free porter and brown ale without alcohol. According to Adnams, they produce Ghost Ship in their usual way and then remove the alcohol without damaging the flavour. If you’re curious, there’s a short animation explaining how they do it. Produced by Norway’s Nøgne brewery, there’s everything from milk chocolate and coffee to raisin and plum in this milk stout’s amazing aroma. That’s supported by a luxurious mouthfeel and a rich flavour profile on tasting. There’s loads of tropical fruit and resinous pine in the aroma, a touch of malt flavour and a soft, low-carbonated mouthfeel. Showcasing many of the characteristics of its alcoholic sibling, there’s a deep, fruity tang with whiffs of red wine and loads of raisin and oak flavours.Labelled as a lager-style beer but more like a saison or Belgian wheat beer, this is one of hundreds of beers produced over the years by Denmark’s Mikkeller brewery.

This Aldi IPL is a pretty good example of this newer style, with low malt flavours allowing tropical mango, lemon, grapefruit and passion fruit flavours to shine. Apart from a little earthiness that complements the other flavours – including mango, pale malts, lemon and even raspberry – there’s no sign of the mushrooms on the senses. Add its decent body, and you have a decent beer – mushrooms and all.The Toast brewery specialises in producing beer using leftover bread. Here, it has teamed up with Teapigs to brew an ultra-low-alcohol lager infused with Lemongrass. Another exercise-themed alcohol-free beer from Mikkeller. “Energibajer” is a wheat beer but its more reminiscent of an American modern-style ale with mango and pine in the aroma and caramel mixed with tropical flavours in the taste. Insel is basedon the German island of Rügen and specialises in producing less common styles of beer.