Can you get drunk on 0.5% beer? This is what scientific research says.

Short answer

No. Based on scientific research, it has been proven that healthy adults do not become intoxicated from normal consumption of beer with less than 0.5% alcohol. Although 0.5% beer contains a small amount of alcohol, research shows that blood alcohol levels remain very low. Even when test subjects drink large quantities, the measured values remain well below legal driving limits.

Why is 0.5% beer sometimes called alcohol-free?

According to the Dutch Commodities Act, beer may only be called alcohol-free if it contains a maximum of 0.1% alcohol. Nevertheless, you regularly see beers of 0.3%, 0.4%, or 0.5% labeled "alcohol-free." This is because these beers often come from countries such as Germany or Belgium, where beer with up to 0.5% alcohol may officially be sold as alcohol-free. Therefore, Dutch consumers may encounter both 0.0% and 0.5% beers presented as alcohol-free. These percentages are extremely low compared to regular beer.

For comparison:

Drink	Alcohol percentage
Alcohol-free beer	0.0% - 0.5%
Pils	about 5%
Specialty beer	often 6% - 12%

A 33 cl bottle with 0.5% alcohol contains approximately 1.3 grams of alcohol. A regular lager of the same size contains approximately 13 grams of alcohol.

So you consume about ten times less alcohol.

Does alcohol-free beer get into your bloodstream?

Yes.

When you drink beer with 0.3%, 0.4%, or 0.5% alcohol, a small amount of alcohol enters your bloodstream.

However, that does not mean you become intoxicated.

Modern laboratory equipment can measure very small amounts of alcohol. A measurable amount of alcohol is not the same as an amount that causes noticeable effects.

Research: how much alcohol actually enters your bloodstream?

A widely cited study by the University of Freiburg investigated what happens when people drink large quantities of alcohol-free beer.

The test subjects drank:

• 1.5 liters of beer with 0.4% alcohol

• within one hour

The highest measured blood alcohol value was:

0.0056% alcohol in the blood

That corresponds to:

0.056 per mille

This is exactly the value that is often mentioned in videos and articles about alcohol-free beer.

Is 0.056 per mille a lot?

No.

To properly understand that value, a comparison is necessary.

Situation	Per mille
Highest value in the study	0.056‰
Dutch limit for novice drivers	0.2‰
Dutch limit experienced driver	0.5‰

The highest measured value was:

• more than 3 times below the limit for novice drivers;

• almost 9 times below the limit for experienced drivers.

That shows how low the measured alcohol level actually was.

Can you get drunk on 0.5% beer?

Based on the available scientific knowledge, there is no evidence for this under normal use.

To consume the same amount of alcohol as from a few regular glasses of beer, very large quantities of 0.5% beer would be needed.

In addition, the body continuously breaks down alcohol while you drink. As a result, the alcohol level in the blood rises much less rapidly than many people think.

The available studies show that even with large quantities of alcohol-free beer, blood alcohol levels remain low.

Why do some people think that 0.5% beer is dangerous?

That is usually because percentages are confused.

There are, in fact, two different percentages:

1. The alcohol percentage of the beer.

2. The blood alcohol percentage.

When someone reads that 0.0056% alcohol was measured in the blood after drinking alcohol-free beer, that sounds high to many people.

In reality, it concerns a blood alcohol level of only 0.056 per mille. That is a very low value that lies well below the legal limits.

Alcohol is also found in common foods

Many consumers do not know that small amounts of alcohol are also present in everyday products such as:

• ripe bananas

• apple juice

• grape juice

• kefir

• sourdough bread

• fermented foods

As a result, the body regularly comes into contact with minute amounts of alcohol without this leading to noticeable effects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get drunk on alcohol-free beer?

According to the available scientific studies, there is no evidence for this under normal use.

Does alcohol-free beer get into your bloodstream?

Yes. With beer containing less than 0.5% alcohol, a very small amount of alcohol can be measured in the blood.

Can you drive after alcohol-free beer?

Studies show that measured blood alcohol levels after consuming alcohol-free beer remain well below the legal limits in the Netherlands.

What does 0.0056% blood alcohol mean?

That corresponds to 0.056 per mille. That is a very low value and is well below the legal traffic limits.

Is 0.5% beer the same as regular beer?

No. A 0.5% beer contains about ten times less alcohol than a regular 5% lager.

Conclusion

Yes, beer with less than 0.5% alcohol contains a small amount of alcohol.

No, that doesn't mean you'll get drunk from it.

Scientific research shows that even after drinking large quantities of alcohol-free beer, measured blood alcohol levels remain very low. The highest measured value in a known study was 0.056 per mille, well below the Dutch traffic limits.

For most consumers, alcohol-free beer is therefore a way to enjoy the taste and experience of beer without the effects associated with regular alcohol consumption.