In the early days of ONP5, I tried an alcohol-free porter from Braxzz. I thought it was awful. Too flat, too malty. Just to be sure, I asked someone else to try it. They weren’t impressed either. Decision made: this beer wasn’t going in the shop. Not long afterwards, a customer asked why we didn’t stock that porter. He said it was the best alcohol-free beer he had ever tasted. What I found flat, he called subtle. And that astringent edge? He actually liked it. We added the beer to our range after all. An important lesson, early in the shop’s history: our taste isn’t the benchmark for everyone. A beer has to bring something to the table Of course we care about quality. But “good” doesn’t mean every beer has to be as bold as possible. In a fruit beer, we want to taste the actual fruit. In an IPA, we look for a good hop character. But a beer can also be clean and crisp. Then we want that fresh pilsner flavour or a lovely malt balance. It doesn’t always need mango, coffee or chocolate to get us excited. We’re looking for something that makes us think: yes, this brings something extra. That’s what makes small craft breweries so interesting to us. For large breweries, consistency matters. You want your favourite beer to taste the same wherever you drink it. With smaller brewers, we often see more room to keep tweaking. A different hop variety, an adjusted recipe, a slightly different balance. I sometimes say that large breweries work with recipes, while small brewers work more with concepts. That’s a bit of a generalisation, but it captures part of what we enjoy about craft beer. A brewer can surprise you all over again with the next version. We taste together When Bas, Fenna and Maxim are around, they join in. We discuss what we can smell and taste. Sometimes you know straight away what you think. Sometimes you work it out as you talk. Customers occasionally join us too, if they happen to be in the shop at the time. That often leads to some great conversations. Especially when someone picks up something completely different in a beer. We try to distinguish between a beer that isn’t particularly well made and one that simply isn’t to our taste. Those are two different things. That Braxzz porter still reminds us of that. And sometimes you need a little nudge. You might not be in the mood for a sour, but then you take a sip and find yourself pleasantly surprised. Those are good moments. Sometimes we have to take a chance Ideally, we taste before we buy. But that isn’t always possible. When we bring beers in from abroad, either ourselves or through an importer, we can’t always order a sample can first. So we look at Untappd reviews, read people’s experiences on social media and try to judge whether our customers will enjoy the beer. And how much we should order. Sometimes a familiar brewery releases a new beer and there aren’t any reviews yet. Then we have to rely on previous experience and our own judgement. We don’t always get it right. Very occasionally, a beer disappoints. But it can go the other way too. At first, I consistently ordered too little from Omnipollo. Their beers weren’t cheap, so I bought cautiously. Then they sold like hot cakes. Funky Fluid’s Free Gelato range was also almost impossible to keep in stock in the beginning. Apparently, our customers were a lot less hesitant than I was. And then there’s the price A good beer can still be too expensive for what it offers. That’s why we always consider value for money. At a higher price, we want to find something special in the glass. Real fruit, interesting spices, plenty of hops, coffee, chocolate or a smoky note. Or a combination that makes you wonder: could that work? And after the first sip, you know: yes, it can. But a well-made, affordable beer deserves a place too. We get around five to ten new beers in every week. Some have familiar flavours, while others take us outside our own comfort zone. Thankfully. It would be pretty boring if nothing ever surprised us. What can you expect from our selection? We’re discerning, we stay curious and we’re honest about what we think of a beer. Whether you agree with us is entirely up to you..

I love good beer. That probably won’t surprise you. And I can really look forward to a good alcohol-free IPA. The kind where, as soon as you open the can, you can smell that the brewer hasn’t held back on the hops. But why do you sometimes crave one so much? We’re talking about beers with up to 0.5% alcohol, so it’s not the alcohol. Could the hops have something to do with it? After all, aren’t hops related to cannabis? Reason enough to find out what this little plant actually does. Photo: biernet.nl First things first: what are hops? Hop is a climbing plant. Brewers use its female flowers, known as hop cones, to make beer. They contain compounds that give beer its bitterness and aroma. Depending on the hop variety, you might smell and taste citrus, flowers, tropical fruit or something resinous. That also explains why two alcohol-free IPAs can taste so different. Some are quite bitter, while others greet you with a burst of fruit. The hops a brewer chooses and how they use them make a big difference. And that’s what makes tasting so much fun. There are so many different alcohol-free IPAs that you can keep discovering something new. Related to cannabis. Really? Yes. Hops and cannabis both belong to the hemp family, Cannabaceae. There’s a word for your next Scrabble game. So they are botanically related. That would make a fun fact on a beer label. They also share certain aroma compounds. That may explain why some heavily hopped beers remind you of another smell. Especially those resinous aromas often described as “dank”. But ordinary brewing hops won’t get you high. Being related doesn’t mean that hops contain the same compounds or have the same effects as cannabis. A generous dose of hops won’t turn your alcohol-free IPA into a liquid joint. What about that relaxing effect? You’ll also find hops outside the beer world. In herbal teas, for example, and in sleep remedies containing plant extracts. Often alongside valerian. Hops have traditionally been used for mild tension and to help people fall asleep. That sounds like a pretty good explanation for that relaxed feeling when you’re having a beer on the sofa. But it’s not quite that simple. Scientific evidence for a sleep-promoting effect of hops is limited. And when studies look at a combination of hops and valerian, you can’t easily tell how much of the effect comes from the hops. So the fact that hops are used in a sleep remedy doesn’t make alcohol-free beer a sleep aid. However tempting that reasoning might be. But are hops addictive? Hops aren’t known to be addictive. There’s no evidence that normal use causes physical dependence. At the same time, long-term use of hops as a stand-alone herbal remedy has only been studied to a limited extent. So a definitive statement would be too simplistic. What can happen is that you get used to your beer. To the taste, the cold glass, the moment you open it. Friday afternoon. Work’s done. Time to sit down. A nice alcohol-free beer. When those things often go together, you can start wanting a beer before you’ve even opened the fridge. Hops don’t need to have an addictive effect for that to happen. And looking forward to another one the following Friday doesn’t make hops addictive. Enjoying something and being physically dependent on it are two different things. Personally, I’m mostly curious about what brewers can do with hops. Some beers hit the spot; others aren’t quite for me. And sometimes you find a truly superb beer. With a beer like that, what I really want to know is which hops went into it. That gives me something else to look out for when I open the next can.

Pratumplaats 2A, Utrecht (De Meern) MAXIMUSBROUWERIJ.NL (030) 737 00 77 When you think of Leidsche Rijn, you immediately think of new construction, of terraced houses. That is correct. Less well-known is the gigantic city park in the middle of the district, where there is plenty to do. The new city dwellers enjoy meeting up there by the campfire or at the bar of Maximus, for a locally brewed beer and, of course, a fine non-alcoholic beer. Director Ewald Visser started pouring beers at Bert's Bierhuis when he was fifteen. After a few years as manager at Kafé België, the oldest specialty beer café in the Netherlands, the idea for his own brewery emerged. The Bouwloods Foundation offered him and co-founders Arend-Jan van Dieën and Marcel Snater a home to start a craft training company in a brand-new building on the edge of a park that was yet to take shape. For two and a half years, the men were busy with finances, permits, and finding equipment. They managed to acquire a fantastic copper steam brewing system from a German brewery. It took a year of blood, sweat, and tears to restore it and put all the pieces back together. With the help of family and friends, they opened the tasting room in 2011. A final financial setback meant that the bar at the opening was constructed from wooden pallets. This suited the informal atmosphere well. The same applied to the spacious terrace, where local residents and park visitors have since become regulars. Maximus organizes fun festivals, a pub quiz, and communal meals at long tables there. Steam brewing is unique to the Netherlands. It is therefore extra fun to visit Maximus during the day, so you can see the brewers at work with those magnificent kettles. The result is a fine line of beers. Ewald describes the eight beers in their permanent range as 'non-standard, a touch exciting'. The Pandora is their flagship for a reason. Even with low alcohol, there is something to discover: Aurora 030 Blond is a high-fermentation blond beer with only 0.30% alcohol, a nod to Utrecht because of the area code. The Simcoe and Mosaic hops give the beer a fruity character with notes of melon and peach and a fine bitterness. In addition to their permanent beers, they also have specials and seasonal beers. Amazing beers and now a cider too. A tasting feast for beer geeks! You can make a reservation for a tasting alone or with a group (1–16 people). Every second and last Sunday of the month, from 12:15 to 14:15, you can discover Maximus beers and receive an explanation of the brewery and the brewing process. Advance reservation is required. You can always order a tasting board with 4 glasses of draft beer at the bar. Maximus has 22 of its own beers on tap, so you can definitely come back again! Bustling city park The brewery is located in the Máximapark, which is almost as large as the entire city center of Utrecht. You can easily spend a whole day there. For example, rent a bicycle (or public transport bike) and ride a loop around Het Lint: the main route around the park is eight kilometers long, with an extra two-kilometer loop around the Castellum. This way, you will naturally pass the butterfly garden by world-renowned landscape architect Piet Oudolf and the Parkpergola, where Maximus grows hops with local volunteers for their Mockingbird park beer. MAXIMAPARK.NL

Since we started our shop, we have entered the world of drinking less or no alcohol at all. That is actually how ONP5 came into being. I love good specialty and craft beer and went without alcohol for about two months every year. During those periods, I started delving into alcohol-free beer. And that eventually led to what ONP5 is today. In the more than six years that we have had the shop, we are regularly ping-ponged back and forth between two groups. On one side are the people who do not drink alcohol at all, with the sober community leading the way. On the other side are people who still drink alcohol, but increasingly alternate it with alcohol-free options. Time to take a closer look at those groups. Among the people who do not drink alcohol at all, there are those who have stopped due to alcohol problems, their health, or age. In addition, we see a striking group of young people who never started drinking. Just as there are people who never started smoking. The second group still drinks alcohol, but consciously chooses alcohol-free at certain times. For example, because they still have to drive, have to work the next day, or want to exercise. But also because they are more interested than average in beer and are curious about what is happening in the alcohol-free field. And beer sommeliers are leading the way in this regard. Stopped due to alcohol problems We all know that alcohol is addictive. Some people are more susceptible to addiction than others, with both predisposition and circumstances playing a role. When someone loses control over their drinking and continues despite the negative consequences, practitioners refer to this as an alcohol use disorder. It exists in different degrees: mild, moderate, and severe. The degree is determined not only by the number of glasses someone drinks, but primarily by the problems the drinking causes. Think of drinking more often than you intended, being unable to cut back, having a strong craving for alcohol, or continuing while your health, work, or relationships suffer. With two or three such characteristics, practitioners refer to a mild alcohol use disorder; with four or five, a moderate one; and with six or more, a severe one. 'Mild' might sound harmless, but even then, it already constitutes problematic alcohol use. For many people with an alcohol problem, quitting completely is the safest and clearest choice. For others, cutting back can be part of a treatment. What works varies from person to person and depends, among other things, on the severity of the problem. Opinions regarding alcohol-free beer vary within this group. For some people, it is a great alternative. For others, it actually perpetuates the association with alcohol or can trigger cravings. That, too, is a personal matter. Ultimately, everyone has to discover for themselves what works and what doesn't. Health Being no longer allowed to drink due to your health is, of course, an excellent reason to put the glass down. Sometimes, however, there is simply no other option, for example due to illness, treatment, or medication use. Some people therefore opt exclusively for 0.0. Others are allowed to drink beer with a very low alcohol percentage, for example up to 0.5%. Whether this is medically responsible depends on the condition, treatment, and personal situation. If in doubt, 0.0 is the clearest choice, or it is better to discuss it with a doctor. Getting older By now, I count myself among them too. As you get older, alcohol can hit harder. It makes you sleep worse, you have less energy the next day, and you get a hangover faster. For more and more people, that is a reason to drink less or stop drinking altogether. The interesting thing about this group is that quitting is usually a conscious choice, without necessarily involving an alcohol problem. Dry January or another alcohol-free period can be a great way to experience what not drinking does to you. You might like it so much that you stick with it for another month. Or you might eventually decide to quit completely, just like me. Never started Then there is another group that has never drunk alcohol and possibly never will. Whereas beer and wine used to be practically spoon-fed, not drinking seems to be becoming increasingly normal among young people. Even at my daughter's student association, there are students who don't drink alcohol. That would probably have been a lot more noticeable a generation ago. Now, slowly but surely, it is simply becoming one of the possibilities. And then the people who still drink alcohol In addition to the people who have stopped completely, there is a large group that still drinks alcohol, but increasingly consciously chooses alcohol-free. Experts Non-alcoholic beer is receiving increasing attention from true connoisseurs. This applies to beer and, by now, to wine as well. Making a good non-alcoholic beer is technically quite difficult. Alcohol gives beer body, mouthfeel, and flavor, among other things. If that alcohol is absent, the brewer must ensure the beer remains balanced in another way. In that respect, an alcohol-free beer is quite exposed. Sweetness, a thin mouthfeel, or an off-flavor are immediately noticeable. The brewer has nothing to hide behind. That is why a tremendous amount of attention goes into the recipe, the brewing process, and the choice of ingredients for the best alcohol-free beers. We even find some alcohol-free beers tastier than comparable beers with alcohol. Even beer connoisseurs are increasingly starting to discover this. Alcohol-free is no longer just a weak alternative to 'real' beer, but an interesting beer category in its own right. Functional non-alcoholic drinking Youp van 't Hek once spoke of the 'Buckler dick' who stood drinking a non-alcoholic beer on the bar with his car keys. Fortunately, nowadays you no longer have to demonstratively place those keys next to your glass. If you still have to drive, alcohol-free is a great and by now widely accepted alternative. The same applies when you have to work the next day, get up early, or have a sports match. You will be much fresher the next morning and won't have a hangover. At company drinks and conferences, too, we are seeing more and more people opting for alcohol-free options. Not because they have to, but simply because they feel more like it at that moment. Finally No matter which group you belong to (or groups, as there is naturally plenty of overlap), there is always a good reason to order a tasty alcohol-free beer from us. We are happy to help you choose from the various flavors and beer styles. Because whatever your reason for drinking alcohol-free, the beer should above all simply taste good.

At the end of September, it’s that time again: out with the lederhosen, on with the dirndl, and off to Munich with a few million others. Oktoberfest isn't exactly known as the most alcohol-free event in the world. Nevertheless, nowadays you can attend perfectly well without drinking alcohol. In fact, in all party tents where beer is served, you can now also order an alcohol-free beer. Even at Augustiner, the last major German brewers without alcohol-free beer in their range, you have been able to order an alcohol-free Maß (the well-known liter mug) since 2024. And this is being taken increasingly seriously. In 2025, the demand for alcohol-free beer at Oktoberfest rose around 8 percent compared to the previous year. Approximately one in twenty draft beers at Oktoberfest is now alcohol-free. Alcohol-free, but not alcohol-free Oktoberfest beer The six Munich breweries permitted to serve at Oktoberfest brew their famous Oktoberfest beers for the Wiesn, as the people of Munich call Oktoberfest. Robust, malty lagers that are especially suited to the festival. If you choose alcohol-free, you unfortunately won't get the alcohol-free version of it. Simply because they don't make it (yet). You will receive a regular alcohol-free beer from the brewery in question. Think, for example, of Augustiner Alkoholfrei Hell or an alcohol-free beer from Paulaner , Hacker-Pschorr, or Löwenbräu. Actually quite strange. Alcohol-free beer has become so commonplace that every major tent serves it, but the six official Oktoberfest breweries do not yet produce an alcohol-free version of their Wiesnbier brewed especially for Oktoberfest. That does not mean, however, that alcohol-free Oktoberfest beer does not exist at all. In the US, they are already a step ahead. Athletic Brewing has an alcohol-free Oktoberfest Fest Brew, and Untitled Art also makes an alcohol-free Oktoberfest. We even had the latter in the ONP5 shop for a while. A Maß remains a Maß It is certainly not the size that is the issue. As an alcohol-free drinker, you don't have to sit among all the liter mugs with a measly bottle. Alcohol-free beer is also simply served by the Maß. And don't expect a discount on non-alcoholic beer: at Oktoberfest, a Maß of non-alcoholic beer costs just as much as alcoholic Wiesnbier (about €15). So no alcohol, but the full Oktoberfest experience. Including the bill. And then there is also OkSoberfest If you find Oktoberfest a bit too much alcohol around you, there is now an alternative: OkSoberfest . It will be organized in Berlin on October 10 and 11, 2026, and calls itself Germany's alcohol-free festival. So, not a traditional Oktoberfest copy, but a festival where being alcohol-free is precisely the starting point. There are more than 100 non-alcoholic beers and other drinks to try, complemented by music, food, sports, and even non-alcoholic beer pong. What is particularly striking is that such a festival exists by now. A few years ago, you still had to search for that one alcohol-free beer at a beer festival. Now you can attend a two-day festival that revolves entirely around it. Prost! For the time being, Oktoberfest will simply remain Oktoberfest. Because let's be honest: 5% alcohol-free also means that 95% of the beer served still contains alcohol. But the fact that you can order an alcohol-free Maß in every beer tent these days says something about how fast the beer world is changing. Now we are just waiting for the first German alcohol-free Oktoberfest beer. We would certainly love to taste it. Ein Prosit! 🍺

A few weeks ago, we received an email from Alex Wieland asking if we'd like to include his beer in our selection. And it turns out it's no ordinary beer. You can read more about it below. I need to begin this story with some background information about the foundation Alex belongs to: Historische Gewassen Natuur(lijk) Zeeuws (Historical Grains of Nature Zeeuws). This foundation consists of dedicated and hardworking volunteers who are wholeheartedly committed to preserving heritage grains and crops. It's an enthusiastic team of experts in sustainable agriculture, cultural history, and nature. The foundation's mission is to cultivate and preserve heritage and alternative crops. Through regularly organized excursions and the creation of beautiful products from these plants, they make them accessible to the public. Cultivation is carried out on a large scale, taking sustainability and biodiversity into account. The oldest variety is einkorn, which was the first grain cultivated over 14,000 years ago. The youngest variety is Wilhelmina wheat, which was only widely available in the fields of Zeeland about 100 years ago. For example, herb-rich field margins, native wildflower mixes, hedges, and beetle ridges serve as habitats for insects. These insects contribute to pest control. Such biotopes also provide habitat for farmland birds such as the skylark, partridge, and turtle dove. And they do all this in our beautiful Zeeland. And what does that have to do with (non-alcoholic) beer, I hear you ask. To finance the foundation's activities, the idea arose to produce goods from the harvested crops. For example, there are noodles made from Risweit (wheat) and noodles made from Johannis rye. Another obvious product is, of course, beer. After brewing two alcoholic beers, the idea also emerged to brew non-alcoholic beer (under 0.5%). De Zomertortel (European Turtledove) is no ordinary non-alcoholic beer. It is brewed entirely from the Foundation's unmalted grain and thus falls under the innovative MaltLess concept. This unique concept originated from the MaltLess research project at Ghent University, where an innovative process was developed to produce a Belgian low-alcohol alternative based on unmalted grain. This process was applied to the same traditional grain blend as in the Foundation's existing Saison, Leeuwerik, resulting in De Zomertortel Alcoholarm. De Zomertortel is brewed at Jopens Waarderpolder Brewery : a modern, highly flexible brewery where technology and quality are paramount. It's the ideal place to develop new techniques and recipes on a small scale and then scale them up . For pasteurization, they collaborated with their partner, Brouwerij Gulpener , known for its sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. Gulpener handled the pasteurization process and are also involved in the MaltLess project. Finally, a word about the name of the European Turtle Dove: This bird was once a familiar sight in the Dutch countryside, especially in Zeeland-Flanders. However, since the 1980s, its population in the Netherlands has declined by more than 97%. This makes it the fastest-disappearing breeding bird in our country. Thanks in part to the foundation's initiative, we hope to preserve this species. You can listen to the call of the European turtle dove here . And for true beer connoisseurs, a few more details about the ingredients: Zomertortel is brewed with a selection of heritage grains: March barley, white emmer, Zeeland brown emmer, and St. John's rye. Each of these grains contributes to the full, complex character of this summery beverage, which is deeply rooted in Zeeland's agricultural history. The bitterness is based on Magnum hops. This robust hop variety gives the beer its solid body without disrupting the balance. Cascade hops were added later for extra flavor and a more intense aroma. This aromatic hop contributes fresh citrus and floral notes, giving the beer a lively and inviting character.

We begin this blog with a statement, and you can share your opinion on it. We will give some arguments why this statement might be true, but also why this comparison is not helpful. Reasons for the many similarities between smoking and alcohol: Alcohol and smoking are both addictive. On the one hand, the government advises against both, but on the other hand, it also benefits from them through consumption taxes. Alcohol and smoking are both carcinogenic and cause other diseases as well. Smoking and alcohol consumption differ for the following reasons: Smokers often smoke a large amount at once, whereas most people can enjoy one alcoholic drink without overdoing it. Alcohol has several advantages. For example, it has a relaxing effect and (provided one doesn't consume too much) provides a lot of pleasure. Smoking does not offer these advantages. And thirdly: Alcohol has existed for about 10,000 years, while cigarettes have only existed for about 150 years. This statement has its pros and cons. Whether you agree or disagree is up to you. The main thing is that you buy your non-alcoholic beers from us 🙂

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: The alcohol percentage of the beer. 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.

I’ll be completely honest about this: as an enthusiast, I have high standards for how I drink beer. I consider a festive, generous head of foam in my glass of beer an absolute must . You should feel the same way, because you deserve it. As a guest in a pub or restaurant, but also when enjoying a beer at home. A beautifully frothy beer is only possible in a glass that is truly spotless. In a bar or restaurant that genuinely loves beer, things are generally fine. At home, I pay real attention to getting the glasses I drink my beer from nice and clean. As a beer sommelier, I know the do's and don'ts, of course. But sometimes things still go wrong. As dead as mutton I had pulled a clean tea towel from the kitchen drawer. A brief moment of reflection followed when I had rinsed my favorite beer glass under the hot tap. That clean tea towel was still dry; that glass was the first thing I would reach for. So I assumed I could safely dry the inside of the glass with it as well. That evening at dinner, I poured a fine abbey beer into it. Only to discover that I probably shouldn't have dried the inside. Because the beer went flat as a doornail immediately. It drew my attention back to an important question: how do you clean a beer glass so that the beer is enjoyed to its fullest potential? culprits Let's start at the beginning. There are a number of things your favorite drink (beer, non-alcoholic or alcoholic) cannot handle in a glass. Culprit #1 is grease. Soap or starch residue and dust follow closely behind. Grease, soap, or starch leave an invisible layer behind on the inside of the glass. That is an efficient killer of a beautiful head on your beer. (I will explain why that head is also better for the beer another time.) Dust causes the carbonation in your beer to form bubbles on the inside of your glass. Such a speck of dust forms a nice point of effervescence. It might foam up well in the glass, but you can tell by those bubbles that it isn't perfectly clean. I always have to chuckle at that: when I see a slickly styled photo of a beerfluencer on Instagram. Everything is perfect, but carbonation bubbles are visible on the curve of the glass… Close, but no cigar… In the machine or by hand Beer glasses can be washed in two ways: by hand or in the machine. In the café, they often use dishwashers exclusively for cleaning glasses and tableware. These are often advanced machines that utilize technologies such as reverse osmosis. In this way, the dishes inside become cleaner than clean. Even nuisances like the coronavirus cannot withstand such washing power. The glasses are dried with hot air, ensuring they emerge from the machine truly optimally clean. If you have a dishwasher at home that you want to use to clean beer glasses, make sure the inside is thoroughly clean. Often, your dishwasher smells fresh, and plates, cups, pans, and cutlery come out sparkling clean. Nevertheless, invisible grease and starch residues float around inside the appliance. You are not doing your beer glasses any favors with that. Exclusively for beer glasses Even if I had a dishwasher, I would still prefer to wash beer glasses by hand. In clean soapy water, as hot as you can tolerate to keep it workable. If you do all the washing up by hand, tackle the beer glasses first. Do not use a dish brush that you first scrubbed clean a dirty lasagna dish with. Or one that you used to go through the frying pan after frying bacon in it. I have a dish brush in my kitchen cupboard that I use exclusively for beer glasses. That works perfectly. Wash a beer glass thoroughly, not only on the inside but also on the outside. This prevents (greasy) fingerprints on the outside of the glass, or a rim with lipstick residue where your girlfriend put the glass to her lips. I find that a real turn-off in bars and restaurants, and at home it doesn't exactly enhance my beer enjoyment either. But if you clean beer glasses with real care, it is easy to prevent. Another tip: rinse your washed beer glass thoroughly with hot water. Again, from the outside and the inside. Check if all soap residue is really gone. Dry off And then: dry them. I say: with a clean tea towel, only the outside. Next, place the washed beer glasses upside down on a clean drying cloth or a folded piece of kitchen paper. Let them drip dry; the cloth or kitchen paper will absorb any remaining moisture. After a while, place them upright again so that the inside can air dry. This also prevents the material of your drying cloth from leaving lint inside the glass. Finally, one last pro tip . Make it easy on yourself. After drinking beer, rinse your beer glasses briefly before leaving them on the counter. This prevents the foam that remains on the inside of the glasses from drying out. And then, when washing up, you won't have to try quite as hard to get them properly clean. By the way, are you still looking for a favorite beer glass? I saw that Raoul found a beautiful model of glass in which the aromas and flavors of most beer styles come into their own perfectly. If I didn't already have a huge collection of beer glasses myself, I would definitely have ordered a few. Because this model of beer glass is really well-known among beer connoisseurs.

It's time to write down my own story. I'm regularly asked if I still drink alcohol. Since January 1, 2025, I haven't. And I'm very happy about it. Do I not have a problem with that? Of course I do. That's precisely why I'm writing this. This blog has two goals. Firstly, sharing my story helps me better cope with moments when I have a craving for a beer or something else. Secondly, I want to help others in a similar situation. I'll start with the title. There are roughly three types of people who quit drinking. The first group has little trouble with it. They never had a drinking problem in the first place and can easily say no. The second group is physically dependent: the heavy drinkers who describe themselves as alcoholics and remain so even if they haven't had a drink in a long time. David Bowie is often cited as an example. The third group lies somewhere in between. These are people who drink regularly, even heavily, but still function normally. No visible problems, no immediate damage. They almost always say, "I don't have a drinking problem." In her book "Since I Stopped Drinking," Evi Hansen writes, "I was absolutely not an alcoholic." I can understand that. I also belong to this third group. I drank regularly and was always on the lookout for delicious drinks. Craft beer was my hobby. Friday was the perfect time to treat myself and wind down after the work week. Did I drink too much back then? After all, I was functioning perfectly fine. Nobody seemed to mind. On the contrary, after a few drinks, I was often more sociable. Nevertheless, I think now that I drank more than was good for me. Sometimes I'd be sitting at home alone on Friday evenings—my wife was at work, the kids were out—and there I was with a craft beer. At some point, it just felt... empty. Alcohol can foster sociability; it can bring people together. But if you need it for that, maybe something's wrong. Why not simply reduce it then? I've tried it often enough. No drinking during the week, only on weekends. But this "weekend" already started on Thursday. And if there was a reason to drink on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, I took advantage of it. That doesn't work for me. The only solution is to not drink any alcohol at all. This is nothing new. For about twenty years, I've abstained from alcohol every year during Lent. But afterwards, I always fall back into my old habits. In 2024, I started "Dry January" and extended it to include Lent. Three months without alcohol. It went surprisingly well. In fact, I was annoyed that I started again afterward. So, in 2025, I decided to stick with it for a whole year. And I'm still doing it. Nevertheless, it's sometimes difficult. I've already mentioned Fridays, but especially the Friday before a long weekend, for example at Easter, feels like a weekend twice as long. Then I take the dog for another walk or cook an elaborate meal, simply to distract myself. Of course I drink non-alcoholic beer then. And I enjoy it immensely. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I pick out a beer in our local shop. It feels good to write my story down like this. And if it also helps you to enjoy life without alcohol more, that's a nice bonus. If you would also like to share your story, we would be happy to provide you with our blog for that purpose.

We have an update regarding the NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) fine we wrote about earlier. Last year, we received a fine of €1,565 because we had given too much of a discount on a beer with 0.8% alcohol . According to the rules, anything above 0.5% alcohol falls under alcohol legislation, and restrictions apply to discount promotions. You can read the whole story in our previous blog . In objection Naturally, we lodged an objection against the fine. Together with a lawyer, we drafted and submitted an objection. While preparing our objection, we also found relevant case law. In a case that began in 2021, a wine seller accidentally applied too much of a discount. A bottle of wine was offered for €11.99, while the normal price was €16.80; a discount of 28.63% . The fine: €1,360 . After years of legal proceedings, it was eventually reduced to €340 . You can find the official ruling here . You can find a more readable summary here . Hearing A hearing subsequently took place during which I could explain our objection and answer questions from the NVWA. Normally, the NVWA must make a decision within six weeks after that. However, they requested a little more time for their assessment. Eventually, we received an 11-page letter containing the decision. The core: Decision I declare your objection regarding the amount of the fine well-founded. I revoke the contested decision and reduce the fine amount by 50% to €782.50. For the remainder, I declare your objection unfounded and uphold the contested decision. If you have already paid the fine, you will receive the overpaid amount back with statutory interest. The fine has therefore been halved to €782.50 . And now? After careful consideration, we have decided not to pursue legal action . We maintain that a warning for a first offense would have been more appropriate. Furthermore, we still consider €782.50 to be a disproportionate fine for such a minor mistake. But at some point, you simply have to move on with your business. Another legal procedure costs time, energy, and money, while the outcome remains uncertain. So we are leaving it at this. Case closed.

When it comes to our motto, we like to compare ourselves to other companies. We're similar to Jamin in terms of product range, Hornbach in terms of pricing, and Coolblue in terms of customer service. All these companies have something we want to emulate. And when you combine all these things, you get our motto: Alcohol-free beer. Seriously good. I'd be happy to tell you how we got there. Our motto and values When it comes to our product range, we're very aware of our position. We're a small player compared to the major supermarkets and liquor stores. And we don't want to compete with them. We deliberately continue to specialize in non-alcoholic craft beers, just like Jamin does with candy. We're essentially a niche within a niche. That's why we're always looking for special editions and unique beers. And as soon as a brand becomes big and hits the supermarket shelves, it becomes less interesting for our shop. Although, of course, our international customers can't just get these beers in the supermarket. So that's why you'll still find them regularly in our shop. As an example, I can mention Guinness 0.0 . We were the first in the Netherlands to sell it in our shop. And it's still one of our best-selling beers, despite being available in a few supermarkets. Why? We ship most of the cans abroad, where it's very hard to find, or not available at all. We also offer a competitive price with a 24+2 offer . But of course, our gems are the beers you can find (almost) nowhere else. They're often only sold regionally or are made just once. Because we also import some of our beers ourselves, you'll also find beers you won't find anywhere else in the Netherlands. We're always looking for beers that can enrich our selection and that you, as a customer, will be pleasantly surprised to find. We have all the non-alcoholic beers in our shop. And if we don't have one, we know why not. When it comes to price, we're the Hornbach of non-alcoholic beers. We never discount. We're always very competitive on our prices, year-round, and we'll never rip you off. And if we have beers with a best-before date of less than three months, we put them on sale. You can get them for 50% off. We're doing you a favor and guarantee you'll always have a good best-before date. When we talk about customer service, we often cite Zappos . It's an online shoe store that launched in 1999. Their customer service extends to the point where you can return items within 365 days of purchase, and you don't pay any return or shipping costs. No questions asked. But perhaps Coolblue is a good example. We, too, are a bit quirky and incredibly flexible when it comes to service. We like to treat our customers like friends. We also like to compare ourselves to Apple . We sometimes say that we don't sell beers, but a story or an experience. Nothing beats knowing your beer was made in a special way or with special ingredients. And the story behind the brewery only makes the beer more special. Just like Apple always sells "the story": design, vision, rebellion, simplicity. The product is the means. The experience is the goal. So, a lot of comparisons with other companies. And that means that, all things considered, we have our own identity that stands for something. Our core values are: Specialization: Our market is a niche within a niche. We're focused and not a one-size-fits-all store. Fair pricing: This is always competitive and we don't have a discount circus. Unconditional service: We treat everyone as a regular customer. Experience & craftsmanship: We sell a story, the origin of our beers is important and quality always comes before volume. Our motto is: Alcohol-free beer. Seriously good.