Nonalcoholic beer

toco123

Is it legal for persons under 18 to purchase and drink non-alcoholic beers such as Erdinger and Clausthaler in Ireland?

Gillo

I don't see why not, but the non alcoholic Erdinger which you mention tastes very different to alcoholic Erdinger.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Gillo wrote: »

I don't see why not, but the non alcoholic Erdinger which you mention tastes very different to alcoholic Erdinger.

It also, according to the label, contains ~0.1% alcohol, if I remember correctly, which although it's a negligible amount, may still class it as an alcoholic drink. It's a tough one to call.

I might have a gander at some legislation if I have time later to clarify.

/edit: although one thing that might be useful to remember is that we have no actual drinking age in Ireland for persons on their own private property.;)

toco123

Sean_K wrote: »

It also, according to the label, contains ~0.1% alcohol, if I remember correctly, which although it's a negligible amount, may still class it as an alcoholic drink. It's a tough one to call.

I might have a gander at some legislation if I have time later to clarify.

Not exactly....

wikipedia.org wrote:

In the rest of the European Union, it must be not more than 0.5% ABV to be described as alcohol free

However it also says in America, you have to be over 18 to puchase non alcoholic beer...

I don't get it.
It is not like people drink beer because it tastes nice.

aidan_walsh

Moonbaby wrote: »

I don't get it.
It is not like people drink beer because it tastes nice.

Speak for yourself.

toco123

aidan_walsh wrote: »

Speak for yourself.

I concurr

toiletduck

toco123 wrote: »

Is it legal for persons under 18 to purchase and drink non-alcoholic beers such as Erdinger and Clausthaler in Ireland?

Yes, well at least I was never told otherwise! (work in offy/bar)

Black_Knight

I had non-alcoholic becks once, never again. I think i was drivin so no drinky. Seen some non-alcoholic beer, was offered one to try. Had a sip, the sink hole had the rest!
Shockin stuff

feylya

Becks NA is tasty enough. Erdinger Alcohol free and Bavaria 0.0 are nice enough.

Black_Knight

If i seen em for sale in a bar on a night i didnt fancy drinkin id buy em. jst to be sociable and not standin der twiddlin my thumbs.

toco123

I'll just walk into an offy and see if i get served, how bout that?! :P

BeerNut

Moonbaby wrote: »

I don't get it.
It is not like people drink beer because it tastes nice.

Looks like you haven't been getting enough of the good stuff, Moonbaby.

daisy123

I remember being about 7 and buying a Club Shandy can in the local shop, thinking it was Rock Shandy!! I was so shocked when I tasted it and then saw there was alcohol in it and so afraid my dad would see what it was, so I drank it so no suspiscions would be aroused... He did eventually see it and just laughed and laughed...:o that was in the early 90s though, maybe legislation has changed?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

daisy123 wrote: »

I remember being about 7 and buying a Club Shandy can in the local shop, thinking it was Rock Shandy!! I was so shocked when I tasted it and then saw there was alcohol in it and so afraid my dad would see what it was, so I drank it so no suspiscions would be aroused... He did eventually see it and just laughed and laughed...:o that was in the early 90s though, maybe legislation has changed?

Well that Club Shandy was only 0.5% alcohol according to wiki, so it'd take a fair few swimming pools of the stuff to get you pished:D

BeerNut

Had poke through the Statute Book and the law, as far as I can see, forbids sale of "intoxicating liquor" to minors. I can't find a legal definition of "intoxicating liquor", but I'd say non-alcoholic beer doesn't count.

toco123

I'm pretty sure you could get intoxicated on many things if you drank enough of it... "enough" being lakefulls including non-alcoholic beer....

feylya

I'm pretty sure that non alcoholic beer would be too diluted and you would pass the majority of alcohol.

JIZZLORD

i've always found that the alcohol free erdinger tasted like soap. the treatment to remove the alcohol takes the taste away imo

toco123

I dunno.. I think thats just a bit critical imo.. I think some NA beers do a good job at being beer

JIZZLORD

i'm not saying all non alcoholic beer is bad, the erdinger one is nasty.

kenmc

Cobra NA is the only beer I have ever tasted (and hopefully ever will) which tastes of mushrooms. Nasty nasty stuff indeed.

rubadub

Moonbaby wrote: »

I don't get it.
It is not like people drink beer because it tastes nice.

Many do, I sometimes have a pint with a meal, just like some have wine. It is low in calories compared to other N/A drinks. Also it is cheaper than buying pints of coke in a pub.

I once got NA erdinger by mistake in a pub once, don't think the barman knew what it was or he would have said (I hope). I just saw the bottle and thought it was a different variety, though it was the dark on.

Had to skull it down and hide the bottle before the lads spotted it and gave me abuse

Not as nice as proper erdinger of course, but better than a lot of beers out there.

I was once refused buying club shandy when I was a kid, I think you can buy it though, and the checkout girl just didn't know what to do so was easier to refuse.

I knew a lad who bought a rake of those little guinness souvenirs planning to get pissed on them, he was 15 or 16 at time! eejit.

eoghan h

Moonbaby wrote: »

I don't get it.
It is not like people drink beer because it tastes nice.

I agree......I'd rather a cholate milk over a bud any day! unfortunately its fairly hard to get drunk off choc milk:p

BeerNut

eoghan h wrote: »

I'd rather a cholate milk over a bud

How about a Young's Double Chocolate Stout? Or a Rogue Chocolate Stout? Y'know: beer that tastes of stuff, as opposed to Bud.

In fairness Rubadub your posts give the impression you'd drink brasso strained through Pat the bakers finest if given half the chance.

I don't believe any of it...non-alcholic beer is for only trying to fit in.

lostinsuperfunk

The choice of non-alcoholic drinks in pubs usually isn't very good, especially if you don't like sweet soft drinks.
I really like non-alcoholic Schneider Weisse. It doesn't taste particularly beer-like, but at least it tastes good. Non-alcoholic Erdinger is a poor second choice, but it still tastes a lot better than non-alcoholic Becks, or even full-alcohol draught Heineken (or Bud).

artanevilla

Erdinger tastes like caramel, not in a good way. Becks is like soapy water.

loyatemu

Becks NA is very nasty - but I'm not fan of the alcoholic version either.

Erdinger NA is passable, as is Cobra NA

If you're in a pub, and driving, what do you drink? Drinking soft drinks all night will just make you sick (and fairly jittery if its Coke you're on)

toco123

Tried to get clausthaler in Tesco. Refused. Expleained it was NA. Said alright. Scanned it. Refused!!!

gucci

toco123 wrote: »

Tried to get clausthaler in Tesco. Refused. Expleained it was NA. Said alright. Scanned it. Refused!!!

What do you mean you were refused? was the item not listed on their barcode system and couldnt be scanned or are you underage?

Usually on the self check outs the operator in charge of the 3 or 4 have to enter a clearence number.....id imagine just for stupidity sake they would have to do the same for a non alcoholic beer.....?

rubadub

Moonbaby wrote: »

In fairness Rubadub your posts give the impression you'd drink brasso strained through Pat the bakers finest if given half the chance.

Ahh come on I use strictly Brennans with the brasso.

Drinking soft drinks all night will just make you sick

That is a point, and as I mentioned it is cheaper than soft drinks these days. Fewer calories that normal soft drinks. And could actually have some nutiritional value, better than diet coke anyway.

I see coke are doing the free drinks for designated drivers again soon. Dunno if any pubs do it of their own free will, all they have to do is get a few 2 litres in. A 2litre is only €1.50 in the shops and will give 10 pub measures of coke.

toco123

gucci wrote: »

What do you mean you were refused? was the item not listed on their barcode system and couldnt be scanned or are you underage?

Usually on the self check outs the operator in charge of the 3 or 4 have to enter a clearence number.....id imagine just for stupidity sake they would have to do the same for a non alcoholic beer.....?

Yah it was tescos high-tech scanning!!! it was a 4 pack of clausthaler alkoholfrei non-alcholic beer for €3.50
as well... dang!

guinnessdrinker

The only nonalcoholic beer I've ever bought was Kaliber one time and it was the worst tasting beverage I have ever drank in a pub.

toco123

Wheres the best price for clausthaler?

C Fodder

Kaliber

The only beer I ever came across that could give you a hangover without getting drunk, or in other words Harp without the alcohol but with the hangover. Vile stuff, absolutely vile, yuck.

Cold Clausthaler is an just about acceptable as a NA larger, anyone ever have Becks malt drink as available in the middle east? Ye gods.

toco123

Whats Cobra like?

ktc1

Kaliber.

I remember about 20 years ago, the Pioneers Association issued a statement saying Pioneers couldn't drink it even though it had less than 0.1% alcohol. My brother who was a pioneer for years was so annoyed by their stupidity, he threw the pin away and started drinking the real stuff. I wonder is the Pioneer Association still on the go?

BeerNut

ktc1 wrote: »

I wonder is the Pioneer Association still on the go?

They've a better web site than most Irish breweries :rolleyes: