Alcohol free beers in pubs

right i know this has been discussed previously but i met a friend last night and rather than have a coffee or coke, i had a Guinness pure brew, had 2 in the end. Thing is they cost €4.70 which is scandalous.

What i don't get is how there isn't more of a campaign by Drinkaware or the government to pressure the vintners on this. There is no excise on these drinks. Now i understand a pub needs to make profit and has overheads to consider but surely €3 or under would be more reasonable. My own local has Fosters on offer for €3 so the fact the healthier and more responsible alcohol free beer is more expansive just beggars belief.

www.bored.ie

Deleted User wrote: »

right i know this has been discussed previously but i met a friend last night and rather than have a coffee or coke, i had a Guinness pure brew, had 2 in the end. Thing is they cost €4.70 which is scandalous.

What i don't get is how there isn't more of a campaign by Drinkaware or the government to pressure the vintners on this. There is no excise on these drinks. Now i understand a pub needs to make profit and has overheads to consider but surely €3 or under would be more reasonable. My own local has Fosters on offer for €3 so the fact the healthier and more responsible alcohol free beer is more expansive just beggars belief.

I had a bottle of non-alcoholic Paulaner beer in a bar recently. Cost €6.20 !!!

Sigma Force

[Deleted User] wrote: »

right i know this has been discussed previously but i met a friend last night and rather than have a coffee or coke, i had a Guinness pure brew, had 2 in the end. Thing is they cost €4.70 which is scandalous.

What i don't get is how there isn't more of a campaign by Drinkaware or the government to pressure the vintners on this. There is no excise on these drinks. Now i understand a pub needs to make profit and has overheads to consider but surely €3 or under would be more reasonable. My own local has Fosters on offer for €3 so the fact the healthier and more responsible alcohol free beer is more expansive just beggars belief.

Only my opinion but a lot of alcohol free beer still contains alcohol. It's also keeping people who are trying to quit from detaching themselves from that way of life. Being in that environment will encourage relapse. Not for everyone but for many especially for the first year sometimes two. Prices in pubs even for soft drinks are high but then again so are rents etc.

Sigma Force

Sigma Force wrote: »

Only my opinion but a lot of alcohol free beer still contains alcohol. It's also keeping people who are trying to quit from detaching themselves from that way of life. Being in that environment will encourage relapse. Not for everyone but for many especially for the first year sometimes two. Prices in pubs even for soft drinks are high but then again so are rents etc.

i agree what your saying, however not everyone quit for the same reasons. I like to go out the odd time and i dislike fizzy drinks even more.

Argument regarding pricing is that the alco free beers are not subject to excise duties so why are they the same if not more expensive than regular beers.

heineken zero actually has marginal, like 0.05% percent alcohol, i am sure in a lot of consumers products and mouth washes there is similar.

Others are 0.5% so i can see where you are coming from there.

GreeBo

Deleted User wrote: »

right i know this has been discussed previously but i met a friend last night and rather than have a coffee or coke, i had a Guinness pure brew, had 2 in the end. Thing is they cost €4.70 which is scandalous.

What i don't get is how there isn't more of a campaign by Drinkaware or the government to pressure the vintners on this. There is no excise on these drinks. Now i understand a pub needs to make profit and has overheads to consider but surely €3 or under would be more reasonable. My own local has Fosters on offer for €3 so the fact the healthier and more responsible alcohol free beer is more expansive just beggars belief.

How much would a pint of Coke cost you though?

punisher5112

I tried the Heineken one, I was not well at all the next day.

It tasted like spinach.

I never suffer hangovers and only had 5 pints and as was working the next day I said I would try the other for a while so I would not be over the limit going to work.

I sadly have to say I wouldn't be drinking it again.

punisher5112

punisher5112 wrote: »

I tried the Heineken one, I was not well at all the next day.

It tasted like spinach.

I never suffer hangovers and only had 5 pints and as was working the next day I said I would try the other for a while so I would not be over the limit going to work.

I sadly have to say I wouldn't be drinking it again.

I have tried it and never suffered that.

GreeBo

GreeBo wrote: »

How much would a pint of Coke cost you though?

fair enough if it was a pint of Heineken zero but its a 330ml

Wheety

Deleted User wrote: »

I have tried it and never suffered that.

Same here. I think it tastes very similar to the real thing and is something I will seek out next time I'm out.

antix80

People who drink alcohol often get into a round and might have 4-5 pints on a quiet night.
People who drink non-alcoholic beer, I'm guessing they consume less. Duty aside, the non-alcohol stuff also costs more to produce. So I don't think I'd begrudge the publican the tenner he charged you.

antix80

antix80 wrote: »

People who drink alcohol often get into a round and might have 4-5 pints on a quiet night.
People who drink non-alcoholic beer, I'm guessing they consume less. Duty aside, the non-alcohol stuff also costs more to produce. So I don't think I'd begrudge the publican the tenner he charged you.

Cost more to produce, 4 bottles in any supermarket for €6. so even if the publican buys at that price they are marking it up between 3-4 times the purchase price, which i reckon they get at the same price the supermarket buys anyway. The publican claims the vast price of a pint of beer is excise, well there is no excise on alcohol free.

Next you'll be justifying €5 for a cup of tea cos you wouldn't drink more than 2 cups while your friends drink 5 pints.

If alcohol free beers were priced at say €3 you'd be surprised how many people would pop in for a chat and have one.

Tacklebox

I think there's a market for drinks which are non alcoholic but have a good kick in it.

Like those winter drinks with a lot of ginger in them.
Add some gas etc

mrcheez

Deleted User wrote: »

right i know this has been discussed previously but i met a friend last night and rather than have a coffee or coke, i had a Guinness pure brew, had 2 in the end. Thing is they cost €4.70 which is scandalous.

What i don't get is how there isn't more of a campaign by Drinkaware or the government to pressure the vintners on this. There is no excise on these drinks. Now i understand a pub needs to make profit and has overheads to consider but surely €3 or under would be more reasonable. My own local has Fosters on offer for €3 so the fact the healthier and more responsible alcohol free beer is more expansive just beggars belief.

Hence the reason I usually go for a pint of water (add a cordial if you want to make it look like something else)