Heineken Brouwerijen
Heineken 0.0
The alcohol-free version of the world’s most widely distributed pale lager, and for many drinkers the first alcohol-free beer they met on a bar.
- Strength
- 0–0.1% ABV
- Brewery
- Heineken Brouwerijen
Also called Heineken Zero, Heineken 0.0%, Heineken alcohol free.
Heineken brews this to full strength with its own yeast and then removes the alcohol by vacuum distillation, blending afterwards. Distilling under reduced pressure lets the alcohol come off at a low temperature, which is what stops the beer tasting cooked — the failure that gave the category its reputation in the 1980s.
What it is useful for is calibration. It is the alcohol-free beer most people have access to, which makes it the sensible thing to try first and the honest benchmark for judging the rest: the ones drinkers rate highly are generally rated highly against this.
What it tastes like
Inherited from Alcohol-free pale lager, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.
Why BeerHQ carries this beer
| Reason | Carried because it is where many people start |
|---|---|
| Strength | 0–0.1% ABV — checked 2026-08-19. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute. |
| Record stability | Volatile — production, strength or availability are actively changing. Treat specifics as needing verification. |
BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.
What is distinctive about it
- Alcohol removed by vacuum distillation after a full-strength fermentation, rather than by stopping fermentation early
- Distribution wide enough that it functions as the category’s default reference point
It is not the same everywhere
Sold as 0.0 in most markets. Whether that satisfies the local descriptor depends on the market: it would meet the United Kingdom’s stricter alcohol-free threshold and the American one only if the measured figure is genuinely at zero, which is a question about the product rather than about the name on it.
The alcohol-free counterpart of Heineken Original
This is sold as the alcohol-free counterpart of Heineken Original, at 0–0.1% ABV against 4.3–5% ABV. That records a lineage and a brand relationship. It does not mean the same recipe, the same ingredients or the same beer with one thing taken out, and BeerHQ does not assert any of those.
It is made by brewing the beer and then taking the alcohol out. That route keeps bitterness and roast, which do not depend on alcohol, and costs body and some of the volatile aroma that alcohol was carrying.
What survives depends on the style rather than on the brand. Roast and dry-hopped aroma come through comparatively well; the weight alcohol itself contributes does not, and that is usually what a drinker notices first.
If you like Heineken 0.0
Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.
Closest to it
Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.
A close structural match for Heineken 0.0 — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably less carbonation (high → trace–low).
May not suit: Noticeably less carbonation than Heineken 0.0.
Alcohol-free wheat beer — try Erdinger Alkoholfrei or Paulaner Weißbier Alkoholfrei
A close structural match for Heineken 0.0 — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably more yeast fruitiness (esters) (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more yeast fruitiness (esters) than Heineken 0.0.
Alcohol-free IPA — try BrewDog Punk AF or Athletic Run Wild IPA
A close structural match for Heineken 0.0 — a likely fit if you want more of the same.
Different: noticeably more citrus (none–trace → moderate).
May not suit: Noticeably more citrus than Heineken 0.0.
Similar, but different
Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.
Alcohol-free stout — try Guinness 0.0 or Big Drop Galactic Milk Stout
Keeps most of what Heineken 0.0 does and shifts carbonation.
Different: noticeably less carbonation (high → low).
May not suit: Noticeably less carbonation than Heineken 0.0.
Cream ale — try Genesee Cream Ale
Keeps most of what Heineken 0.0 does and shifts body.
Different: slightly more body (trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Heineken 0.0; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Blonde ale — try Firestone Walker 805
Keeps most of what Heineken 0.0 does and shifts body.
Different: slightly more body (trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Heineken 0.0; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
A bigger jump
Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.
International pale lager — try Heineken Original or Asahi Super Dry
Both carry real carbonation, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Heineken 0.0.
May not suit: Very close to Heineken 0.0; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
International amber lager — try Dos Equis Ambar or Yuengling Traditional Lager
Both carry real carbonation, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Heineken 0.0.
Different: slightly more body (trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Heineken 0.0; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Kölsch — try Gaffel Kölsch or Früh Kölsch
Both carry real carbonation, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Heineken 0.0.
Different: slightly more body (trace → low).
May not suit: Very close to Heineken 0.0; if you wanted a change, this is not it.
Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.
What to eat with it
Inherited from Alcohol-free pale lager. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.
Keeping it
Alcohol-free pale lager shows best within 3–6 months of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.
Drink fresh. Buy it as young as you can and drink it soon. What makes this beer worth drinking is the first thing to leave it.
Derived from Alcohol-free pale lager. See storage and freshness for the full model.
BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.