Report

How is alcohol-free beer made?

By Alex Stewart

Published 3 November 2026. Every figure links to its source below. How these pages are made.

Quick answerThere are two routes. Brewers either stop most of the alcohol forming in the first place (cold fermentation, stopping fermentation early, or special yeasts), or they brew a normal-strength beer and take the alcohol out with heat under vacuum or with membranes. A 2026 scientific review says the hard part is removing alcohol without losing the flavour compounds that make beer taste like beer.

The two routes

Route	Methods	Typical trade-off
Limit the alcohol during brewing	Controlled mashing, arrested fermentation, cold-contact fermentation, low-alcohol or maltose-negative yeasts	Less alcohol forms, but beers can taste sweeter or "worty" if not managed
Brew full-strength, then remove the alcohol	Heat under vacuum (vacuum distillation, spinning cone, thin-film evaporation) or membranes (reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, dialysis)	Removes alcohol efficiently, but can strip aroma compounds along with it

Summarised from D'Andrea et al., Foods (2026).

The flavour problem

A critical technological trade-off persists between the efficiency with which ethanol is removed and the retention of volatile flavour-active compounds

So the method, not only the recipe, shapes how an alcohol-free beer tastes.

Why most UK alcohol-free beer is 0.5%

Fermentation makes some alcohol unless it is removed afterwards. Under UK licensing law, a drink of 0.5% ABV or less is not classed as alcohol, so many brewers stop there rather than strip the beer to 0.0%. See what 0.5% ABV means for the label rules.

Where IMPOSSIBREW fits

IMPOSSIBREW, which publishes this site, uses cold fermentation it calls RealBrew: the yeast works at very low temperatures, so the beer reaches 0.5% through brewing itself. There is no alcohol-removal stage and no dilution with water.

FAQs

How do they take the alcohol out of beer?

Either with heat under vacuum, which boils off alcohol at a lower temperature, or with membranes such as reverse osmosis.

Is alcohol-free beer just watered-down beer?

No. Brewers limit the alcohol during fermentation or remove it after brewing; diluting would also dilute the flavour.

Why does alcohol-free beer taste different?

Removing alcohol can take aroma compounds with it, and limiting fermentation can leave beer sweeter. The method shapes the flavour.

Why is most alcohol-free beer 0.5% and not 0.0%?

Fermentation makes a little alcohol, and UK licensing law does not class 0.5% or less as alcohol.

Sources

All read 3 November 2026 unless stated.