Alcohol Free Beer Explorers

On Saturday 19th June Me and a group of other Alcohol Free Beer drinkers took part in a trip around a few Cardiff pubs to see what Alcohol free beers were on offer.   Brewdog I started the evening off before meeting the main group at Brewdog Cardiff meeting up with Jonny Stevens founder of the BetterWithout App, and his partner Dean once he had finished navigating the streets of Cardiff and managed to find somewhere to Park his car.   Was great to finally meet up with Jonny after speaking to him online for a while.   As this was a last minute decision to meet up here we did not book a table the pub was full inside but managed to find one outside on the pavement.  The ordering process was straight forward although Jonny could not get the app working on his phone.  Once ordered the drinks came out nice and quickly. We enjoyed a pint of their Punk AF on draught. (£4.64 a pint)  This beer from the tap is very tropical and smooth.  It has a lovely flavour and certainly one that you could

  For me, and many others, I've been on a journey. We're probably all at different places along many different journeys actually - but tonight I'm talking about a journey with alcohol free beer. I say tonight because I'm sat watching the Euros sipping one of my favourite findings on this journey; Brune-DMC from Lowtide Brewing Co. While I'm explaining stuff I should probably add a disclaimer to 'alcohol free'. For me I use this term as anything that is around 0.5 and below. I know for others this is unhelpful, as they are after truly alcohol free - but it's things like this that lead me to use this phrase 'journey'. We are all at different places and are looking for different things along the way. No two journey's will be the same. So, where am I going with all this. Well. With lockdown's easing, pubs re-opening and the sun shining a few of us have decided to car pool on our journey for an evening in Cardiff. Instigated by  @AFBeerExplore

I was sorting out the old beer cupboard when I realised I had a few mango alcohol free beers. I wouldn't say I'm an evangelist of fruit beers, but here we are. I'm writing about them and you're reading about me writing about them. Shall we make a start? First up was something that I pre-ordered. Not something I've done before with beer and not a style I've ever had before - Mash Gang Death Mall, a mango milkshake IPA. This was living dangerously. Not just because of the new style but because it included an ingredient that is banned in the States. The Tonka been. Similar to vanilla but know to cause lover problems, and even death, if consumed in great quantity. This is a refreshing fruity beer. Lots going on, but you can definitely get that vanilla edge with a beer essence to it. Not a bad start on my mango journey. Loving the work from Mash Gang at the moment and keeping a close eye on anything new on the market from them. Next was an controversial beer, but not

  Well this box was made for me to try how could the Alcohol beer Explorer resist a box called The Big Explorer box.  This box is from Big Drop and sold exclusively through Waitrose stores & Waitrose Online , it sells for the bargain price of £12.  The pack contains 8 beers from the big drop range each a different style giving you a chance to try various styles of alcohol free beer from the big drop range. Not all the beers in here will be for everyone and not all the beers in the box are the best examples of the style they represent but for me this box is a great starting point for anyone wanting to try a variety of alcohol free beers.  Working out at £1.50 a beer it is also at a great price point.  Hopefully this box or similar will be made available across other supermarkets too.   All the Beers except for Coba Maya which at time of writing is exclusive to the bog  are available direct from Big Drop    or from all good online alcohol free retailers.  A link to the product pages