The Best Non-Alcoholic Substitute For Beer In Recipes (2024)

Cooking with beer is a great way to infuse your dish with extra flavor or add more crispiness to your batter, but as a primary ingredient, it doesn't work for everyone. While more gluten-free beers are being brought to the market, and there are some really refreshing non-alcoholic beers you can choose for recipes that don't cook long enough to completely burn off their alcohol, you might not have any cans or bottles of these in the house. For whatever reason, you might not want to use beer at all.

In these cases, soda is an ideal substitute. It can be used to replace beer in fish batter, or even as a replacement in beer can chicken. Plus, you're way more likely to have extra soda lying around. Beer batter's crispiness is largely due to the drink's carbonation, which creates froth during the cooking process. This froth expands the batter and helps create that crunchy texture. This means you can replicate that effect using any fizzy drink, no alcohol required. The kind of soda you choose is ultimately up to you, but ginger ale and root beer are two ideal choices.

Read more: Popular Vodka Brands Ranked From Worst To Best

What Kind Of Soda Should You Use As A Beer Substitute?

The Best Non-Alcoholic Substitute For Beer In Recipes (1)

When the time comes to choose your soda substitute, it's wise to opt for something that's already slightly similar to beer in terms of flavor. Ginger ale, with its citrusy, sometimes even sour tang, is a great option if you need something akin to a pale ale. For dark or ruby beers, the molasses-adjacent taste of the sassafras in root beer works really well as an alternative.

Of course, there's no reason why you can't use other sodas. Cooking with cola, for example, has become something of a cult technique in recent years, with folks insisting that adding some to a recipe is one of the best ways to use a leftover can of co*ke. If you're using soda as a substitute in cooking, however, it does come with one particular caveat: Most sodas are sweet, which will result in whatever dish you're whipping up having a sweeter taste than usual. To combat this, you can opt for a sugar-free or otherwise "plain" version.

Read the original article on Mashed.

The Best Non-Alcoholic Substitute For Beer In Recipes (2024)

FAQs

The Best Non-Alcoholic Substitute For Beer In Recipes? ›

In these cases, soda is an ideal substitute. It can be used to replace beer in fish batter, or even as a replacement in beer can chicken. Plus, you're way more likely to have extra soda lying around. Beer batter's crispiness is largely due to the drink's carbonation, which creates froth during the cooking process.

What's a good non-alcoholic substitute for beer? ›

Ginger ale, with its citrusy, sometimes even sour tang, is a great option if you need something akin to a pale ale. For dark or ruby beers, the molasses-adjacent taste of the sassafras in root beer works really well as an alternative. Of course, there's no reason why you can't use other sodas.

What is a good substitute for beer in a recipe? ›

Easy Substitutions

You can use chicken broth, ginger ale, white grape juice, or white wine if your recipe calls for a light beer. Use beef broth, chicken broth, mushroom stock, apple juice, apple cider, root beer, or co*ke instead of dark beer.

Which non-alcoholic drink taste like beer? ›

The Best Non-Alcoholic Beer

Then I discovered Athletic Brewing, and I didn't miss it anymore. If you love beer for the flavor, their offerings will surprise you with just how perfectly they mimic actual beer.

What is a better alternative to beer? ›

Alcohol alternatives allow people to enjoy the flavor profiles of alcoholic beverages but with fewer adverse effects. Alternatives to drinking alcohol include nonalcoholic beer or wine, mocktails, and kombucha. Experts associate alcohol with a range of health consequences.

Is there anything like non-alcoholic beer? ›

Here are a few alcohol-free beers:

*Beck's Blue (0.05 percent) *Bitburger Drive (0.05 percent) Budweiser Prohibition Brew (0 percent)

What is the best alcohol to replace beer? ›

What is the healthiest choice for an alcoholic beverage? Red wine. White wine and light beer are also good choices. Vodka or gin mixed with club soda (not tonic water) and a twist of lemon or lime is another good option.

Can you use non-alcoholic beer for cooking? ›

Cooking with non-alcoholic beer is a great way to add depth and flavor to your dishes. The malt and hops in non-alcoholic beer provide a rich, slightly bitter taste that can enhance the flavors of meats, vegetables, and sauces.

What is equivalent to a beer? ›

A 12-ounce beer contains as much alcohol as a standard 1.5 oz shot or 5 oz of typical red or white wine.

What can I substitute for beer in a chili recipe? ›

11 BEST Substitutes For Beer In Chili [Tried And Tested]
  1. Produce. • 3/4 cup Bean liquid.
  2. Canned Goods. • 1 cup Broth. • 1 cup Mushroom stock.
  3. Drinks. • 1 cup Apple cider, hard. • 1 cup Coffee, strong. • 1 cup Cola.
  4. Beer, Wine & Liquor. • 1 cup Non-alcoholic beer. • 1 cup Vodka. • 1 cup Wine.
  5. Liquids. • 1 cup Water.
  6. Other. • skip it.

What is the most popular non-alcoholic drink in the world? ›

Water is, by far, the most consumed non-alcoholic beverage in the world.

Is there a truly non-alcoholic beer? ›

There are two dominant styles of NA beers – 0.0%, which contains zero alcohol whatsoever, and 0.05% beers. The majority of non-alcohol beers measure at 0.05%, which is the industry standard for NA beers. So, 0.0% are completely free of any semblance of alcohol, while the 0.05% beer may contain minute amounts.

What tastes most like beer? ›

5 Alcohol-Free Beers That Actually Taste Like Beer
  • Erdinger Alkoholfrei (< 0.5%) This is probably our first choice when it comes to alcohol free beer. ...
  • Brewdog Hazy AF (< 0.5%) ...
  • Heineken 0.0 (0%) ...
  • Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5% ...
  • Infinite Session IPA (0.5%)
Apr 21, 2020

How can I replace beer in my life? ›

Join the local gym

Working out at the gym is one of the best hobbies to replace drinking, not only will you be healthier from avoiding alcohol, you'll benefit from the exercise at the same time. Most modern gyms offer a wide range of facilities and classes, no matter what your fitness level is.

Is switching to non alcoholic beer good for you? ›

Using low or no-alcohol drink options to either avoid alcohol or to stay within the recommended intake of 14 units of alcohol a week (equivalent to six pints of 4% beer) could mean lowering the risk of stroke, heart disease, liver disease, sleep disorders, mental health issues and a number of cancers.

What to drink on a night out non-alcoholic? ›

Some of the most popular mocktails include the virgin margarita, the mocktail mojito, and the virgin pina colada. These drinks are often made with fresh fruits and juices, making them both delicious and healthy. Another great option is flavoured sparkling water, which makes a great alternative to sugary soft drinks.

How many non-alcoholic beers equal one beer? ›

This means that it'd take about 10 bottles of non-alcoholic beer to equal 1 normal beer. It's highly unlikely for a person to become drunk from drinking non-alcoholic beer, but it does still contains alcohol.”

What to swap beer for? ›

Again, soft drinks (soda) can work, but they might be too sweet. This makes ginger ale a very good substitute for beer in baking. It doesn't add sweetness like soda, but brings the same acidity and carbonation as beer. Also, the touch of flavor is rather remarkable.

Does non-alcoholic beer still taste like beer? ›

Although it contains 0.0° alcohol, you will get exactly the same aromas and flavours as the traditional Corona Extra. You will find delicate malt flavours and lemony notes. The slight bitterness of the hops mingles with the hint of acidity from the lime for a perfectly balanced, light and refreshing lager.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terence Hammes MD

Last Updated:

Views: 6562

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terence Hammes MD

Birthday: 1992-04-11

Address: Suite 408 9446 Mercy Mews, West Roxie, CT 04904

Phone: +50312511349175

Job: Product Consulting Liaison

Hobby: Jogging, Motor sports, Nordic skating, Jigsaw puzzles, Bird watching, Nordic skating, Sculpting

Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.