Do you like Budweiser beers but need to skip the booze? The Budweiser non-alcoholic beer is called Budweiser Zero, and it’s a completely alcohol free beer. In this Budweiser Zero review, I’ll taste and compare it with other popular non-alcoholic beers in its category on the market. I’ll also explain how it’s made and share what others are saying about it.
Bottom line: Budweiser Zero tastes like Bud. Light to medium-bodied, with zero alcohol, zero sugar, and low calories.
It’s safe to say I walked into this tasting with a healthy level of skepticism. I love craft beers for the unique complexities in flavor they offer.
My goal with this review is to give you the facts about Budweiser Zero and share my research on user reviews so you can make a more informed decision when choosing the right non-alcoholic beer for your taste preferences.
Budweiser is an American beer company that was founded in 1876. It’s now owned by Anheuser-Busch, or AB InBev, one of the largest brewing companies in the world. Budweiser makes a range of beers, with the most commonly known Bud Light and Budweiser.
Budweiser Zero: Alcohol Free Beer
As the name suggests, Budweiser Zero has no alcohol. It’s Budweiser’s first alcohol free beer, but its parent company, Anheuser-Busch has several uniquely branded NA beers to go along with their alcoholic counterparts. An alcohol free brew only has to contain less than .5% alcohol by volume, but Bud Zero has just that – 0%.
Budweiser Zero is a light beer that contains fewer calories than Budweiser and Bud Light. Interestingly, it contains twice as many carbs as Bud Light.
How it tastes: The aroma is Bud all the way. It is light and crisp, but has a full flavor and is shockingly similar to Bud Light. Budweiser beers have a distinct aroma and flavor, and Budweiser Zero is no exception.
If you enjoy Bud Light and are looking for a flavor substitute without the alcohol, this is it. While I prefer a more bitter flavor, Budweiser Zero is actually not bad for a light beer.
It has zero grams of fat, zero grams of sugar, 50 calories, and 12g carbohydrates, which are decent stats compared to other non-alcoholic beers, even the craftier ones.
Budweiser Zero beer is made with water, rice, and hops in the style of a lager. They uses natural flavors and hop extracts to enhance the flavor of the beer, something I don’t see often on ingredient labels for beer, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Budweiser Zero vs Comparable Non-Alcoholic Beers
Anheuser-Busch owns the brands that make these NA beers: O’doul’s, Stella Artois Liberté, Beck’s Non-Alcoholic, Busch NA, and St. Pauli Girl NA. Coors Edge and Heineken 0.0 are other possible contenders as well. Here are some comparison notes from a couple of these NA beers:
O’doul’s Golden:
O’doul’s Golden is also a light NA beer, but lacking in the finish. Budweiser Zero has a fuller flavor and slightly sweet bitterness on the backend. I wouldn’t call it complex, but it’s more complex than O’doul’s. Read the full review of both O’doul’s beers.
Becks’s Non-Alcoholic:
Budweiser Zero seems like the lightest, crisp beer when compared side by side with Beck’s Non-Alcoholic. Beck’s is unfortunately hard to drink because it’s so sweet.
If you’re more interested in craft beer and how that tastes, Lagunitas IPNA and Athletic Brewing are great places to start.
Budweiser Zero vs Bud Light
If you drink Bud Light, you’re probably wondering if Budweiser Zero tastes the same as Bud Light. Well, after tasting both, I can say they are very similar. You don’t have to try Bud Light or Budweiser to know that Zero is a Budweiser product.
The taste of Budweiser is a unique flavor, so there is no doubt. Other reviews suggested the same, but say the flavor discrepancy is negligible. Ice cold, each is considered a refreshing beer, at least for the first few sips (while they’re still cold).
Busch NA vs Budweiser Zero
Busch NA reviews are clear that Busch NA tastes a lot like Busch Light, but without alcohol. So, given that Budweiser Zero tastes like a Budweiser product and Busch NA tastes like a Busch product, pick the flavor that you’re most accustomed to drinking if you’re looking for a non-alcoholic flavor substitute for one of these beers. If you want the cheapest option, Busch NA is the cheaper of the two.
Budweiser Zero Reviews
I read through a bunch of online reviews so you don’t have to. Here are the highlights:
I found a few mixed opinions while doing the research. Most people said it tastes just like regular Budweiser, while a small percentage thought it was watered down or bland. Overall, the majority of people seem to really enjoy Budweiser Zero and say it tastes just like a normal Budweiser but without the alcohol. I agree that the similarities are impressive.
Alcohol Free Brew: How it’s Made
There are quite a few methods used for brewing non-alcoholic beer. Some control the temperature during fermentation and alcohol is never created. Some use a special distillation method post-fermentation to remove the alcohol. Budweiser non-alcoholic beer is made by removing the alcohol from regular Budweiser using a process called reverse osmosis.
Where to Buy Budweiser Non-Alcoholic Beer
Budweiser Zero can be found in many retail and grocery stores like BevMo, Walmart, and Safeway. Check Instacart for who has it nearby and have it delivered to you the same day!
Amazon: It will cost more, but you can get it here (check price on Amazon)
Final Thoughts
While I do not recommend Budweiser Zero as the best tasting na beer on the market, it might still be for you. For instance, if you like Bud Light and are looking to skip the alcohol, Budweiser Zero will be a familiar place to start.
If you want to find more alcohol free craft beer and beverage options, browse the beer page and explore the full menu of all non-alcoholic product reviews. You’ll be surprised to find how many new beverage options are available.
