Days Brewing “Lager” review – alcohol-free (0%) lager

This 0% lager is from Scotland’s Days Brewing. Get tasting notes and info on ingredients, calories, carbs, sugar and stockists in this review.

Producing a non-alcoholic beer used to mean heating a full strength one, and effectively boiling off the alcohol – along with much of the aroma and flavour.

Of course, that’s no longer the case. Thanks to advances in technology and brewing expertise, there are now a multitude of ways to make a non-alcoholic.

Most techniques still involve removing the alcohol. Brewers are also using special yeasts that ferment beers that are naturally ultra-low in alcohol.

Some brewers like Bavaria and Free Star are even using techniques that produce no alcohol at all.

Scotland’s Days Brewing also takes this no-alcohol-at-any-point approach.

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Founded by two veterans of the food and drink industry – Mike Gammell and Duncan Keith – Days aims to highlight how alcohol affects our mental and physical wellbeing, as well as producing non-alcoholic beer.

The brewery donates 2% of all sales to mental health organisations, which is a similar amount that alcohol companies pay in duty on sales of beer over 1.2% ABV.

Days’ “Lager” is one of two launch beers, along with its “Pale”.

How it’s made and ingredients

Days keeps its brewing process under wraps. One thing we know is that it uses its own double fermentation process, which doesn’t produce alcohol at any point.

Many of the ingredients are local. The full list is water, malted barley, maltose (a type of sugar), hop extracts and natural flavouring.

The hop variety is Hallertau, a staple in German pilsners and American pale lagers.

It’s suitable for vegans but not gluten free.

Calories, carbs and sugar

Lager contains 22 calories per 100ml – about 73 per bottle.

There are 4.5g of carbohydrates, of which 2.5g is sugar (per 100ml).

Flavours, appearance and mouthfeel

Days Lager pours clear amber. There are limited bubbles on sight, which create a slither of a head that reduces quickly to a ring of bubbles on the surface.

The bubbles quickly settle, leaving it looking a little timid, with that little head a reminder that there is some life in there.

Malts lead the aroma with caramel and a squeeze of honey. These are joined by peppery, earthy, hop aromas backed by a little dried sage and a squeeze of lemon and drop of passionfruit.

The body is good – low to medium – with a thickish texture that is heavier than a typical pale lager.

The carbonation is low and it’s gentle in the mouth.

The malts provide the foundation for the flavour, with a distinctive grainy, honey character and a touch of caramel.

There are also some peachy esters in the background. There’s little bitterness, with no dryness in the finish.

Verdict

Days’ Lager has some interesting yet muted flavours and aromas. Plus a decent body, if a little lacking in energy on the carbonation front.

If you want a lager that mimics the clean-cut flavours of a typical American pale lager or German pilsner, this beer might not cut it. But it might be a good option if you want something more varied, especially if it’s important to you that your beer is 0% rather than 0.5% ABV.

"Lager" (0%) by Days Brewing

6.6

Aroma

6.7/10

Mouthfeel

6.6/10

Flavour

6.6/10

Pros

• Suitable for vegans
• More varied than a typical pale lager

Cons

• Low on fizz