Lager is the style most people mean when they say “a beer,” and it is where the big brewers have spent the most money on non-alcoholic versions. Heineken, Peroni, Corona, and Budweiser all now make 0.0 or near-zero lagers that you can find at a gas station. That is good news for availability, and mixed news for flavor, because a lager has nowhere to hide. There is no roast, no hop bomb, no fruit. It is malt, water, and a clean finish, and the beers that get the finish wrong taste like sweet cereal water.
I tasted the eight lagers below side by side, ice cold, from the bottle or can. Here is how they rank.
The quick verdict: Heineken 0.0 is the pick for most people because it is true 0.0%, tastes right, and is everywhere. Clausthaler Original is the better beer if you care about pilsner flavor. Peroni 0.0 is the crispest true-zero option. Corona Non-Alcoholic is the summer beer. The rest are situational.
How I judged them
Crispness and a clean finish above everything, because that is what a lager is for. Real malt flavor, since the worst NA lagers taste like the malt never fermented. Whether the beer is certified 0.0% or merely under 0.5%, which matters to a lot of lager drinkers specifically. And price, because lager is a volume purchase.
#1 Heineken 0.0
Best Overall
Why it’s #1: Heineken 0.0 is the beer that made non-alcoholic lager mainstream, and it earned that. It tastes like Heineken. The same slightly sweet European malt, the same light hop bite, the same green-bottle finish, and no alcohol at all. Whatever you think of regular Heineken, the 0.0 version is a faithful copy, and it is sold in more places than any other NA beer on earth.
- Pack: 6 bottles, 11.2 oz
- Price: $11.99
- ABV: 0.0%
- Calories: 69 per bottle
- Profile: Light European lager, mild sweetness, clean finish
Pros: True 0.0%, tastes like Heineken, available everywhere, cheap Cons: A touch sweet, not much character Best for: Bars, restaurants, anyone who needs a guaranteed 0.0% beer
#2 Clausthaler Original
Best German Lager
Why it’s #2: Clausthaler has been making non-alcoholic beer in Frankfurt since 1979, longer than anyone else on this list, and it shows. The Original has a fuller malt body and a drier, more bitter finish than Heineken 0.0. It tastes like a German pilsner first and a non-alcoholic beer second. It ranks second only because it is under 0.5% rather than true zero, and because it is harder to find outside larger grocery chains.
- Pack: 6 bottles, 12 oz
- Price: $9.70
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: About 90 per bottle
- Profile: Malty German pilsner, dry hop finish
Pros: Most authentic lager flavor here, cheapest six-pack, decades of experience Cons: Not true 0.0%, patchier availability Best for: Pilsner drinkers, German beer fans, value shoppers
Shop Clausthaler Original on Amazon
#3 Peroni 0.0
Crispest True Zero
Why it’s #3: Peroni 0.0 is drier and crisper than Heineken 0.0, with a slightly more bitter finish that makes it the better beer with food. It is also certified 0.0%. It ranks below Heineken only on availability, since it shows up in far fewer stores. If you see both on a shelf and you are ordering pizza, buy the Peroni.
- Pack: 6 bottles, 11.2 oz
- Price: $12.49
- ABV: 0.0%
- Profile: Crisp, dry, light bitterness
Pros: True 0.0%, crispest of the big-brand options, great with food Cons: Harder to find than Heineken Best for: Pizza, Italian food, anyone who finds Heineken 0.0 too sweet
#4 Corona Non-Alcoholic
Best With a Lime
Why it’s #4: Corona’s NA version does exactly what Corona does. Light, clean, a little grainy, and built for a lime wedge and a beach chair. On its own it is unremarkable. With a lime it is a summer afternoon. Corona also adds vitamin D to the NA version, which is a marketing gimmick, but the beer underneath is solid.
- Pack: 6 bottles, 12 oz
- Price: $12.12
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 60 per bottle
- Profile: Light Mexican lager, grainy, clean
Pros: Tastes like Corona, cheap, iconic bottle Cons: Bland without a lime, not true 0.0% Best for: Beach days, tacos, anyone who already drinks Corona
Shop Corona Non-Alcoholic on Amazon
#5 Deschutes Kernza Lager
Best Craft Lager
Why it’s #5: Deschutes brews this one with Kernza, a perennial grain, and it is organic. The result is a lager with a slightly nutty, bready malt character that none of the big brands can match. It is the most interesting beer on this list. It ranks in the middle because distribution is limited and because the extra grain character pushes it a little away from the crisp, neutral lager most people are shopping for.
- Pack: 6 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $12.59
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Profile: Nutty, bready malt, clean finish
Pros: Organic, distinctive, excellent brewery Cons: Limited distribution, not a neutral lager Best for: Craft drinkers who want a lager with character
Shop Deschutes Kernza Lager on Amazon
#6 RationAle Mexican Cerveza
Best Craft Mexican Lager
Why it’s #6: RationAle is a small NA-only brewery, and their Mexican cerveza is what Corona NA would taste like with a proper malt backbone. Cleaner, fuller, and better without a lime. It ranks below Corona only because it costs more and is harder to find.
- Pack: 6 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $14.99
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Profile: Mexican lager, fuller malt, clean
Pros: Better than the mainstream Mexican NA lagers Cons: Pricier, smaller brand Best for: Tacos, Corona drinkers who want more flavor
Shop RationAle Mexican Cerveza on Amazon
#7 Budweiser Zero
Cheapest True Zero
Why it’s #7: Budweiser Zero is an honest beer. It is true 0.0%, it is 50 calories, it costs about a dollar a can, and it tastes like a lighter, sweeter Budweiser. It is not exciting. It ranks here because the sweet finish is more noticeable than in Heineken 0.0 or Peroni 0.0, but for a ballpark or a cookout it does the job.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $11.99
- ABV: 0.0%
- Calories: 50 per can
- Profile: Light American lager, sweet finish
Pros: True 0.0%, cheapest per can, easy to find Cons: Thin and sweet Best for: Ballparks, cookouts, buying in bulk
#8 Athletic Brewing Lite
Lowest Calorie
Why it’s #8: Athletic Lite is a 25-calorie light lager brewed with rice and malt, and it is Athletic’s answer to Bud Light. It is clean and inoffensive and there is very little to say about the flavor, which is the point of a light lager. If calories are your only criterion, it wins. On flavor it finishes last.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $16.48
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 25 per can
- Profile: Very light, rice and malt, minimal hops
Pros: Lowest calorie beer here, sessionable Cons: Almost no flavor Best for: Light beer drinkers, long sessions
Shop Athletic Lite on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
Quick winners guide
| Pick | Best for | True 0.0%? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heineken 0.0 | Best overall | Yes | $11.99 / 6 |
| Clausthaler Original | German pilsner flavor | No | $9.70 / 6 |
| Peroni 0.0 | Crispest true zero | Yes | $12.49 / 6 |
| Corona Non-Alcoholic | Summer, with lime | No | $12.12 / 6 |
| Budweiser Zero | Cheapest true zero | Yes | $11.99 / 12 |
What to try next
If you want more flavor than any lager offers, the best non-alcoholic IPAs guide is the next step, and Athletic Upside Dawn golden ale, covered in the Athletic Brewing review, is the friendliest bridge between the two styles. For every style ranked in one place, see the best non-alcoholic beers page.
