How Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Made? (And Why Ours Tastes Better)
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Why Does Some Non-Alcoholic Beer Taste Amazing — and Some Taste Like Nothing?
It comes down to two things: the process used to make it, and the ingredients that go in. Here's the honest breakdown.
Non-alcoholic beer is a good choice for a great new habit — but let's be honest, some taste really good and some don't taste much better than water. Some are full of sugar and artificial flavourings. So how can two products with the same label taste so completely different?
It comes down to process and ingredients. There are two brewing processes: alcohol removed (from full-strength beer) and naturally fermented (brewed to under 0.5% abv). And ingredients can be natural whole grains and fresh hops — or just lab-engineered flavourings. Those choices determine everything you taste in the glass.
The most common question we get asked: "How do you remove the alcohol?" The honest answer — at State of Play, we don't.
The Two Brewing Methods Explained
Alcohol Removal
- Full-strength beer is brewed first
- Heated in a vacuum to ~40°C to distil out alcohol
- Aroma and flavour are stripped out in the process
- Rebuilt with sugar, sodium, and flavourings
- Efficient for light lagers with low bitterness
- Used by Heineken 0.0, Asahi 0.0, Corona 0.0
Natural Fermentation
- Batch brewed from scratch with whole ingredients
- Proprietary low-attenuation yeast strain used
- Yeast fully ferments simple sugars, producing aromas and esters
- Alcohol never exceeds 0.3% — nothing needs removing
- All polyphenols and flavour compounds retained
- Enables complex styles: IPA, Hazy, Stout, Lager
The alcohol-removal process is efficient and works well for everyday lagers with a light flavour profile. But if you want a beer with genuine complexity — a hoppy IPA, a murky hazy, a rich stout — you need natural fermentation and the best natural ingredients.
How State of Play Does It
State of Play uses a proprietary yeast that is a low-attenuation strain. It fully ferments the simple sugars from the malts, producing all the delicious aromas, esters, and polyphenols — at only 0.3% alcohol. No distillation. No rebuilding. No compromise.
The fun part of brewing is that what we do at the end is what you taste first. Aromatic hops added at the very end of brewing hit you as the first smell out of the can. The dark malts mashed at the beginning become the body and mouthfeel you enjoy with each long sip.
This batch brewing method is what makes a full range of styles possible — Golden Lagers, IPAs, Hazys, Stouts, even Double IPAs — by adjusting the hops and malts at different stages of the process.
Don't Take Our Word For It
State of Play has collected over 313 customer reviews. Here's what some of them said:
"Great tasting beer with zero alcohol. Others are tasteless in comparison."
"I love the state of play story and get excited every time I get to reorder my 24 mix box. Each can has a unique journey."
"Definitely my favourite beers in New Zealand. I have moved from standard beers to SOP zero alcohol. This is due to the taste and that they are incredibly thirst-quenching in hot weather."
Ultimately, you're the real judge. You may prefer the full-flavour State of Play approach, or you may prefer a light imported lager — the point is you now have a genuine choice. Our pre-mixed cases let you try the range and find your favourite.
Find Your Favourite — Try the Range
Build a custom 24-can box with any mix of State of Play's five zero-alcohol beers. Free shipping on orders over $100.
→ Build a BoxFrequently Asked Questions
How is non-alcoholic beer made?
There are two main methods. Alcohol removal heats full-strength beer in a vacuum at around 40°C to distil out the alcohol — used by Heineken 0.0, Asahi 0.0, and Corona 0.0. Because aroma and flavour are stripped out in the process, they're rebuilt with sugar, sodium, and flavourings.
Natural fermentation is the State of Play approach. A specialist low-attenuation yeast brews the beer to only 0.3% alcohol from the start — nothing is ever removed, so all the flavour compounds stay intact.
Is non-alcoholic beer really alcohol-free?
State of Play beer is brewed to 0.3% alcohol — the lowest achievable through natural fermentation — and labelled as under 0.5% abv as required by NZ and Australian food standards.
For context: orange juice, sourdough bread, and ripe fruit all contain more alcohol than State of Play beer, yet none of them are required to display alcohol levels. Soy sauce can be up to 18% abv. Our beer is well below any meaningful threshold.
Can you get drunk on non-alcoholic beer?
No. The average adult body continuously processes drinks up to around 2.5% alcohol. At 0.3% abv, State of Play beer is metabolised far faster than it could accumulate in your system. The short answer is no — you cannot get drunk drinking non-alcoholic beer.
Why does some non-alcoholic beer taste watery?
Non-alcoholic beers made using alcohol removal lose much of their original aroma and flavour during the heating process. To compensate, manufacturers add sugar, sodium, and artificial flavourings — which is why many imported zeros taste thin or synthetic.
Naturally fermented beers like State of Play retain all their esters, polyphenols, and hop aromas because significant alcohol was never present to begin with. What you taste is what was brewed — nothing added, nothing stripped.