Is it really about the beer? Why 0.0 is changing the pub experience

Non-alcoholic beer is on the rise - but is it still met with stigma? A recent Heineken 0.0 event suggests the real story is about preserving pub culture, not pushing teetotalism. 

When is a pint more than just a drink? According to Heineken’s latest push behind its alcohol-free beer, 0.0, the real value of beer lies in the ritual - not the ABV.

At a recent panel event in London, the brand brought together its senior leaders, brewing experts and beer writer Pete Brown to make the case that for many consumers, enjoying a pint is about participating in pub culture, not necessarily consuming alcohol.

It’s a timely message. While 0.0 and other no-and-low options are growing fast, draught demand alone is up 105% in the UK from 2023 to 2024,  there’s still a lingering stigma around drinking non-alcoholic beer. Research cited at the event showed that 21% of Gen Z drinkers feel the need to hide the fact that they’re choosing alcohol-free options.

“We want people to feel like they don’t need an excuse to drink non-alcoholic,” said Will Rice, Heineken UK’s on trade director.

But for Heineken, the key isn’t simply about removing stigma - it’s about shifting the focus back to the beer itself. As Pete Brown explained, “If I was a teetotaler, why would I drink beer?” The point, he said, is that drinkers of alcoholic beer are the same people drinking non-alcoholic beer - they’re there for the taste, the atmosphere, the moment.

That insight has shaped Heineken’s push to bring 0.0 on draught to pubs. Bottles may have been the starting point in 2015, but they “sit behind shelves” and lack the ceremony of a freshly poured pint. There are now 1,000 0.0 taps in pubs across the UK, from independents to chains like Greene King. It’s a symbolic move, positioning non-alcoholic beer as a first-class citizen in the on-trade, rather than a compromise option.

'The quality of experience matters'

Still, rolling out those taps hasn’t been without challenges. Technical hurdles aside, getting pubs on board requires more than just product placement. “The quality of experience matters,” said Jules Macken, Heineken’s Global Innovation Director. That means training staff to pour and serve 0.0 as they would any other draught beer - reinforcing the idea that this is still beer, just without the alcohol. It’s a message Heineken is reinforcing through high-profile campaigns, including its ongoing partnership with Formula 1 and driver Max Verstappen - an effort to make moderation aspirational rather than apologetic. And the numbers back the momentum. Heineken 0.0 is now the leading no-and-low lager brand in the UK, holding 28% of value sales - twice that of its nearest rival. Globally, one in every 15 beers sold in Europe is now non-alcoholic, and the US is tipped to overtake Germany as the world’s biggest no-alcohol beer market, according to IWSR.

Still, this isn’t about forcing a lifestyle change. As Brown noted, “We’re not trying to ram it down people’s throats.” Instead, the push is about giving people options - and letting them enjoy the ritual of beer drinking without having to justify their choices.

After all, at the heart of it, the pub has always been a place to come together. Whether your pint packs a punch or not, that part of the experience doesn’t have to change.