Non-alcoholic beer and zero-alcohol beer are not the same thing: understand

Zero alcohol beer and non-alcoholic beer are not the same thing. Despite the similarity between the two terms, Brazilian legislation differentiates between non-alcoholic beers and 0% alcohol beers. Understand what changes to drink beer consciously. According to normative instruction No. 65, of 2019, only beers with an alcohol content of up to 0.05% can be presented as zero alcohol. Non-alcoholic beers are those with an alcohol content of up to 0.5%. For comparison, a “normal” beer contains around 5% alcohol content. Consumption grows in Brazil Whether for health reasons, greater responsibility behind the wheel or dietary restrictions, the consumption of beers with low or no alcohol content has become a trend in Brazil. According to the 2025 Beer Yearbook, the production of non-alcoholic or de-alcoholized beer (with an alcohol content equal to or less than 0.5%) grew 537% between 2023 and 2024, going from 119 million liters to 757 million. However, traditional beers still largely dominate the market. According to the 2026 Beer Yearbook, non-alcoholic or de-alcoholized beers represent only 1.27% of national beer production. History of non-alcoholic beer Despite its recent popularization, the first milestone for non-alcoholic beer was recorded in 1919, in the United States, when the Prohibition Law was passed, which made drinks with more than 0.5% alcohol illegal. However, it was only from the 1970s onwards that non-alcoholic beers began to be intentionally designed to have 0.0%, through technical methods aimed at completely removing alcohol and preserving sensory characteristics. How zero beer is made Water, malt, hops and yeast are the ingredients of both traditional beers and beers without or zero alcohol. The formula is the same. The difference is only in the final stage: after fermentation, which transforms the sugars into alcohol, the alcohol is removed through a process called dealcoholization. Dealcoholization can be carried out in two ways: through physical processes, such as vacuum distillation, or through biological means, that is, using special yeasts. The goal is simple: reduce alcohol. The best non-alcoholic or zero-alcohol beers Whether national or imported, in Brazil there is a wide choice of low-alcohol and high-quality beers. See a selection. Way Beer Time Out beer (non-alcoholic)