Alcohol-Free Guinness: A Review for St. Patrick's Day

St Patrick's Day is celebrated annually on March 17th, and commemorates the life of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. While originally the holiday has religious roots, it's also become a day of celebrating Irish culture across the globe, with parades, festivals, and fun.

Guinness is to St Patrick's Day as sausages are to mash, or Ant is to Dec, and for those who don't drink alcohol at all, or are looking for an alcohol-free alternative, a 0% alcholol Guinness exists. But does it look and taste the same? And what alternatives are there for those who aren't partial to an Irish stout, whether it contains alcohol or otherwise. Let's take a look.

Alcohol free Guinness - A review

The first thing to note is the packaging. Although it's slightly different to its alcoholic counterpart, it still looks like a grown-up drink in the well-known and loved branding. Once poured, it lookes almost identitcal to original Guinness with it's dark colour and traditional creamy head. 

On the taste front, if you were sipping both side-by-side and scrutinising each sip, you may be able to tell the difference, but having a casual pint with friends, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. It still has the same rich and malty flavour with hints of coffee and chocolate, and the familiar smooth, velvety texture that's such a big part of its popularity. 

Alternatives to alcohol free stout on St. Patrick's Day

Of course, that also means if you don't enjoy Guinness in general, you won't enjoy the alcohol-free version either. Don't worry though, with a growing number of alcohol-free drinks available in supermarkets, pubs, and restaurants, whether you prefer non-alcoholic spirits, alcohol-free wine, or low alcohol lager, there's much more of a choice than there would have been even a few years ago.

If you prefer fruitier flavours, then these St. Patrick's Day Mocktail recipes from The Mindful Mocktail are bound to turn your friends green with envy!

Looking to go out out on St Patrick's Day?

When it comes to choosing a venue that offers a good selection of alcohol-free drinks, it's worth doing some research in advance. Look for places that have a separate alcohol-free menu, or who clearly mark alcohol-free options on their regular menu. 

You might also find some venue reviews from other SipTrippers that will help you choose the venue for your celebrations. 

In conclusion, whether you're enjoying an alcohol-free Guinness or trying out one of the many other options avaailable, there's no reason why you can't join in the celebration without compromising your health or beliefs.

If you've tried a specific alcohol-free drink you'd like to recommend to others, please take a look at our no and low drink reviews page where you can rate and review drinks already there, or add your own!