Brooklyn Special Effects Hoppy Lager: The Alcohol-Free Beer That Tastes Like Beer

Brooklyn Brewery treats Special Effects as a proper beer that happens to be alcohol-free, and it shows. It pours amber rather than straw-pale, there is real malt sweetness from the Munich grain, and the dry-hopping with Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo gives it a piney, grapefruit nose most 0.5%-and-under lagers cannot get near.

The bitterness on the finish is what sells it — pleasant, lingering, adult. At £5 for four cans in Tesco it is also one of the best value craft-adjacent AF beers on the shelf. If someone tells you alcohol-free beer all tastes of nothing, hand them this.

Full tasting notes and our member ratings below.

Serving-wise, Special Effects rewards a proper pour rather than drinking straight from the can — a chilled tulip or pint glass lets the Mosaic and Citra hop aromas open up, and it holds a decent head for an alcohol-free beer. Store it upright in a cool, dark place before opening; like most AF lagers it’s brewed with the alcohol removed after fermentation, so treat it the same as a regular lager on shelf life (best enjoyed within the date on the can rather than stockpiled).

Stockists: widely available at Tesco and Asda (4x330ml cans, RRP around £5), with the full Brooklyn Special Effects range also listed via Amazon and the Brooklyn Brewery’s own site. If you want to compare it against another hop-forward AF option, our Collider Unwind Blend review covers a lighter, more sessionable alternative from the same category.

One thing worth flagging if you’re new to alcohol-free craft beer: Special Effects skews closer to a proper craft lager than the mainstream 0.0% brands, so if you’re expecting something closer to Peroni or Heineken 0.0, the hop bitterness might come as a surprise on first sip. Give it a second can before deciding — most people who like IPAs or pale ales come round to it fast.

Compliance note: This article is published by The Clear Head, a UK lifestyle site for people who don’t drink, are drinking less, or are sober curious. We aim to provide honest, practical information without promoting any particular brand or approach to alcohol.