Guinness Draught 0.0 Review: the alcohol‑free stout that’s closer to the real thing than most lagers with booze

I’ve been trying to cut down on alcohol for a while, but I still like the whole “pint in the evening” routine. Most 0.0 beers I’ve tried so far have been pretty hit and miss: either watery, weirdly sweet, or they taste like someone waved a beer over a glass of soda water. So I grabbed this 24-pack of Guinness Draught 0.0 to see if it could actually replace the normal stuff for me, at least on weeknights.

Over two weeks, I went through the crate in pretty normal conditions: a couple of cans watching the match, one with dinner, and a few just as a late-night drink instead of tea or soft drinks. I didn’t baby it or treat it like a “special” product. I kept it in the fridge, poured it into a regular pint glass, and drank it like I would regular Guinness. I also had one side by side with a standard Guinness can to compare.

The short version: it’s surprisingly close to the original, especially in terms of texture and look. The first sip had me double-checking the can to make sure it really was 0.0. It’s not identical if you pay attention, but it’s close enough that after two or three gulps you basically forget you’re not drinking alcohol. That’s already better than most alcohol-free lagers I’ve tried.

It’s not perfect though. There’s a bit less depth in the taste, and if you really know your Guinness you’ll pick that up. But for a normal drink after work or when you’re the designated driver, it absolutely gets the job done. Over the 24 cans, I never felt like I was forcing myself to drink it “because it’s healthy” or anything like that. I actually reached for it on purpose, which says a lot.

Taste-wise, this is where Guinness 0.0 is actually pretty solid. First sip, you get that familiar roasted barley thing straight away. There’s a light coffee vibe, a bit of cocoa, and a gentle bitterness at the end. It’s not harsh, just that typical Guinness finish that keeps it from being sweet. If you’ve drunk regular Guinness before, your brain goes, “Yep, that’s Guinness,” even if it’s not 100% identical.

Compared side by side with a normal can, here’s what I noticed: the 0.0 is slightly thinner in flavour. The roast and bitterness are there, but they don’t linger as long. The sweetness from the malt feels a bit more upfront, and there’s a tiny “soft drink” feeling in the background, but it’s way less noticeable than with most 0.0 lagers. Importantly, there’s no weird artificial aftertaste. After a few gulps, you stop analysing and just drink it like a regular pint, which is exactly what I wanted.

In terms of aroma, when you stick your nose in the glass, you get a light smell of coffee and a bit of chocolate, plus that general malty stout smell. It’s not super strong, but it’s there. The bitterness is well judged: enough to feel like a stout, not enough to make it harsh. I had a couple of cans with food (burgers, chips, stew) and it held up fine. It doesn’t fight with the food, and it doesn’t taste like a sugary drink when you eat.

If I had to nit-pick, I’d say it’s 80–85% of the way to regular Guinness in flavour. If you’re a hardcore purist and drink Guinness all the time, you’ll notice the missing depth. If you’re just someone who likes a dark beer and wants to stay sober, it’s more than good enough. Compared to other 0.0 beers I’ve tried (Heineken 0.0, Peroni 0.0, etc.), this feels more like a real beer and less like a compromise.

Price-wise, Guinness 0.0 in a 24-pack usually comes out cheaper per can than buying the alcoholic version in smaller packs, at least from what I’ve seen online and in supermarkets. That’s a bit ironic, but in a good way: you’re cutting alcohol and also shaving a bit off the beer budget if you drink it regularly. For what you get – a proper stout experience without alcohol – I’d say the value is pretty strong.

When I compare it to other alcohol-free beers, especially the more “premium” branded 0.0 lagers, Guinness 0.0 gives you more in terms of body and satisfaction. A lot of those lighter beers feel like slightly flavoured water, and I end up drinking them fast and not feeling like I had a proper drink. With this, one can feels like a real pint. So even if it’s a little more expensive than some supermarket own-brand 0.0s, the experience is better, and I actually drink fewer cans.

Over the 24 cans, I didn’t have a single dud: no flat cans, no odd tastes, no leaks. That consistency helps justify the price. Also, if you’re using this to replace a few nights of regular drinking, you save money indirectly too: fewer taxis, no hangover snacks, less random spending after a boozy night. Obviously that’s not on the label, but it’s real.

So in terms of value, I’d call it good but not dirt-cheap. You’re paying for a branded stout that actually tastes like what it’s copying. If you just want the lowest-cost alcohol-free option, you can go for supermarket own-brand lagers. But if you want something that feels close to a real pub pint and you like Guinness, this 24-pack is a pretty sensible buy.

The design is basically classic Guinness with a slight twist. The can is tall, slim, and has that nitrogen widget inside, just like the regular draught cans. That’s key, because it’s what gives you the creamy head and that thick, smooth mouthfeel. A lot of 0.0 beers skip that and you end up with something fizzy and thin. Here, you still get that “proper pub pint” vibe when you pour it out, which helps a lot psychologically when you’re skipping alcohol.

The branding itself is clean and clear. The big difference is the blue accents and the large 0.0 on the front. In practice, it’s good enough to avoid confusion, but if you’re half drunk and mixing these with normal Guinness cans, you could still grab the wrong one. Personally, I kept the 0.0s on a separate shelf in the fridge to avoid any mix-up. The can has all the usual info on the back: ingredients, calorie info, alcohol content (0.0%), and allergy warning for barley.

From a usability point of view, the can opens easily and consistently. I didn’t have any dodgy widgets or flat pours across the whole 24-pack. Every can gave that same “pssshhh” when opening and poured with a decent head. I always tilt the glass slightly and then straighten it at the end, and that worked perfectly here too. You don’t need any special trick; just pour it like you would regular Guinness.

In short, the design is practical and familiar. It does exactly what it needs to: it looks like Guinness, opens like Guinness, pours like Guinness. There’s nothing fancy or clever beyond that, but honestly, that’s what I want from a beer can. The only small downside is that the blue/black mix might confuse some people at a glance, but it’s not a big deal if you store them sensibly.

I don’t usually sit there sniffing my beer like wine, but for this I did pay attention. When you pour Guinness 0.0 into a glass and let the head settle, the smell is fairly close to normal Guinness, just a bit lighter. You get that roasted malt, a bit of coffee, and a faint cocoa note. It’s not very strong, but it’s clearly in the stout territory, not just generic “beer smell”.

Compared to the alcoholic version, the aroma is less intense and doesn’t hang around as much. With regular Guinness, if you leave the glass on the table, you can smell it every time you bring it back up. With this one, you do have to go a bit closer to pick it up, especially after the first few minutes. Still, it smells nice and there’s nothing off-putting: no sour whiff, no strange chemical scent, nothing that screams “fake beer”.

Over the 24 cans, the smell was consistent. No can smelled flat or odd, even when I poured one that had been in the fridge for a couple of weeks. I also asked a friend who drinks a lot of Guinness to smell it blind, and his comment was basically: “Smells like Guinness, maybe a bit weaker.” Which sums it up well.

So if aroma matters to you, it’s decent but not mind-blowing. You won’t be sat there just enjoying the smell like some craft stout, but you won’t be disappointed either. It smells like what it’s meant to be: a light version of Guinness, without anything weird going on.

The 24-pack comes in a fairly standard cardboard outer box. It’s not fancy, but it’s sturdy enough. Mine arrived via delivery and the box had a couple of scuffs, but nothing dramatic. No dented cans, no leaks, no rattling widgets. The weight is around 11+ kg, so it’s a bit of a lump to carry, but that’s normal for 24 tall cans. Once it’s in the house, you’re fine.

Inside, the cans are just stacked in rows, no plastic wrapping around each one, which I actually prefer – less rubbish to deal with. The box opens easily from the top, so you can either take all the cans out at once or just pull a few at a time. I ended up keeping the box next to the fridge and refilling the fridge shelf when it was getting low. For storage, the rectangular shape is practical and doesn’t fall apart once opened.

In terms of information on the box, you’ve got the basics: brand, 0.0 marking, can count, volume, and some info about the product. Nothing fancy and nothing that screams “premium”, but honestly, this is a bulk buy – you’re paying for the beer, not the cardboard. What matters more is that it protects the cans well and fits into normal cupboards or under the counter, and it does.

Overall, the packaging is functional and no-nonsense. If you’re expecting a gift-worthy presentation, this isn’t it. But if you just want a solid stock of 0.0 Guinness for the month, the box is easy enough to handle, keeps everything together, and doesn’t create a mountain of plastic waste. That’s good enough for me.

This pack is pretty straightforward: 24 x 440 ml cans of Guinness 0.0, the standard size you’d expect from a normal draught-style can. Each can has the same kind of layout as classic Guinness: dark blue/black background, the harp logo, and the clear “0.0” marking so you can’t mix it up with the alcoholic version. If you’ve got both in the fridge, you still need to pay attention, but the 0.0 label is big enough that you won’t accidentally grab the wrong one if you’re not half asleep.

In terms of presentation, it behaves like normal Guinness in the glass. You crack it open and you get that familiar nitro hiss from the widget. When you pour it into a pint glass, you get the usual surge effect: the creamy head building up, the dark body settling under it. Visually, if you showed someone the poured pint and didn’t tell them it was alcohol-free, they wouldn’t guess. The colour is a deep dark brown that looks almost black, with that slightly ruby tone when you hold it up to the light.

There’s nothing fancy about the outer packaging if you buy it as a bulk pack: it’s mostly a cardboard box with branding, basic info, and that’s it. It’s clearly aimed at people who want to stock up, not as a gift pack. For storage, the box is a bit bulky but fits fine in a normal cupboard or under a counter. I just kept it by the fridge and loaded in a few cans at a time.

Overall, the presentation is very close to the standard Guinness experience. Same can size, same pouring ritual, same look in the glass. If you like the whole “pint ceremony” before sitting down to watch a game, you don’t really lose anything here. It feels like drinking a proper beer, not a random soft drink pretending to be one.

By “effectiveness” here, I mean: does Guinness 0.0 scratch the same itch as a normal pint when you want a beer, but don’t want the alcohol? For me, over two weeks of fairly regular drinking, the answer is mostly yes. On evenings where I’d normally crack open a standard Guinness, I swapped it for this and didn’t feel like I was missing out in terms of taste and ritual. The big win is that you still get the creamy texture and slow-sipping feel of a stout, not just a fizzy lager.

Socially, it also works. I had a couple while watching football with friends, and nobody batted an eye. In a glass, it looks exactly like normal Guinness, so you don’t get that “oh, you’re on soft drinks?” feeling. That might sound silly, but it does matter if you’re trying to cut down without making a big deal out of it. You can have two or three cans, enjoy the match, and still drive home clear-headed.

On the health/comfort side, the 0.0% alcohol does what it says. No buzz, no hangover, no groggy feeling the next morning. I could drink one late at night and still sleep fine, which doesn’t always happen with alcoholic beer. It’s also fairly filling, so you don’t tend to smash four in an hour like you might with light lager. One or two feels like a proper session.

The only downside in terms of effectiveness is that if you’re chasing that slight warmth and relaxation you get from real beer, obviously this doesn’t give you that. It’s beer for your mouth and routine, not for your head. As long as you’re honest about that, it does the job very well as an alcohol-free stand-in, especially if you already like Guinness.