In the production of non-alcoholic beer, breweries face the challenge of achieving a flavor comparable to traditional beer despite using significantly less barley. This is accomplished through careful manipulation of unfermented sugars, ingredients, and temperatures, creating the sensation of beer without the presence of alcohol.
Larger breweries often employ vacuum distillation, an expensive technique that involves reducing atmospheric pressure to lower the boiling point of alcohol. This allows the beer to be heated, preserving its flavor while the alcohol evaporates. However, this process can lead to a reduced concentration of flavor compounds.
To compensate for this, breweries such as Heineken have developed techniques to capture and reintroduce aromatic compounds that are essential to the overall sensory experience of beer. This ensures that the distinctive aromas associated with traditional beer are retained in the non-alcoholic version.
In addition to these techniques, some breweries adhere to the German purity law known as "Reinheitsgebot," which restricts the ingredients used in lager-style beer to water, barley, hops, and yeast. However, the beer intended for de-alcoholization is not brewed to be a full-strength beer, but rather with the understanding that additional processes will alter its composition. As such, significant effort is put into the upfront brewing process to ensure the desired flavor outcome.