An alcohol-free or non-alcoholic drink, also known as a temperance drink, is a version of an alcoholic drink made without alcohol, or with the alcohol removed or reduced to almost zero. These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink or non-alcoholic beer, and are widely available where alcoholic drinks are sold.
Scientific definition
Low-alcoholic drink
Sparkling
apple cider,
, and
juice naturally contain
trace amounts or no alcohol. Some fresh
are above the UK 'alcohol free' limit of 0.05% ABV, as are some yogurts and
rye bread.
Ethanol distillation is used to separate alcoholic drinks into what are advertised as non-alcoholic drinks and Liquor. Distilled wine produces low alcohol wine
However, alcoholic drinks cannot be further purified to 0.00% alcohol by volume by distillation, although several brands market their non-alcoholic drinks with '0%' on the packaging. Most drinks labeled "non-alcoholic" contain 0.5% ABV, as it is more profitable than distilling it to 0.05% ABV often found in products sold by companies specializing in non-alcoholic drinks.
Ethical issues
Alcohol is legal in most countries of the world where a
drinking culture exists. In countries where alcohol is illegal, similar non-alcoholic drinks are permitted. The definition of "alcohol-free" may vary from country to country. The term "non-alcoholic" (e.g., alcohol-free beer) is often used to describe a drink that contains 0.0%
ABV.
However, most drinks advertised as "non-alcoholic" or "alcohol free" sold by countries with zero tolerance with state-run liquor monopoly, actually contain alcohol. In the European Union, the labels of drinks containing only more than 1.2% ABV must state the actual alcoholic strength (i.e., show the word "alcohol" or the abbreviation "alc." followed by the symbol "% vol.").
Alcohol is a psychoactive drug and some critics say that the label "non-alcoholic" is misleading, due to the presence of small amounts of alcohol in most drinks labelled as such, and a threat to recovering alcoholics.
Non-alcoholic mixed drinks
Non-alcoholic
cocktails often resemble alcoholic cocktails without any liquor. They can be a blend of fresh fruit juices, syrups, cream, herbs and spices, or can use non-alcoholic spirits. These drinks are designed specifically for those who are sober, and are particularly favored over cocktails by
teetotalers, underage persons, drivers, pregnant women, and others who choose drinks that are alcohol-free.
Fruestas
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union publishes several recipes for fruestas, which are nonalcoholic fruit drinks for large functions, such as
and weddings.
As a locution, fruesta drinks are etymologically derived from "fruit" and "fiesta", being a
portmanteau of the two words.
Legal definitions
EU
In the
European Union, the labels of drinks containing more than 1.2% ABV must state the actual alcoholic strength (i.e., show the word "alcohol" or the abbreviation "alc." followed by the symbol "% vol.").
Denmark
The government of Denmark have decided to change the
alcohol free legal definition from 0.1% alcohol by volume to 0.5%.
This is due to the different taste of 0.5% than of 0.1%.
Finland
Non-alcoholic beverage means a beverage which contains a maximum of 1.2 percentage by volume ethyl alcohol.
Italy
Non-alcoholic beer, termed as "birra analcolica", is regulated as equal to or less than 1.2% ABV.
Sweden
Systembolaget defines
alcohol-free as a drink that contains no more than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
United Kingdom
Licensing laws only place restrictions on the sale or consumption of drinks with an alcohol content of over 0.5%.
Japan
In Japanese Liquor Tax Law, shurui are defined as equal to or more than 1% ABV,
so that drinks that are less than 1% ABV are not treated as alcoholic drink.
However, Shurui no Kōkoku Shinsa Īnkai, organization for making self‐imposed regulation, defines non’arukōru inryō as drinks that 0.00% ABV.
Norway
An
alcohol free drink is defined as under 0.7% alcohol by volume.
Russia
Non-alcoholic drinks are defined as containing less than 0.5% abv in general, or less than 1.2% abv if based on a fermentation product, including drinks like
kefir,
kvass and
medovukha. This also includes
by definition.
United States
A
malt drink that contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume does not have to be labeled.
See also
Further reading
