If there's one style of AF beer that genuinely rivals its full-strength counterpart, it's IPA. The reason is simple: hops do the talking. All that tropical fruit, pine resin, grapefruit peel and floral character? That comes from the hops, not the alcohol. Strip the ethanol out and the hop bill stays, which is why the best AF IPAs are some of the most convincing alcohol-free drinks you can buy.
Why IPAs are the best AF beer style
Every alcohol-free beer has the same problem: removing ethanol strips body, sweetness, and the flavour compounds that dissolve in alcohol. Lagers and pilsners rely heavily on clean fermentation and a delicate malt-hop balance that's hard to replicate without the booze. But IPAs lean on hops, and hops are resilient.
The aromatic oils in hops (myrcene, humulene, geraniol) are added late in the brewing process, often during dry-hopping after fermentation. These volatile compounds survive dealcoholisation remarkably well. Modern techniques like maltose-negative yeast (which ferments glucose but not maltose, keeping the ABV naturally low) and vacuum distillation at low temperatures mean brewers can preserve almost all the hop character that defines an IPA.
The hazy IPA substyle is particularly suited to AF brewing. That soft, full mouthfeel comes from oats and wheat in the grain bill, not from alcohol. Add some lactose or extra protein, and you get body and creaminess at 0.5% that you simply can't achieve in an AF lager.
“Hops do the talking. Strip the ethanol out and the hop bill stays.”
Hazy and NEIPA: the crowd pleasers
Hazy IPAs and New England IPAs are where AF brewing really flexes. The soft, juicy, tropical character of this substyle translates brilliantly without alcohol.
Brulo Lust For Life DDH IPA (0.5%, from £3.40/330ml at Wise Bartender) is a standout. Double dry-hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic, it pours hazy gold with tropical fruit leaping out of the glass and a dry citrus finish. Edinburgh-based Brulo have made AF their entire focus, and it shows. Their Sabro Galaxy DDH IPA (coconut, pineapple, passionfruit) and King For A Day NEIPA (with a touch of Madagascan vanilla) are both worth seeking out.
Lucky Saint Hazy IPA (0.5%, from £2.50/330ml at The Alcohol Free Co; £4.75/4-pack at Tesco) has earned its place on supermarket shelves. Brewed with oats, wheat, and new world hops, it's soft, tropical, and sessionable in the best sense. Available widely at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and Waitrose.
Mash Gang Chug (0.5%, from £4.12/330ml at The Alcohol Free Co) is citrus-forward with mango and passionfruit from Citra and El Dorado hops. Vegan, low-calorie, and genuinely tasty. Their Journey Juice Fruited Hazy IPA adds real mango, passionfruit, lime juice, and chilli salt for something more adventurous.
Thornbridge Green Mountain (0.5%, from £2.40/330ml at Wise Bartender) takes their best-selling beer and strips the alcohol, keeping the Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hop bill intact. Full-on tropical character at a fair price.
West Coast: for the bitter lovers
If you prefer your IPA with bite, resinous pine, grapefruit peel, and a dry, lingering bitterness, the West Coast substyle is where you need to be looking.
Thornbridge Jaipur AF (0.5%, from £2.50/330ml at Wise Bartender) is the alcohol-free version of Thornbridge's legendary 2005 flagship. Same Maris Otter malt, same six-hop bill. This is as close to a "proper" West Coast IPA as you'll find at 0.5%.
Big Drop Paradiso Citra IPA (0.5%, from £1.80/330ml at Ocado) delivers citrus and tropical fruit from a five-hop bill including Chinook, Cascade, Simcoe, Citra, and Columbus. At under £2 from Ocado, it's also brilliant value. Their Poolside DDH IPA (from £2.60) adds pineapple, stone fruit, and mango with resinous pine underneath.
Nirvana West Coast IPA (0.5%, from £2.50/330ml at Wise Bartender) is dry-hopped with Mosaic, Nectaron, and Simcoe, delivering resinous pine and grapefruit over a biscuit malt base. One of the original UK AF craft breweries, and they're still producing quality.
BERO Double Tasty West Coast Style IPA (0.5%, from £2.80/330ml at Wise Bartender) is Tom Holland's venture into AF brewing. Built on American hops with a clean malt backbone and a dry bitter finish at 45 IBU, it's a credible effort from a celebrity brand.
**Gold**
Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Hazy IPA at 2025 World Beer Cup
90+
AF IPAs tracked in the Practically Clear database
£1.80
Cheapest AF IPA per can (Big Drop Paradiso at Ocado)
“"IPAs lean on hops, and hops are resilient."”
Session IPAs and supermarket picks
Not everyone wants a hop bomb. Session IPAs dial back the bitterness while keeping things interesting, and they're often the most affordable options.
BrewDog Punk AF (0.5%, from £3.98/4-pack at ASDA; £4.00/4-pack at Tesco) is the gateway AF IPA for most people. Brewed on the same multi-hop bill as Punk IPA, including Citra, Mosaic, Nelson Sauvin, and Simcoe, with oats and wheat for body. It's everywhere, it's cheap, and it's consistently decent. A 12-pack from Tesco for under a fiver is hard to argue with.
Beavertown Lazer Crush (0.3%, from £2.80/330ml at Wise Bartender; £5.00/4-pack at Tesco) uses a specialist yeast that ferments glucose rather than maltose, producing tropical fruit character and clean hop bitterness. At 0.3%, it's about as close to zero as you can get while still tasting like beer. Widely stocked at Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose.
Infinite Session IPA (0.5%, from £2.20/330ml at Wise Bartender; £4.50/4-pack at Sainsbury's) is dry-hopped with Citra, Centennial, and Amarillo on a six-grain malt base. Good value and reliable.
Drop Bear Tropical IPA (0.5%, from £1.90/330ml at Ocado) is a Welsh hazy IPA brewed with four American hop varieties and dealcoholised after fermentation. At under £2 from Ocado, it's a budget pick that punches above its weight.
The specialist shelf
For those willing to spend a bit more and order from AF retailers, there's a world of seriously good IPAs.
JumpShip Jackstaff IPA (0.5%, from £2.90/330ml at Wise Bartender) is a Scottish IPA dry-hopped with Mosaic and Centennial, brewed with oats. Pine resin, citrus peel, and a hint of ripe peach. JumpShip also make the excellent Haar NE IPA with Sabro hops for a pina colada-style aroma.
Siren Soundwave IPA (0.5%, from £3.98/330ml at The Alcohol Free Co) is an award-winner loaded with citrus, mango, and stone fruit from generous late hopping. One of the most respected AF IPAs in the UK craft scene.
Northern Monk Super Stredge IPA (0.5%) is their take on Striding Edge with tropical fruit, pine, and a silky mouthfeel that punches above what you'd normally get at this ABV.
Our top three
- Brulo Lust For Life DDH IPA - Best overall. Proper craft quality, stunning hop character, and they make nothing but AF beer. From £3.40 at Wise Bartender.
- Beavertown Lazer Crush - Best supermarket IPA. Widely available, genuinely low ABV, and tastes like a proper pint. From £5.00/4-pack at Tesco.
- Big Drop Paradiso Citra IPA - Best value. Five-hop citrus bomb for £1.80 at Ocado. Hard to beat at that price.
The AF IPA category has more depth and quality than any other AF beer style. Whether you want a cheap 4-pack from Tesco or a small-batch DDH IPA from an Edinburgh microbrewery, there's something here for every hop lover. And unlike most AF beers, these actually taste like the thing they're trying to be.