Erdinger Alkoholfrei beer review

Can beer be refreshing after a ride?

Cycling Weekly Verdict

It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but on a warm afternoon after a long ride Erdinger Alkoholfrei beer would certainly an option rather than another glass of water

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Feels refreshing

  • +

    Makes a nice change to the usual post-ride drink

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Might be a bit gassy after a tough ride

  • -

    Certainly won't appeal to everyone

  • -

    You probably wouldn't want it after every ride

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

This post-ride drink option first came to my attention at the RideLondon sportive a couple of years ago when it was being given out by the gallon.

On a hot day, having done 100 miles quicker than I might normally, it went down very well. But then again so would normal beer at that point in a sunny park on a summer’s day.

Erdinger alcohol free beer pints

This drink is now available to buy in the UK. Erdinger says that its alcohol-free (0.5 per cent) beer is rich in vitamins, low in calories and claims it to be the “the perfect refreshing drink for the social athlete”.

>>> How to make your own recovery and energy drinks

A drink that looks, tastes and smells like beer might be an odd choice when you’ve just got in the door after a century ride (although it's often welcome later that evening), but it went down surprisingly well.

Dos and don'ts after every ride

The drink is genuinely refreshing, but would need a bit more scientific research than a quickly downed bottle whilst still stood around in kit to check the brand’s claims that “Erdinger Alkoholfrei contains vitamins and micronutrients that help the body replenish immediately after sport”.

>>> More information: erdinger.de/beer/alkoholfrei (opens in new tab)

The beer was chased down with a High5 recovery drink to make double sure that I’d feel like riding the following day (which I did).

Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly, producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing as well as cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing and write longer features for print and online. He is not responsible for misspelled titles on box outs