[Amsterdam] Alright let’s talk about this for a second - the Heineken 0.0 (€0.89) has been making rounds on social media (especially among Malay-Muslim tele-cocoons on WhatsApp) as it has been spotted to be in stock in some stores around the Singapore.

One question never fails to rise - “Is it halal?” Denotatively and strictly speaking, no. A can of this contains 0.02% alcohol by volume – but its effects are negligible unless you chug about 300 or so of these in one sitting. What about…its taste though? It seems safe enough to consume, so the curiosity jumped out in my case.

This is one of those things that I will not hesitate to proclaim how bad it tastes. First of all, interestingly, it smells like a nail varnish mixed with paint, but…it doesn’t taste like either. By no means though does that mean it’s salvageable. In fact, to put it in the simplest way - its flavour is very much akin to an unseasoned bread, if that makes any sense.

To a beer connoisseur, perhaps fruity, malty sweetness are what come to mind. However, to the average, non-alcoholic, this is none of those and instead, it’s just a mess. I couldn’t finish half of the can. Who am I to speak for anybody though? But really. If this is marketed to the crowd who are looking a non-alcoholic drink to blend in at the table in a pub/bar with their friends or coworkers, then they’re better off sitting out of it or at least having water.

On another note though, I hear that in the sea of non-alcoholic beers, there are some really good alternatives - Mikkeller just to name one. Heineken is a no-go. (3.3/10)
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[DISCLAIMER: I can’t take a stance on this, but I read somewhere that non-alcoholic beers are also ‘dangerous’ for alcoholics as its smell can be a ‘trigger’ for them, which can indirectly lead to a relapse.]

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