Maisel's

Bayreuth sits in Upper Franconia, a region that boasts more breweries per capita than anywhere else on earth. Maisel's has thrived here by specialising in wheat beer, becoming one of Germany's major producers of the style.

Their alcohol-free wheat beer, Maisel's Weisse Alkoholfrei, showcases proper German brewing ingenuity. Rather than simply dealcoholising their standard wheat beer and calling it a day, they developed a dual-process approach. One batch of their Original Weisse has the alcohol gently removed. A second batch is brewed separately with fermentation stopped early. Blending these two creates an alcohol-free beer that retains the banana and clove character wheat beer drinkers expect, rather than the thin, watery disappointment common in the category.

The approach has earned recognition at European Beer Star and the World Beer Awards. For a traditional Bavarian brewery, competing seriously in the alcohol-free space represents a meaningful commitment to the category.

Beyond the beer, Maisel's operates an acclaimed brewery museum and runs Liebesbier, a beer bar and restaurant at the brewery that opened in 2016 as part of their Maisel & Friends craft beer venture.

In the UK, you'll find Maisel's Weisse Alkoholfrei through specialist German beer retailers and some online AF beer shops. It sits at the more credible end of an often underwhelming category.