Hoegaarden

The last Hoegaarden brewery closed in 1957. The style might have vanished entirely if not for Pierre Celis, a local milkman who had grown up next to the old Tomsin brewery and remembered the taste. In 1965, he started recreating the recipe in a milk shed. His revival worked. By the mid-1980s, his brewery De Kluis was producing over 75,000 hectolitres annually. A devastating fire and subsequent financial pressures led to acquisition by what eventually became AB InBev, but the beer survived.

Today, nine out of ten wheat beers sold in Belgium are Hoegaarden. That cloudy, unfiltered appearance and the distinctive citrus-coriander character became the template that countless witbiers still follow. The original clocks in at 4.9% ABV with a balance of sweet and sour, earthy spice, and refreshing citrus.

Hoegaarden 0.0 arrived in 2019 as AB InBev expanded its alcohol-free portfolio globally. The brewing process follows the same wheat beer approach before alcohol removal, with fruit juice added at the end. Reception has been mixed. Some fans appreciate having an AF version of a beloved classic. Others find the sweetness overpowers the subtle spice notes that make the original distinctive. At 27 calories per 100ml with notable sugar content, it sits firmly in refreshment territory rather than craft complexity.

You can find Hoegaarden 0.0 in UK supermarkets including Sainsbury's and Tesco, as well as specialist online retailers. For wheat beer drinkers seeking an alcohol-free option with proper Belgian heritage, it offers an accessible entry point. Just adjust expectations: the 0.0 version emphasises sweetness over the balanced complexity of its alcoholic sibling.