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Alcohol-free, non-alcoholic & low alcohol defined Image

Alcohol-free, non-alcoholic & low alcohol defined

Across Europe, the USA, and much of the world, 'alcohol-free' means anything under 0.5% alcohol by volume. We (Difford's Guide) also consider drinks at...
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Charl Engela’s Avatar Charl Engela
5th March at 21:28
Thanks for the definitions. Can you tell us why you still have to be age-checked to buy alcohol-free drinks in the UK? I’m in my 60s so it’s no skin off my nose but if alcohol-free beer is only as intoxicating as Coca-Cola I’d have thought teenagers ought to be allowed to buy it!
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Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
6th March at 08:28
Many licensees choose to operate an age verification policy for alcohol-free drinks due to practicality as well as reducing the risk of an underage sale. Visually, it's impossible to tell the difference between an alcoholic and alcohol-free cocktails – part of the attraction to alcohol-free cocktails as socially inclusive. Hence, the necessity to treat in the same way. There’s also a desire not to lure underage drinkers into cocktails. The same applies to many retailers for the sale of alcohol-free ‘spirits’.
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