We put Guinness Original and Guinness 0 head-to-head in a blind taste test to see if anyone could tell the difference. The results were shocking!
Major US beer brands, including Sam Adams and Budweiser, are launching non-alcoholic alternatives. Craft beer expert Beth Demmon lauded Guinness 0 as the 'best mainstream' non-alcoholic beer, claiming most people couldn't distinguish it from the original. To test this, The Guardian conducted a blind taste test with colleagues, rating Guinness Original and Guinness 0 on flavor, aftertaste, and overall quality. Guinness Original scored 3.4 overall (flavor 3.6, aftertaste 3.5), while Guinness 0 scored 2.9 overall (flavor 2.8, aftertaste 3.4). Participants' verdicts varied wildly; some confidently mistook Guinness 0 for 'the real deal,' while others described the original as 'watery' or appreciated its 'alcoholic kick.' Ultimately, only about half of the tasters correctly identified the boozy stout. Even a participant with Irish roots, initially confident, was stumped, underscoring Guinness 0's remarkable similarity to its alcoholic counterpart.
