Alcohol-free beer

Like lots of other things in beer, alcohol-free versions are nothing new. As the letters below will demonstrate. Though producing something both palatable and free of alcohol was as much of a challenge then as it is today.

I came across these letters when checking that I'd downloaded from the Amsterdam archive all the Heineken documents which have been digitised.

The story starts with inventor C. Ingen Housz sending samples of his alcohol-free beer to Heineken. Presumably, in the hope of persuading them to purchase his process.

Arnhem, February 4, 1931.

To the Honorable Mr. H. P. Heineken, Amsterdam.

Honorable Sir,

As you will recall, some time ago I showed you some samples of alcohol-free beer, an invention of mine.

It is safe to say that my product has improved considerably through further testing, and therefore, on January 26th, I submitted four bottles for your inspection. It goes without saying that when my invention is in the hands of a company with all the technical resources at its disposal, a product will be obtained that, by the masses, is indistinguishable from alcoholic beer.

Furthermore, the product has never been offered to anyone, except to you. Should you ever wish to receive further details regarding its potential exploitation, I am always happy to do so, with the assurance that the conditions will be set in the most acceptable manner.

You have undoubtedly read in the trade journals that the Hansa Brewery in Dortmund will also begin producing non-alcoholic beverages this year.

Meanwhile, and awaiting your valuable feedback, I remain,

Sincerely,

C. Ingen Housz.
Source: Document 834-925 held at the Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief.

There was a fairly swift, and somewhat brutally honest, reply from Heineken.

February 14, 1931

The Most Honorable Mr. C. Ingen Housz,
ARNHEM

Honorable Sir,

In response to your letter of February 4, 1931, I can inform you that the four bottles of non-alcoholic beer you sent have arrived at the brewery's possession.

The contents were tasted at our meeting of all Directors held yesterday, and we also had the contents of a bottle analyzed.

I regret to inform you that the product arrived cloudy, nauseatingly sweet, and with a taste that caused strong expressions of disgust from several gentlemen. It gives the impression of carbonated wort and certainly not enough of beer to be of any interest to anyone.

Should you, over time, arrive at a better product and perhaps be willing to discuss your invention, we would be happy to do so.

Meanwhile,

Sincerely,

H. P. Heineken.
Source: Document 834-925 held at the Gemeente Amsterdam Stadsarchief.

I think it's pretty clear that Heineken had absolutely no interest in this product. If this is what the much-improved version was like, I dread to think how the horrific the earlier iterations were.

I can remember tasting alcohol-free beer a couple of decades back. And that impression - carbonated wort - was exactly what I had. Something almost, but not totally, unlike beer. 

Non-Alcoholic Beer

One of the topics I love banging on about is how rarely anything genuinely new appears in the world of beer. So you can imagine how delighted I was to come across an old reference to alcohol-free beer.

The process being used was to brew an alcoholic beer and then remove most of the alcohol through evaporation.

Non-Alcoholic Beer.
The process of reducing the percentage of alcohol in beer, to the limit of one per cent, of proof spirit, followed by cold storage, filtration and carbonation of beer, is very interesting, the ordinary vacuum pan being of very little service. Alcohol no doubt is sufficiently volatile, but to ensure expulsion the fluid undergoing ebullition in the vacuum pan must be constantly circulated and sprayed at a temperature of 125 deg. F., for under normal circumstances “bready” flavour comes into existence, the period of treatment being altogether excessive. We have found it absolutely necessary to complete evaporation in one hour, and this is alone possible so long as the contents of vacuum pan exist in sheet form, a neat engineering achievement. With this proviso, the process can be carried to a very successful issue, the carbonated beverage being brilliant, sparkling, and non-alcoholic. The opening for genuine, non-alcoholic beer of the kind does not exist in England, but in Mass., U.S.A., the price secured for the article is a gratifying recompense for the trouble taken.
The Brewers' Journal vol. 38 1902, July 15th 1902, page 434.

Though note that this technique was being used in the USA, not in the UK. From the last sentence it sounds like back then, just as today, non-alcoholic beer was being sold for a similar price to the full-strength version.