Malt aroma & flavor
Varies with underlying style
All Origin Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ales
Non-Alcohol Malt Beverage
Mixed / specialty · Varies with underlying style
What to expect
A beer-style malt beverage with less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. Flavor, body, color, and measured bitterness depend on the underlying style.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
Varies with style
Varies with style. No numeric color range is assigned.
Pale / strawBlack
Varies with underlying style · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Return to color discoveryAlcohol · ABV
<0.5%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
Varies with style
No numeric range is specified.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 64 · PDF page 73. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Varies with underlying style
Perceived bitterness
Varies with underlying style
Body & mouthfeel
Varies with underlying style
Clarity
Varies with underlying style
Color
Varies with underlying style
Fermentation characteristics
Typical of underlying style of non-alcohol beer produced. Non-alcohol (N/A) malt beverages can emulate the character of any beer style defined within these guidelines but with no or nearly no alcohol (less than 0.5 percent abv). Due to their nature, non-alcohol malt beverages will have a profile lacking the complexity and balance of flavors that beers containing alcohol will display. N/A beers should be assessed with this is mind, and should not be given negative evaluations for reasons related to the absence of alcohol.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
For purposes of competition, brewers will be asked to verify that the alcohol content of entries in this category are <0.5% abv. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries, such as the underlying classic beer style.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) <0.4% abw (<0.5% abv) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) Varies with style • Color SRM (EBC)