Halal or Haram: The Truth About Non-Alcoholic Beers

Time to read: 6-8 minutes

Is non-alcoholic beer halal or haram? The simple answer is – non-alcoholic beer is haram, not halal, because it has a small amount of alcohol. The Qur’an forbids it, so all non-alcoholic beer should be avoided by devoted Muslims.

Any brewery that produced non-alcoholic beer using the same machinery used to produce regular beer would not be allowed to claim that their non-alcoholic beer was halal because it was produced in the same location, even if the non-alcoholic beer was 100% alcohol-free.

How are halal and haram defined in the daily lives of Muslims?

Halal, which in Arabic means permissible or legal in Islam, refers to the Shari’ah-mandated Islamic dietary guidelines (Islamic Law). Another Arabic word that signifies impermissible or illegal in Islam is Haram.

All foods are halal according to general Qur’anic instruction unless they are specifically listed as Haram (unlawful or prohibited). The following guidelines state that it is forbidden to consume alcohol and other intoxicants: 

“O ye who believe! Intoxicants and games of chance, and idols and divining arrows are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.” (Chapter V, Verse 9) Source: Halal Monitoring Committee

Muslims are free to eat any food or drink pure and uncontaminated drink. Islamic law has drawn several rules from the Al-Hadith to decide whether a specific substance is permitted or prohibited.

The Muslim Belief in Alcohol: Why is it forbidden in Islam?

Drinking alcohol is considered sinful in Muslim countries. Muslims refrain from drinking because the Prophet Muhammad forewarned against it in the Qur’an, which Muslims believe to be the word of God. Alcohol may have some medical use, according to the Qur’an, but Muhammad thought that its potential for sin was “far greater” than that of its advantages. 

Furthermore, a recent study found a strong correlation between alcohol use, stigma, and social humiliation in Islamic nations. However, no research has ever been done on the effect of these variables on the reporting of alcohol consumption while taking part in scientific research in Islamic nations.

The Concept of Mimicking

Another point from the Qur’an is that if you imitate others who drink alcohol by drinking a non-alcoholic version of their beverage, this could potentially be termed Haram.

However, that expands on the drink’s context even further. It would not be prohibited for mimicry if you were drinking a 0.0% alcoholic beverage in your own home with your own family.

The Heineken Controversy In Malaysia

Malaysia is a Muslim country. Heineken was introduced in Malaysia in 2019. However, according to a Facebook statement from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, the beer should only be consumed by non-Muslims and is regarded as Haram.

Like the majority of major breweries, Heineken offers a Zero line. Therefore, it must have an ABV of less than 0.05% in order to claim to be alcohol-free. They claim that there is a 0.03% alcohol content within that range. All Heineken 0.0 products, according to their statement, are only offered in non-halal sections of supermarkets and convenience stores and only to non-Muslims at least 21 years old.

In response, Heineken released a statement saying, “The goal of bringing Heineken 0.0 in Malaysia is to give a choice to non-Muslim consumers who like the flavor of beer but may not necessarily be interested in the side effects of alcohol, particularly beer drinkers who desire to moderate their consumption as part of a balanced lifestyle.”

Halal And Haram: Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Liquids

Drinks that adhere to Islamic dietary regulations are referred to as Halal. Most beverages are Halal as long as they don’t contain specific additives like alcohol or pork products. 

Additionally, the tools used to prepare the products and their storage practices should be halal and free of Haram impurities. In light of this, manufactured beverages like soft drinks may or may not be considered Halal. 

Drinks would be considered Halal if preparation and storage techniques were deemed hygienic. In addition to taking equipment and storage into account, cleanliness also considers the workers’ hygiene and the general cleanliness of the workplace. For instance, products made in this environment would be prohibited if the working circumstances were filthy or infested with pests, just as ill or unhygienic workers would be. Drinks made with processed components should also only contain halal ingredients.

Here are some examples of Halal drinks:

1. Water – The most common and fundamental human beverage is probably water, and most of its variants are Halal beverages. The only exceptions are when the water is contaminated or combined with prohibited substances. Otherwise, it is acceptable to consume this natural substance.
2. Milk – Another significant category of drinks includes dairy products like milk, typically considered halal beverages. The milk is often acceptable to consume if obtained from a cow or other halal animal. An exception may apply if the milk-producing animal has consistently suckled milk from a prohibited animal, such as a pig. It would lose its halal classification if the beverage was combined with prohibited substances like alcohol.
3. Vegetable or fruit juices – The same guidelines apply to beverages made from plant-based ingredients. All plants and products, except those containing pork and those made from birds with talons, are generally considered halal. Juices and other liquids made from fruits or vegetables would therefore be permissible as Halal drinks.

This goes to show that natural ingredients can be considered Halal. Check out some non-alcoholic vermouth substitutes that can be considered Halal, as they’re only composed of natural recipes.

On the other hand, Muslims are notorious for abstaining from alcohol. They abstain from all consumption of meals containing ethanol, perfumes made with alcoholic components, and other intoxicating substances.

Non-Alcoholic Adult Beverages That Are Considered Halal

A few wines have received Halal certification, but generally speaking, it seems that the status of non-alcoholic adult beverages is open to personal interpretation.

For instance, the non-alcoholic beer from Barbican was once deemed halal by a Malaysian Islamic body, but it was never certified. In certain other regions of the world, this might not be accepted.

In the end, if you’re a Muslim and you’re wondering if you can drink non-alcoholic beer, you’ll have to choose between not getting drunk and not consuming any alcohol at all. Additionally, if you want to serve a Muslim acquaintance, you should either ask them what they prefer or go with a true non-alcoholic option like a mojito mocktail or a soft drink like halal root beer or ginger beer.

Here’s a list of Halal-certified drinks for your information:

1. NON 1 Salted Raspberry & Chamomile 
2. Thomson and Scott – Noughty Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine
3. Le Petit Chavin Merlot
4. Senorio de la Tautila Blanco
5. TÖST Rosé Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Beverage
6. Princess Rosato Dry
7. Élivo Zero Zero Deluxe White

What is the process of making N/A beer?

The whole “regular” brewing process is followed by non-alcoholic beers, including mashing, boiling the wort, adding hops, and fermentation. Regular beers are then canned, kegged, or bottled, but non-alcoholic beers must first have their alcohol content reduced or eliminated.

There are several ways where non-alcoholic beers can be produced:

1. One of the most popular methods is to heat the brew before pitching it again. Water and alcohol have different boiling points. Brewers can heat fermented beer to the appropriate level of ethanol by understanding the differences between the two.
2. However, the flavor of the beer is compromised when heated. Therefore, some brewers use vacuum distilling to lessen this. Since other volatile flavor compounds, like the alpha acids in hops, are less impacted by the lower alcohol boiling point, the flavor stays more true to the original.
3. Reverse osmosis, the same procedure used to desalinate ocean water, is another technique for removing alcohol. Only water and alcohol (along with a few volatile acids) can pass through a filter with very small pores, which is how beer is processed. Water and any remaining acids are then introduced into the syrupy mixture of sugars and flavor compounds left on the opposite side of the filter after the alcohol has been extracted from the alcohol-water mixture. Following the removal of the alcohol, the brewer physically injects carbon dioxide into the beer to re-carbonate it, a process sometimes known as forced carbonation.

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