Alcohol-free 101

Plain answers about alcohol-free drinks, every claim cited: what the labels mean, what's in them, and how to order one.

A glossary of alcohol-free drinks
A few of these words have legal meanings on a US label: non-alcoholic, alcohol free, dealcoholized and low alcohol. Others, like zero-proof, spirit-free and mocktail, are menu words. Here's what each one means.
How alcohol is removed from beer
Non-alcoholic beer is made from the same four ingredients as regular beer: malt, hops, water and yeast. Brewers then either take the alcohol out after fermentation or keep most of it from forming in the first place.
What 0.0% and 0.5% ABV mean
On a US label, "non-alcoholic" means a drink has less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), and the label has to say so. "Alcohol free" and "0.0%" mean no alcohol at all. The label tells you which one you have.

How Dry Rabbit works

How we score: how a place earns Rabbit’s Choice, and how we count: the numbers behind what we publish. About Dry Rabbit.