Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 Review – A Refreshing Alcohol-Free Lager?

Manufacturer Description

“Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% is the new premium Italian non-alcoholic beer. It maintains the characteristic taste traits of the original PNA: the presence of Mais Nostrano®, a 100% Made in Italy variety grown exclusively for Peroni Nastro Azzurro, and the use of fine aromatic hops, which help preserve its dry and refreshing taste that has made it famous around the world. The brand-new dealcoholization technology allows us to keep the recipe and the original taste of Peroni Nastro Azzurro, now also with 0.0% alcohol.” – This is how Birra Peroni describes their non-alcoholic beer offering.

The Beer

Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% debuted in 2022, replacing the brand’s previous non-alcoholic offering, Peroni Libera, which launched in 2018. Unlike Libera, which was brewed with a slow-fermenting yeast that naturally limited alcohol production, Peroni 0.0% follows the brand’s classic recipe before undergoing dealcoholisation using state-of-the-art equipment installed at its Rome facility.

The Premise of the Review

As a novice in the world of non-alcoholic and low-ABV beers, I debated internally for a while on how to approach reviewing these beers, as I didn’t have a baseline of other non-alcoholic options to compare them to.

So, for the first few reviews—until I develop a more sophisticated palate—I’ve decided to do a direct comparison with the alcoholic equivalent. In this case, that’s Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

The plan is to first review Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% non-alcoholic beer on its own, then compare it to Peroni Nastro Azzurro alcoholic lager, and finally, give an overall rating.

First Thoughts

Making sure my alcohol-free Peroni was nice and cold, I took it out of the fridge, opened the bottle, and did an initial sniff test. To be honest, there wasn’t much to note—just a mild beer aroma, similar to the alcoholic version.

Next, I poured the beer into a glass for a better assessment. My first impression was that the beer appeared pretty flat, with no significant head forming. However, the colour was a pleasant yellow.

Now, onto the most important part—the taste. The Peroni 0.0 non-alcoholic beer had a light and fairly refreshing taste, though it was a bit bland.

It was easy to drink, but as I had suspected from the pour, it did feel somewhat flat. On the plus side, there was no unpleasant aftertaste, which can sometimes be an issue with dealcoholized beers.

The Comparison

For a direct comparison, I opened a bottle of Peroni Nastro Azzurro alcoholic lager at the same time.

The scent was almost identical to the 0.0% version. When poured, the colour was the same, but the alcoholic version was noticeably fizzier and formed a head, though it dissipated quickly.

In terms of taste, both beers were similar, but the alcoholic Peroni Nastro Azzurro had a bit more bite due to its carbonation, which added some extra depth to the flavor. That said, Peroni itself is a relatively light lager to begin with.

The Verdict

Overall, I found Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% alcohol-free beer to be pleasant and refreshing. I could easily see myself drinking this in a bar with friends.

However, the flavour did seem to lack something, and while it was refreshing, it was a bit bland. Because of this, I’m not sure I’d want to drink it all night, but it’s certainly a good non-alcoholic beer option to try.

If you’re looking for the best non-alcoholic beers, Peroni 0.0% is a solid choice, especially if you enjoy lighter lagers.

Have you tried Peroni Nastro Azzurro?

Share your thoughts in the comments — and check out more alcohol-free beer reviews at ModestDrinker.com!