It was a big deal when Tom Holland launched his nonalcoholic beer brand, Bero — mostly because, in my group chat at least, it meant we got paparazzi shots of him and his maybe-fiancé, Zendaya, in matching night-out fits to celebrate. I’m sure it was also a big deal to beer lovers who don’t drink alcohol and wanted a new option to add to the rotation. Have at it! I was just happy for more reasons to talk about the couple and whether or not they are engaged.
View this post on Instagram
In any case, we still wanted to get our hands on Bero, which is crafted in London and sold at Target (just like Percy Pigs, the holy grail of fruity gummy candy), to try it out for ourselves. So far, he’s released three different … are they flavors? Varietals? Beer editions?: a Golden Pils, a Hazy IPA, and a Noon Wheat. Each of Holland’s artisanal N/A beers is aesthetically appealing, appearing in a sleek metallic can, but do they taste good? We tried all three to give our honest review. Below, what the Cut team thought.
The IPA
“The IPA is too thin and there’s no haze. I’m looking for something with body!” —Catherine Thompson, features editor
“The packaging is kind of reminiscent of Ancient Rome … love the color blocking. I’m measuring these up against Athletic Brewing, which, to me, is the premier nonalcoholic beer on the market. Maybe the taste could be improved if the Bero is ICE cold. But this is too sweet to be an IPA! —Brooke Marine, deputy culture editor
“The IPA is not IPA-ing, meaning it’s missing that intense hop flavor. I would not drink this again, even if it was the only beverage at the function.” —Elizabeth Gulino, night blogger
“I’m not a drinker, so my expectations were low — I’m not the best judge, and I’m not invested. I tried the IPA and Pilsner. They both tasted like beer to me (so, fine) and had the texture and head I’d expect. I don’t get the point of nonalcoholic beer, so it’s all academic to me, but if you aren’t drinking and want people to think you might be, this seems like a good option.” —Rachel Bashein, managing editor
“I wanted to like these! Especially the Hazy IPA, but it was neither hazy nor IPA-y. Not hoppy, not juicy. Sort of can-tasting? But the cans are pretty.” —Jen Ortiz, deputy editor
“I love how the cans look. But I don’t drink alcohol, and I don’t miss it, so I’m clearly not the target audience.” —Carol Lee, beauty writer
“I don’t like beer, and to me, Bero tastes just like beer. The IPA was almost refreshing, though.” —Katja Vujić, writer
“What was the reason?” —Lindsay Peoples, editor-in-chief
The Golden Pilsner
“If you handed me this on a boat and told me it was an alcoholic beer, I’d believe you. It’s sour, foamy, and better colder. As I do when I’m drinking a beer, I got bored halfway through — so this was faithful to the full experience.” —Amy Rose Spiegel, features editor
“Has a metallic taste that nearly went away after a few sips, but I still couldn’t get past the fact that it tasted like ‘can.’” –B.M.
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
“I’m actually very into the Golden Pilsner. It tastes like any regular alcoholic beer I’d drink and is crisp and refreshing — I could see myself ordering this and genuinely enjoying it if I’m ever in a situation where I’m not drinking alcohol. If I didn’t know it was nonalcoholic, I’d probably placebo myself into thinking I was tipsy after a few.” —E.G.
“The Golden Pils is basically a Heineken, with more of a metallic taste.” —C.T.
“I can’t even remember the last time I drank a beer, but this is fine. It’s drinkable, I would never buy it though. Sincerely, a beer hater.” —Hanna Flanagan, shopping editor
“It’s definitely at least as good as a Heineken 0.0 (which is not bad!)” —Erica Schwiegershausen, senior writer
“The Golden Pils is the best of the bunch, but damn is it foamy. (And I know how to pour a beer, thank you very much.)” —J.O.
The Noon Wheat
“Noon Wheat is the worst of these three offerings for my palate. Why does the first sip already taste like backwash?” —C.T.
“This is probably the smoothest of the three options. It has a citrusy undertaste (is that a real thing? It was not quite an aftertaste … I don’t know what I’m talking about).” —B.M.
“The Noon Wheat tastes like a sour beer, but is it supposed to?” —J.O.
“I’m not into fruity drinks in general, and this beer was far too sweet for me. I am gagging thinking back about it. It literally gave me a chill down my spine in a bad way. Pass.” —E.G.
