Hoegaarden Soft Brew, a light, refreshing non-alcoholic brew

The new Hoegaarden Soft Brew joins the growing non-alcoholic brew trend. This new beverage skips the alcohol but brings all the flavor.

Hoegaarden Soft Brew looks to change the way that people think about non-alcoholic beers. As low ABV beverages and non-alcoholic options continue to expand, this latest beverage launch combines a variety of trends into one beverage. It is definitely a beverage that everyone will want to try.

The new Hoegaarden Soft Brew comes in two flavors, Rosée and Citrus. According to Hoegaarden, the beverage uses “Hoegaarden beer as its base, then brewed to remove the alcohol and then is infused with fruit juice.”

For beer fans, this non-alcoholic beer might sound somewhat similar to a shandy, especially the citrus version. A shandy combines beer and lemonade (usually) to create a lighter, refreshing flavor. This beverage has a little similarity to a shandy, but is still different.

Recently, I had the opportunity to taste test these two Hoegaarden Soft Brew beverages. In many ways, these beverages are quite refreshing and quite sippable, especially on a warm day.

The Citrus flavor is similar to a sparkling lemonade but with more flavor. The slightly hoppy aroma entices before you take a sip.

When drinking, the flavor is bright yet not overly tart. The lemon flavor is crisp. The beverage isn’t overly carbonated.

Overall, this beverage is quite enjoyable. Whether sipped on its own or paired with a meal, it is a lovely non-alcoholic option, especially for shandy fans.

Even lemonade fans would enjoy this beverage. The brewed nature adds a more rounded taste to the Citrus. It is quite delightful.

The Rosée is slightly sweeter than the Citrus. The raspberry flavor is forward and the sweetness is notable. While not overpowering, it is reminiscent of a berry forward rose with carbonation.

Although this is a brewed beverage, there is more similarities to a sparkling alcoholic water than a beer. The raspberry flavor tends to bring those ideas forward.

As for the Rosée, I would say that this beverage is best enjoyed with some light appetizers, like a cheese plate. Or, another option could be a spicy grilled chicken kebob that could play with the spice and the sweet.

Overall, the Hoegaarden Soft Brew beverages are quite enjoyable. It seems to offer a new take on the fruit infused beer trend that seems to be growing. Where other refreshers are very fruit forward, these beverages are crisp, light and quite drinkable.

For the beer fan, there are hints of beer and wheat notes that make this beverage a great alternative to another overly hoppy beer. The nose brings that beer forward. Still, it is a different enough to avoid beer fatigue.

New Hoegaarden Soft Brew, Rosée and Citrus flavors, photo courtesy of Hoegaarden

As the non-alcoholic and low alcoholic beverage trend continues, this option brings in a wider audience of drinkers. The flavors are approachable. Whether drunk on their own or paired with a meal, the choices are many.

While many people might not give up their favorite beer, spirit or cocktail, these low ABV or non-alcoholic beverages offer balance in people’s lifestyles. Not every occasion is best for alcohol.

Anheuser-Busch is embracing these beverage trend across its platforms. By 2025, the company looks to have 20% of its InBev global beer volume to feature no/low alcohol space.

The Hoegaarden Soft Brew starting to appear in select areas. The Rosée has 97 calories per can and the Citrus as 76 calories per can.

Are you ready to take a sip of the Hoegaarden Soft Brew? Are you part of the non-alcoholic beverage trend?