Alcohol Free Beer, German Quality: The Rothaus Difference

With numerous alcohol-free beers entering the UK market - many brewed domestically or as UK-brewed versions of international brands - how do you find the ones that taste like REAL beer? Sandip Patidar, Founder & MD, German Drinks Company, shares what he calls ‘The Rothaus Difference’ - the 3-step process that sets Rothaus alcohol-free beers apart.

The Rothaus Difference

When it comes to finding the most realistic-tasting alcohol-free beer, Germany is a fantastic place to start - simply because, in Germany, brewers use only four natural ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast. So before the dealcoholisation process begins, they have a premium-quality beer, brewed to exacting standards for exceptional taste.

To create their alcohol-free alternatives, Rothaus brews the beer with the alcohol removal process in mind, then uses an especially gentle alcohol removal system, which is unique in Germany.

So, what is Rothaus’s 3-step process to creating real-tasting alcohol-free German beer?

Step 1: Normal Brewing, Higher OG

Rothaus brews the beer just as they would for their alcoholic version, often with a higher original gravity (OG) to help maintain the flavours throughout the dealcoholisation process. This means:

• Full fermentation - yeast converts sugars into alcohol and CO₂
• Malt and hops are identical to those in the alcoholic counterpart, ensuring the base flavours match the original
• Original Gravity (OG) is often slightly higher so that, even after alcohol removal, the body and mouthfeel remain delightfully full

Why this matters: By making a fully alcoholic beer first, Rothaus captures the same complexity, balance, and flavour that define their beers. Brewing a low-alcohol beer directly (as is often the case with other alcohol-free beers) would lead to incomplete fermentation and ‘worty’ or sweet, cereal-like flavours at odds with the original Rothaus character.

Step 2: Lower Pressure = Lower Boiling Point

Rothaus carefully place the beer in a vacuum-assisted system, which significantly lowers the boiling point of alcohol. Alcohol normally boils at 78.37°C. Under vacuum, this boiling point drops to around 30-40°C.

• Rothaus’s temperature control: Their process runs at around 40°C - low enough to avoid ‘cooking’ the beer but still hot enough (under vacuum) for the alcohol to evaporate

Why this matters: Heat can destroy delicate hop aromatics, esters, and volatile compounds; vacuum technology enables Rothaus to remove the alcohol without stripping these away along with it.

Step 3: Steam-Assisted Alcohol Evaporation

Rothaus uses gentle steam under vacuum. The process works like this:

1. Beer enters the vacuum chamber.

2. Steam passes through, encouraging the alcohol to evaporate.

3. The alcohol vapour is condensed and removed.

4. Alcohol and some water are removed via selective evaporation, while aroma compounds remain (their boiling points, even under vacuum, are higher than alcohol’s).

Why this matters: It’s not just about removing alcohol; it’s about removing only the alcohol while keeping the flavour compounds in place.

The Rothaus Difference!

Because Rothaus runs the process so gently, the final product retains:

• Hop-derived notes (floral, herbal, spicy - depending on the beer style)
• Yeast-driven esters (fruits in Hefeweizen, subtle caramel in Pils, etc.)

Mouthfeel preservation: Initially brewing at a higher Original Gravity means more residual sugar, protein, and dextrin remain after alcohol removal, avoiding the ‘thin’ taste common in other alcohol-free beers.

Carbonation rebalancing: Some CO₂ is unavoidably lost during the process, so Rothaus carefully re-carbonates the beer to its target level, ensuring it remains as lively and fresh as its counterpart.

Alcohol Free Beer Shouldn’t Feel Like a Compromise

The way Rothaus brews a fully-flavoured beer, then gently removes the alcohol using a vacuum-steam system, successfully preserves the sensory experience of their exceptional beers. So, at Rothaus, tradition and technology work hand in hand to create the noticeably realistic taste of their alcohol free German beer.

Rothaus’s goal is that if you didn’t know, you might not guess it’s alcohol-free. We’ll drink to that!

Prost!

To order bottles of Rothaus alcohol-free beer for home delivery, click here.

To enquire about ordering kegs and bottles of Rothaus alcohol-free beer for your venue's bar, click here.