BERO Review: Tom Holland’s Nonalcoholic Beer Brand Doubles Down on Sobriety to Spectacular Effect

(Photo: BERO)

Hollywood star, sobriety advocate and speculated fiancé Tom Holland surprised fans in October with the unveiling of BERO, a nonalcoholic beer brand that sports all the fixings of a good-old-fashioned celebrity venture. The marketing campaign went off without a hitch, Holland made a few appearances on the podcast circuit and distribution began rolling out slowly but surely. As of this week, all three varieties of BERO — Noon Wheat, Edge Hill Hazy IPA and Kingston Golden Pils — are now available at Target locations nationwide at $11.99 per six-pack.

Pricier than a Budweiser, cheaper than your locally brewed favorite.

Though there aren’t many celebrity-backed nonalcoholic beers on the market (with the notable exception of Walter Hayes’ “Fancy Like” American pale ale), BERO is up against tough competition. The truth is, nonalcoholic beer is the only zero-proof category that’s consistently cranked out fantastic products over the past couple of years. Unlike nonalcoholic spirits, often watery, off-puttingly flavored and suspiciously overpriced, N/A beer has provided some delicious sippers that can rival their boozy contemporaries. Industry leaders include Athletic Brewing, Brawus and Guinness 0.0.

Anticipating this challenge, BERO has a trick up its sleeve. The brand has recruited Grant Wood, an alum of Boston Beer Company’s Sam Adams and Angry Orchard, as its chief brewmaster. It’s worth noting that Samuel Adams Just The Haze, the brand’s N/A offering that debuted in 2021, is currently the second-best-ranked low-alcohol beer on Beer Advocate.

And into the fray enters BERO. Each flavor is canned a notch below 0.5% ABV, contains between 70-90 calories, around 15 grams of carbs and exactly 6 grams of sugar. Packaging takes a minimalist approach with a splotch of gold and a wreathed fish logo consuming the top half of the can. Each beer proudly announces in cursive lettering: “Born in London, crafted in America, enjoyed worldwide.”

Let’s see if the “Spider-Man” star can assemble another blockbuster hit.

3. Edge Hill Hazy IPA

Description, per the brand: “Juicy New England style, tropical and refreshing, smooth and hop-forward.”

Any reservations we had about authenticity were immediately dispelled. Poured into a tall glass, the beer foams up with all the delectable frothiness you’d find on tap at your local pub. The color? Spot on. Aroma? Hoppy and inviting.

So far as flavor, however, this was surprisingly the least complex of the bunch. Not to say it was unappetizing in the slightest; the palate has a lush quality loaded with hints of pine, lime and tangerine. It all goes down quite nicely, but my first thought certainly wasn’t IPA. It missed that so-called “dank” quality that many of the category’s best offerings swagger around with, a quality earned in part by IPA’s unusually high ABV compared to other beers. BERO’s twist on the concept offers enough hops to rival the effect, but it doesn’t go full throttle. All of that said, these are the nitpicks of a habitual IPA drinker. This is still one of the better N/A beers I’ve tasted.

2. Kingston Golden Pils

Description, per the brand: “A fresh take on the bright and timeless crisp European pils.”

The malted barley influence is noticeable right from the first whiff. European pilsners often hold a reputation as one of the weaker flavored beers; the aroma on BERO’s immediately signaled that was not going to be the case.

Tons of malty goodness on the palate, as if biscuits, breadcrumbs and croutons had been crumbled right into the can. Behind it all is an earthy character with oh-so-subtle notes of pear and green apple that bring a light touch of sweetness. Best of all, and perhaps the highest compliment that could ever be paid to an N/A beer, the alcohol isn’t missed in the slightest. Its crisp quality has just enough bite to fool you into thinking this might hover around 4% or 5% ABV. Great stuff that I’d definitely buy again.

No. 1 – Noon Wheat

Description, per the brand: “Cloudy and classic, perfect citrus finish, bright and session-able.”

Let’s start with our only criticism. Though the description on the side of the can mentions only a “citrus finish,” we’d argue that citrus dominates every aspect of this buoyant and refreshing beer. Hints of orange, lemon and grapefruit are the star of the show, tingling the palate with a welcome sweetness that stops just shy of anything saccharine. After a few sips, you’ll taste a tinge of that malt character found in the Golden Pils alongside a sour finish that feels more citrus rind than citrus juice.

Hard to tell if the flavor was achieved with citrusy hops or the inclusion of “other natural flavors” spotted on the ingredients list. Either way, the result is wonderfully sippable. My only regret is that I had to drink this in the depths of winter, and not on a cool summery night by the picnic blanket.