Does non-alcoholic beer have alcohol in it?

It can. In the US, the term 'non-alcoholic' on a beer label means less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, while 'alcohol free' means 0.0%, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Many NA beers sit somewhere below 0.5%. Athletic Brewing, for example, says its beers contain less than 0.5% ABV. If you need zero alcohol, look for a 0.0% or 'alcohol free' label.

Is non-alcoholic wine safe during pregnancy?

The CDC says there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Most alcohol-removed wines still contain a trace, and Fre, for example, describes its wines as typically under 0.5% ABV. If you are pregnant, a 0.0% product or a drink with no alcohol-based ingredients is the cautious choice, and it is reasonable to ask your obstetric clinician about NA products specifically.

Are bitters alcoholic?

Yes. Angostura's own site says its bitters contain 44.7% alcohol by volume, while noting that a dash adds an insignificant amount of alcohol to a drink. For many people a dash in soda water is not a concern. If you avoid alcohol entirely for medical, religious or recovery reasons, skip the bitters and ask for soda with fresh lime or a splash of juice.

What can I order at a bar that looks like a cocktail?

Soda water or tonic with lime in a rocks glass is the easiest. Many bars now stock non-alcoholic spirits or apéritifs such as Lyre's, Seedlip or Ghia and can make a zero-proof version of a classic, such as an NA spritz or gin and tonic. Ask what goes into it, since some zero-proof drinks still include bitters or products with trace alcohol.

How do I turn down a drink at a business dinner without making it awkward?

Order early and order something specific, so the question never comes up. If it does, a short, true answer works: 'I have an early start,' 'not tonight' or simply 'I'm good with this, thanks.' You do not owe anyone a medical explanation. A quiet word with the server when you arrive can also stop refills and wine pours from appearing in front of you.

Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks to Order at Client Dinners

What to order at a business dinner when you are not drinking: NA beer, wine and spirits, easy bar orders, what 'non-alcoholic' means, and what to say.

ACT 2 Health Clinical Team · Updated September 23, 2026

A client dinner comes with an unspoken drinks script: a cocktail while everyone arrives, wine with the meal, something after. Opting out used to mean a club soda and a question. It is easier now. Many restaurants carry a non-alcoholic beer, some carry alcohol-removed wine, and more bartenders are used to making zero-proof drinks. Below are the orders that work in a business setting, what the labels actually mean, and a few lines for when someone asks. Your reasons are your own, whether that is an early flight, a training block, medication, pregnancy, recovery or simply not wanting to. This list does not argue for any of them.

1. Learn the two words on the label

What it is: In the US, "non-alcoholic" and "alcohol free" are not the same thing.

Why it matters: Under federal rules summarized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), a beer labeled "non-alcoholic" must contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, and "alcohol free" is reserved for 0.0% (see 27 CFR 7.65). The FDA, which oversees labels for alcohol-removed wine and non-alcoholic spirits, likewise says the two terms are not synonymous and that "alcohol-free" means no detectable alcohol. For many people a trace below 0.5% is not a concern. For anyone avoiding alcohol entirely, it matters.

Practical note: If you need zero, look for "0.0%" or "alcohol free" on the bottle or can, and ask to see it if you are unsure.

2. Non-alcoholic beer: the easiest swap

What it is: Beer brewed normally, then with the alcohol removed or limited, served in the same glass as everyone else's.

Why it matters: It looks like a beer, which ends most conversations before they start. Athletic Brewing says its non-alcoholic beers contain less than 0.5% ABV, and explains that it chose that standard over 0.0% for flavor. Heineken 0.0 lists its alcohol by volume as 0.0% on its US product page.

Practical note: Ask for it by name rather than asking "do you have anything non-alcoholic," which tends to get you a soft drink.

3. A non-alcoholic stout for steakhouse dinners

What it is: Guinness 0 is brewed as Guinness and then has the alcohol removed through cold filtration, according to Guinness.

Why it matters: At a steakhouse or pub-style dinner, a dark beer reads as a considered choice rather than a substitute, and it pairs with the same food.

Practical note: Guinness describes it as non-alcoholic. If the exact alcohol content matters to you, check the can in your market, since labeling can differ.

4. Alcohol-removed wine for the table

What it is: Wine that is fully fermented and then has the alcohol taken out.

Why it matters: When the host orders bottles for the table, a glass of alcohol-removed wine lets you join the toast without a separate conversation. Fre, which says it has been making non-alcoholic wine for more than 30 years, says its wines are typically under 0.5% ABV, and its own FAQ tells people avoiding alcohol entirely to check the ABV notation.

Practical note: Fewer restaurants carry NA wine than NA beer. If a dinner is at a place you know, it is fine to call ahead and ask.

5. A zero-proof spritz or gin and tonic

What it is: A cocktail made with a non-alcoholic spirit or apéritif in place of the real thing.

Why it matters: It is the closest match to what others are drinking during the pre-dinner round. Lyre's makes non-alcoholic versions of spirits and apéritifs and says its products contain less than 0.5% ABV. Seedlip makes distilled non-alcoholic spirits; its Garden 108 is an herbal blend built on peas and garden herbs, which Seedlip suggests in place of gin in an NA martini.

Practical note: Ask the bartender what they stock and let them build the drink. Zero-proof cocktails can still include bitters or other ingredients with alcohol, so ask what goes in if that matters to you.

6. A bitter apéritif with soda

What it is: Ghia is a non-alcoholic apéritif that the company says contains no alcohol. It is a concentrate meant to be topped with something sparkling.

Why it matters: Bitter, herbal apéritifs are built for the start of a meal, which is exactly when the drinks question comes up. A short glass over ice with soda looks and tastes like an adult drink.

Practical note: Ghia also sells ready-to-drink cans, which are easier to find at home or at events than in restaurants.

7. Soda water, lime and bitters (with one caveat)

What it is: The classic bartender's non-drink: soda water over ice, fresh lime and a few dashes of aromatic bitters.

Why it matters: Every bar can make it, it costs almost nothing and it looks like a cocktail. The caveat: bitters are alcohol-based. Angostura says its bitters contain 44.7% alcohol by volume, while noting that a dash adds an insignificant amount to a drink.

Practical note: For many people the trace from a few dashes is not a concern. If you avoid alcohol entirely, ask for soda with lime and a splash of cranberry or grapefruit instead.

8. Simple orders that never need explaining

What it is: Sparkling water with citrus, tonic with lime, iced tea, or a soft drink in a highball glass.

Why it matters: In a room where nobody is watching closely, the glass does most of the work. A tall glass with ice and lime is indistinguishable from a vodka soda across the table.

Practical note: Order it the moment you sit down or even on the way in. The drinks question almost always comes early, and a full glass answers it.

9. Coffee or tea to close

What it is: Espresso, decaf or herbal tea while others order a digestif.

Why it matters: It gives you a natural way to join the last round. The trade-off is sleep: caffeine late in the evening can cut into the night, so decaf or herbal tea is the better choice after a late dinner, especially before an early start.

Practical note: Decaf espresso is widely available and nobody at the table will know the difference.

If you need zero alcohol

For some readers, the difference between "less than 0.5%" and "none" is the whole point.

Pregnancy: The CDC says there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, and that all types of alcohol can be harmful. Lyre's own FAQ suggests checking with a healthcare provider in pregnancy. A 0.0% product, or a drink with no alcohol-based ingredients, is the cautious choice.
Recovery: People in recovery differ on whether NA beer or wine fits their plan, partly because the taste and ritual are so close to the real thing. That is a decision for you and your own care team, not for a dinner menu.
Medications: Some prescriptions interact with alcohol. If yours carries an alcohol warning, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether trace amounts matter.

What to say when someone asks

You do not owe anyone a reason. A few lines that work:

"I have an early start tomorrow."
"Not tonight, but I'll have one of those NA beers."
"I'm good with this, thanks." (Said while lifting a full glass.)
To the server, quietly, on arrival: "I'm not drinking tonight, so no wine pour for me."

If you are hosting, ordering a good NA option for the table alongside the wine makes it easy for anyone else who is not drinking, without singling them out.

Where this fits

The weekly total from client dinners is rarely added up, and it shows up in sleep and on a lab panel in ways that often get blamed on age. Our page on client dinners, conferences and the drinking nobody counts explains what regular social drinking moves, and how alcohol affects sleep covers the second half of the night. If the dinners come with long-haul flights, see Best Jet Lag Strategies for Business Travelers.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

It can. In the US, the term 'non-alcoholic' on a beer label means less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, while 'alcohol free' means 0.0%, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Many NA beers sit somewhere below 0.5%. Athletic Brewing, for example, says its beers contain less than 0.5% ABV. If you need zero alcohol, look for a 0.0% or 'alcohol free' label.
The CDC says there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Most alcohol-removed wines still contain a trace, and Fre, for example, describes its wines as typically under 0.5% ABV. If you are pregnant, a 0.0% product or a drink with no alcohol-based ingredients is the cautious choice, and it is reasonable to ask your obstetric clinician about NA products specifically.
Yes. Angostura's own site says its bitters contain 44.7% alcohol by volume, while noting that a dash adds an insignificant amount of alcohol to a drink. For many people a dash in soda water is not a concern. If you avoid alcohol entirely for medical, religious or recovery reasons, skip the bitters and ask for soda with fresh lime or a splash of juice.
Soda water or tonic with lime in a rocks glass is the easiest. Many bars now stock non-alcoholic spirits or apéritifs such as Lyre's, Seedlip or Ghia and can make a zero-proof version of a classic, such as an NA spritz or gin and tonic. Ask what goes into it, since some zero-proof drinks still include bitters or products with trace alcohol.
Order early and order something specific, so the question never comes up. If it does, a short, true answer works: 'I have an early start,' 'not tonight' or simply 'I'm good with this, thanks.' You do not owe anyone a medical explanation. A quiet word with the server when you arrive can also stop refills and wine pours from appearing in front of you.

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