Non-alcoholic beer
It’s notoriously tough to make a good quality brew that tastes like the real thing, but considering we have some of the best breweries in the world, it’s no surprise we’re churning out some of the best booze-free brews you can get your hands on - right here at home.
Low carb beer
There are many reasons to choose a low carb beer — it could be that you’re on a ketogenic diet, or just trying to reduce the carbohydrate you consume. Or it could be for more important reasons such as having Type 1 diabetes.
Beers labelled “low carb” have been tested and should come with nutritional panel telling you how many carbs per 100ml they contain. A good guideline is that a low carb beer should have 1-2g of carbohydrate per 100ml.
It’s important to note that low carb does not equal low calorie, though in the case of the beers listed here, some are definitely lower in calories as well. A beer’s ABV (alcohol by volume) will play a big part in the total calories as alcohol sits somewhere between carbohydrate and fat in its calorie density, so if cutting calories is your thing do make sure you check the labels.
And you don’t have to go looking for a low carb label to find all the beers that are naturally lower in residual sugars (also called dextrins).
Many traditional styles, such as Belgian-style farmhouse ales and saisons, as well as wild ferment ales are naturally low in residual sugar. This is because the yeast that creates these beers is naturally “high-attenuating” — ie it eats all the sugars available.
On the other hand, more malt-driven, sweeter beers such as milk stouts and Baltic porters will have higher levels of carbohydrate, as will many hazy IPAs which often feature the addition of wheat and oats to beef up the carb count!
Keep scrolling to discover the best of the best New Zealand-made non-alcoholic and low carb beers for 2025.
Urbanaut Beat Street Hazy IPA
Type of beer: Low carb
Brewery: Urbanaut
Flavours: Fruit salad, light, dry.
For more on this beer visit: https://www.urbanautbeer.com/
Buy this beer: Visit online shopping
Urbanaut Copacabana Brut IPA
Type of beer: Low carb
Brewery: Urbanaut
Flavours: Lightweight, full-flavoured low-carb IPA.
For more on this beer visit: https://www.urbanautbeer.com/
Buy this beer: Visit online shopping
Bach Brewing ALL DAY HAZY
non-alcoholic IPA
Type of beer: Non-alcoholic IPA
Brewery: Bach Brewing
Flavours: Full-flavoured, textured, delicious non-alc.
For more on this beer visit: https://bachbrewing.co.nz/
Buy this beer: Visit online shopping
Thirsty for more top New Zealand beers?
If you’re after dark beers, lagers or more unique craft varieties, don’t forget to check out the articles linked below, or browse the Top 25 from the New World Beer & Cider Awards 2025.
Not sure what you like? Our craft beer guide will walk you through what makes craft beer special and the different styles and flavours you can find in Aotearoa.
Related articles:
Best New Zealand craft beers for 2025
Best New Zealand IPAs and pale ales for 2025
Best New Zealand lagers and pilsners for 2025
Best New Zealand hazy ales for 2025
About the author
Michael Donaldson is one of Aotearoa's most renowned beer writers and was named Beer Writer of the Year by the Brewers Guild of New Zealand for a third time in 2018. He has been the Chair of Judges for the New World Beer & Cider Awards since 2016..
His writing appears in North & South, The New Zealand Herald, Stuff and Drinksbiz. He is also the editor of The Pursuit of Hoppiness magazine published by the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA). He is the author of New Zealand's definitive beer history Beer Nation - the Art and Heart of Kiwi Beer as well as The Big Book of Home Brew: a Kiwi Guide and The Hopfather, the biography of Emerson's founder Richard Emerson.