IMPOSSIBREW Review — Is It Worth It?
I've been drinking IMPOSSIBREW for about three months now. Not because anyone asked me to review it — my wife asked me to stop drinking on weekdays and I went looking for something that didn't taste like punishment.
What follows is an honest review. I like this beer. I also have a referral link that gives you £10 off (and me £10 credit), so make of that what you will.1
What IMPOSSIBREW actually is
It's an alcohol-free beer brewed in England with functional ingredients — L-theanine, ashwagandha, and magnesium in a patent-pending blend. The idea is that instead of just removing alcohol, they've replaced it with stuff that's supposed to help you relax and focus.
They were on Dragons' Den. Peter Jones invested. They've got 1,200+ reviews averaging 4.8 stars on their site. Recently got listed in Ocado. The product has momentum, which is why you're probably reading this — someone mentioned it and you want to know if it's actually good.
Short answer: yes, with caveats.
The lager
Clean, slightly sweet, European-style lager. Pours a nice gold. If you put this next to a Heineken at a BBQ, most people wouldn't question it. It doesn't have that metallic, thin quality you get with Heineken 0.0 or Beck's Blue.
This is my Tuesday-through-Thursday beer. It's the one I reach for most because it's easy. You don't have to be in the mood for it. You just drink it.
Rating: 7.5/10 — Solid daily drinker. Not exciting but very competent.
The Pale Ale
This is the solid everyday drinker. Light, smooth, easy to session without ever getting bored. It's got enough character to feel like a proper beer but it's not trying to blow your head off with hops or bitterness.
My mate, who usually sticks to lager, tried this and said "that's actually decent." Coming from him, that's a Michelin star.
Great fridge beer. The kind of thing you reach for on a Tuesday when you just want something reliable.
Rating: 7.5/10 — The everyday workhorse. Nothing flashy, just consistently good.
The IPA
This is the knockout. Proper hop bitterness, citrusy finish, genuine craft beer character. AF IPAs are hard to get right because hops need alcohol to carry their flavour properly. IMPOSSIBREW's Triple Hopped version nails it — Vocation-level quality. Comfortably the best AF IPA I've tried, and I've tried a lot.2
Rating: 9/10 — Best AF IPA in the UK. The one that converts sceptics.
Do the functional ingredients actually work?
Right. The elephant in the room.
IMPOSSIBREW has L-theanine (calm focus), ashwagandha (stress/relaxation), and magnesium — a patent-pending blend. They market it as a beer that "makes you feel good without the alcohol."
After three months, here's my honest take: something is different. Not dramatically. Not like having a drink. But there's a subtle evening relaxation that I don't get from Heineken 0.0 or Lucky Saint. It's the difference between "I'm drinking a drink" and "I'm winding down with a drink." Marginal, but real.
Could be placebo. Could be the ashwagandha. I don't particularly care which, because the result is the same — I look forward to my evening beer in a way I didn't with other AF options, and I sleep fine afterwards.
What I don't love
Honesty time:
- Price. At roughly £3-4 per can it's not cheap. Heineken 0.0 is half that at Tesco. You're paying a premium for the ingredients and the quality. Whether that's worth it depends on how often you drink and what you're comparing to.
- Only online (mostly). You can't pop into Sainsbury's and grab a pack. They're on Ocado now, which helps, but it's still primarily a "plan ahead and order online" thing.
- Can design is a bit corporate. Minor gripe, but it doesn't have the craft beer shelf appeal of something like Brulo or Mash Gang. Doesn't affect the taste, obviously.
Who it's for (and who should skip it)
Perfect for you if:
- You drink AF beer regularly (3+ times a week) and want something that's actually good
- Your main drinking occasion is weekday evenings at home
- You've tried Heineken 0.0, Lucky Saint, etc. and found them a bit flat
- You're curious about the functional ingredient angle
- You're happy ordering online
Probably not for you if:
- You only drink AF beer occasionally — the premium isn't worth it for a once-a-month thing
- You want something you can grab at Tesco on the way home
- You're purely price-driven — there are cheaper AF options
How to try it cheapest
The Welcome Bundle is £27.99 for 6 cans (2 lager, 2 pale ale, 2 IPA). If you use a refer-a-friend link like mine, that drops to £17.99. Under £3 per can to try all three varieties. That's genuinely good value for what you get.
If you already know you like AF beer and want to commit, the Bestseller Bundle (£49.99 — £39.99 with the referral) qualifies for free shipping and gives you 12 cans.
Bottom line
IMPOSSIBREW is the best alcohol-free beer I've found for regular weekday drinking. The IPA is a knockout — best in its class. The Pale Ale is a solid everyday drinker. The Lager is a reliable workhorse. The functional ingredients add something — whether that's science or psychology, the result is the same.
It's not cheap and it's not in supermarkets (yet). If those aren't dealbreakers, it's worth trying. The Welcome Bundle with a referral link is the lowest-risk way in.
Get £10 off your first IMPOSSIBREW order here.
Frequently asked questions
Is IMPOSSIBREW worth the price?
For regular drinkers (3+ cans a week), yes. The taste is noticeably better than supermarket AF beers and the functional ingredients add genuine value. For occasional drinkers, the premium is harder to justify.
Does IMPOSSIBREW actually work?
The functional ingredients (L-theanine, ashwagandha, magnesium) are dosed to have an effect. After months of regular use, there's a noticeable relaxation effect in the evenings. Subtle but real.
What does IMPOSSIBREW taste like?
Like proper beer. The lager is clean and European-style. The Pale Ale is smooth and easy-drinking. The IPA is hoppy, citrusy, and knockout good. None of them have the thin, metallic quality of most AF beers.
Which IMPOSSIBREW is best?
The IPA is the standout — absolute knockout. The Pale Ale is a solid everyday drinker. The Lager is the easiest daily option. Get the Welcome Bundle and try all three.
1 I've been buying IMPOSSIBREW since January. The referral link came later. I'd be writing this review regardless — it's the beer I actually drink. But transparency matters, so there it is. ↩
2 The list, for the record: Athletic Free Wave, BrewDog Punk AF, Brulo DDH IPA, Collider IPA, Infinite Session IPA, Big Drop Pine Trail. IMPOSSIBREW's is the one I kept buying. ↩