Near Beer

near beer. (neeyr' beeyr')

    A malt beverage having a very low alcoholic content, usually around 0.5–2 percent by volume. During Prohibition, these beers were produced by distilling or cooking the alcohol out of the beer. In the United States, near beers must contain less than 0.5 percent alcohol by weight. In Germany the alcohol limit is 0.6 percent. Examples include: Moussy, Panther, St. Christopher, Metbrew, Vita-Stout, Near Beer, Malta, and Birrel. In Czechoslovakia, a nonalcoholic beer is called promo, a near beer is called a pito (0.5 percent alcohol by volume), and true beer is called pivo. Syn: low-alcohol(ic) beer.