Budvar Nealko
By Budweiser Budvar · Czech Republic
Budweiser Budvar’s long-standing alcohol-free lager, up to 0.5%: “The taste of a proper lager from Budweis but without alcohol”, the Czech brewery says. Brewed with Žatec hops. 15 kcal per 100ml.
At 0.5% ABV, this isn’t alcohol-free under UK guidance, which keeps the term for 0.05% or less. We list it with alcohol-free beers, as UK shops do. How UK labels work
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What is Nealko?
Budweiser Budvar is the state-owned brewery in České Budějovice, or Budweis, which started brewing in 1895 and draws its water from its own 300-metre artesian wells. It isn’t connected to AB InBev’s Budweiser: the two have argued over the name for more than a century.
Nealko is Budvar’s long-standing alcohol-free lager, “the taste of a proper lager from Budweis but without alcohol”, the brewer says, with Czech malt and Žatec Red Semi-Early hops, at 23 IBU. Budvar says it’s up to 0.5% ABV; when it launched in the UK in 2011 The Caterer reported 0.4%, and in 2014 the Morning Advertiser reported 0.5%, made like Budvar Original but with the difference coming during primary fermentation.
In October 2026 Budvar’s UK arm launched a separate beer, Budvar 0.0%, dealcoholised by reverse osmosis, the trade press reported; it was unavailable when we checked, so it isn’t in our directory yet. Budvar gives 60kJ and 1.6g of sugars per 100ml for Nealko, and The Alcohol Free Co 15 kcal, about 50 a bottle. We haven’t scored it yet.
Flavour Profile
A guide based on the style and Budvar’s description (a proper Budweis lager, Žatec hops), to help you compare at a glance — not a definitive tasting.
Nutrition
| Typical values | Per 100ml | Per 330ml bottle |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 60 kJ / 15 kcal | about 198 kJ / 50 kcal |
| Fat | 0g | 0g |
| of which saturates | 0g | 0g |
| Carbohydrate | 3g | about 9.9g |
| of which sugars | 1.6g | about 5.3g |
| Protein | 0.2g | about 0.7g |
| Salt | 0g | 0g |
Per-100ml figures from Budvar (kJ and nutrients) and The Alcohol Free Co (the kcal figure), checked October 2026. Per-pack figures are our own sums from the 100ml figures.
Key facts
| Official name | Budvar Nealko |
|---|---|
| Brewery | Budweiser Budvar, Czech Republic |
| Style | Czech lager |
| ABV | Up to 0.5% ABV, Budvar says (The Caterer reported 0.4% when it launched in the UK in 2011) |
| Pack | 330ml bottles: single bottles at The Alcohol Free Co and Wise Bartender |
| Calories | 15 kcal per 100ml; about 50 per 330ml bottle |
| Carbohydrate | 3g per 100ml |
| Sugar | 1.6g per 100ml |
| Ingredients | Not published in full; Budvar names Czech malt and Žatec (Saaz) hops, and the shops list water, barley malt and hops |
| Hops | Žatec (Saaz) Red Semi-Early |
| Bitterness | 23 IBU, Budvar says |
| Allergens | Barley (a cereal containing gluten) |
| Vegan | The Alcohol Free Co and Wise Bartender call it vegan-friendly; Budvar doesn’t say |
| Gluten | It isn’t gluten-free: it’s brewed with barley (Budvar gives up to 50mg of gluten per litre, which isn’t a gluten-free claim) |
| How it’s made | Budvar doesn’t say on its page; in 2014 the Morning Advertiser reported that the difference from Budvar Original comes during primary fermentation |
| Brewed | At Budvar’s brewery in České Budějovice, Czech Republic |
| UK availability | Single bottles at The Alcohol Free Co and Wise Bartender |
Sources: Budvar’s own website, The Caterer, the Morning Advertiser, Beer Today, The Alcohol Free Co and Wise Bartender, checked October 2026. The label on the can or bottle is always the final word.
How Nealko sits in the Budweiser Budvar range
| Beer | Style | ABV | Per 100ml | Unhopped score | UK status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nealko (this beer) | Czech lager | 0.5% | 15 kcal | Not yet rated | Single bottles at The Alcohol Free Co and Wise Bartender |
The Budweiser Budvar beers in our directory, checked October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10. Calories are from The Alcohol Free Co; Budvar gives 60kJ per 100ml.
About Budweiser Budvar
Budweiser Budvar is the Czech state-owned brewery in České Budějovice, brewing since 1895; it isn’t AB InBev’s Budweiser. Its alcohol-free lager in the UK is Budvar Nealko, with a new Budvar 0.0% launched in October 2026.
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