Alcohol-Free La Trappe Nillis
By La Trappe · Netherlands
Reported as the world’s first alcohol-free Trappist beer when it went on sale at Koningshoeven Abbey near Tilburg in August 2021. It’s 0.0%, and the abbey says it’s “based on La Trappe Dubbel”.
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A guide based on the style and alcoholvrijbierhuis.nl’s descriptions (fruity and malty, a mild bitterness, a caramel-sweet aftertaste, “surprisingly full-bodied and complex”), to help you compare at a glance — not a definitive tasting.
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Door 22 of our alcohol-free advent calendar. La Trappe Nillis is one of the 24 beers in the calendar you can build yourself, chosen from the highest scorers in our reviews. See all 24 doors in our build-your-own alcohol-free advent calendar.
The story behind Nillis
Nillis was reported as the world’s first alcohol-free Trappist beer when it went on sale at Koningshoeven Abbey, in Berkel-Enschot near Tilburg, on 21 August 2021, and long queues formed at the abbey, Omroep Brabant reported. The abbey’s brewery was founded within its walls in 1884; since 1999 a company that is now a subsidiary of Royal Swinkels Family Brewers has run it day to day, while the abbey owns the buildings and equipment, according to Wikipedia. The name plays on the Latin nihil (nothing) and nods to the river Nile, whose source lies in Uganda, home of the abbey’s daughter monastery; part of the proceeds funds the brothers’ projects there.
Vatican News calls it dark amber, and the Dutch shop alcoholvrijbierhuis.nl describes it as fruity and malty, with a mild bitterness and a caramel-sweet aftertaste; Dry Drinker describes banana and clove instead. If you want one bottle that proves alcohol-free can be genuinely special, this is it. More context on our La Trappe hub and in our Dutch alcohol-free guide.
Serve it in a stemmed goblet or chalice glass, alongside cheese, roast meats or a slab of dark chocolate; Dry Drinker suggests cheese or light dishes.
