Surréaliste Abstinence Absolue
By Brasserie Surréaliste · Belgium
An alcohol-free IPA brewed with rye, below 0.5%, from Brasserie Surréaliste in Brussels: “exotic fruits & citrus, refreshing”, the brewer says, and “A juicy pleasure that does not require confession.”
At under 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 Abstinence Absolue?
Brasserie Surréaliste is a Brussels brewery and restaurant founded by the brothers Charles and Édouard Grison, with a brewpub in a former banana warehouse dating from 1932, on the Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains. Abstinence Absolue is its only alcohol-free beer.
The brewer calls it a non-alcoholic IPA brewed with rye and “bursting with hop flavors”, hopped with Citra, Nelson and Amarillo, with tasting notes of exotic fruits and citrus. The Alcohol Free Co describes bright citrus, exotic fruit and a refreshing bitter finish, with the rye giving “a lightly spicy edge”.
The brewer doesn’t say where it’s brewed: the company has its own brewhouse in Brussels, but has also had beer contract-brewed, Beer52’s Ferment reported. Nobody publishes its calories or full ingredients that we could find. We haven’t scored it yet.
Flavour Profile
A guide based on the style and the brewer’s and The Alcohol Free Co’s descriptions (exotic fruit and citrus, a refreshing bitter finish, a lightly spicy rye edge), to help you compare at a glance — not a definitive tasting.
Key facts
| Official name | Abstinence Absolue | Non Alcoholic IPA | <0.5% (the brewer’s shop) |
|---|---|
| Brewery | Brasserie Surréaliste, Belgium |
| Style | Alcohol-free IPA brewed with rye, the brewer says |
| ABV | Below 0.5% ABV (“<0.5%”), the brewer says; the Belgian shop Bières Gourmet gives 0.5%, and the UK shops give no figure |
| Pack | Cans: singles and cases at The Alcohol Free Co; cases at Dry Drinker (33cl, the brewer says) |
| Calories | Not published by the brewer or the shops we checked |
| Ingredients | Not published; the brewer names rye and hops |
| Hops | Citra, Nelson and Amarillo, the brewer and The Alcohol Free Co say; the Belgian shop Bières Gourmet adds Mosaic |
| Allergens | Rye (a cereal containing gluten); nobody publishes an allergen statement |
| Vegan | Not stated |
| Gluten | No gluten-free claim; it’s brewed with rye |
| How it’s made | The brewer doesn’t say; it says only that it’s brewed with rye |
| Brewed | Not stated: Brasserie Surréaliste has a brewpub in Brussels but has also used contract brewing, so we don’t say where this beer is made |
| UK availability | In stock at The Alcohol Free Co and Dry Drinker (cases of six and single cans) |
Sources: Brasserie Surréaliste’s own shop, Bières Gourmet, Beer52’s Ferment, The Alcohol Free Co and Dry Drinker, checked October 2026. The label on the can or bottle is always the final word.
How Abstinence Absolue sits in the Brasserie Surréaliste range
| Beer | Style | ABV | Per 100ml | Unhopped score | UK status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abstinence Absolue (this beer) | Alcohol-free IPA brewed with rye, the brewer says | <0.5% | Not published | Not yet rated | In stock at The Alcohol Free Co and Dry Drinker (cases of six and single cans) |
The Brasserie Surréaliste beers in our directory, checked October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10. Nobody publishes calorie figures for Abstinence Absolue that we could find.
About Brasserie Surréaliste
Brasserie Surréaliste is a brewpub and restaurant in Brussels, founded by the brothers Charles and Édouard Grison in a former banana warehouse dating from 1932. Its alcohol-free beer is Abstinence Absolue, a rye IPA below 0.5%.
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