Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Safe During Pregnancy? NA Wine, Zero-Proof Spirits, Kombucha and Root Beer (2026 Guide)

Short answer: non-alcoholic beer is not the same thing as alcohol-free beer, and that difference is the whole question. In the US, a drink labeled "non-alcoholic" can contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume. That is a trace amount, in the same small range as some fruit juices and packaged breads, so most people treat it very differently from a real beer. But the major health bodies say there is no known safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, and they have not carved out an exception for NA drinks.

So the honest answer has three parts. Read the label for the ABV. Know what the words on the label legally mean. And ask your doctor or midwife what they are comfortable with for you. Real beer, wine, cocktails and hard kombucha stay off the list for all nine months.

This guide gives you the numbers behind that answer, then goes drink by drink: NA beer, NA wine, zero-proof spirits and mocktails, kombucha and root beer.

Medically reviewed by: [placeholder]. Last updated: October 12, 2026.

What "non-alcoholic" means on a label

The words on the can are legal terms, and they mean different things in different countries.

In the US, federal labeling rules for malt beverages say a beer can only be called "non-alcoholic" if it contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, and the label has to say "contains less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume" right next to the claim (27 CFR 7.65). The terms "alcohol free" and "0.0%" are reserved for beers that contain no alcohol at all. The FDA's labeling policy for dealcoholized wine works the same way: "dealcoholized" or "alcohol-removed" wine has to declare that it contains less than 0.5% alcohol, and "alcohol-free" can only be used when there is no detectable alcohol.

In the UK, the government's labeling guidance draws the lines lower. "Alcohol-free" means no more than 0.05% ABV. "De-alcoholised" means no more than 0.5%. "Low alcohol" means no more than 1.2%. The UK government has been reviewing whether to raise the alcohol-free line to 0.5% to match the US and other countries, but as of this writing the 0.05% line still applies.

The row to remember is the last one. "Low alcohol" is not non-alcoholic. A 2% beer is a real alcoholic drink with less alcohol in it, and it belongs in the avoid column.

How much alcohol is actually in a 0.5% drink?

Percentages are hard to picture, so here is the math in grams. In the US, one standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is what you get in a 12-ounce regular beer at 5%.

The juice numbers come from a 2016 study in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology that tested everyday foods in Germany. Orange, apple and grape juice contained up to 0.77 grams of alcohol per liter, from natural fermentation of the fruit sugars. Some packaged burger rolls and sweet milk rolls contained more than 1.2 grams of alcohol per 100 grams of bread. That means a couple of soft buns can carry roughly the same alcohol as one can of NA beer at the 0.5% limit. The FDA's own labeling policy acknowledges this, noting that soft drinks and fruit juices can contain traces of alcohol under 0.5% and are still considered non-alcoholic.

Two honest notes on this table. First, an NA beer near the 0.5% line has more alcohol than a glass of juice, not less. Second, 0.5% is a ceiling, not the exact amount. Some NA beers are well under it, and a "0.0%" product should have none.

What does that trace do in your body? In a 2010 German study, volunteers drank 2.5 liters of NA beer each, which is about seven 12-ounce cans. Their blood alcohol was below what the lab could detect. Their urine did show alcohol breakdown products, which tells you the body did process a small amount.

Why the advice you hear is split

You will hear two different answers from smart people, and both come from somewhere real.

The no-exceptions view. The CDC says there is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy and no safe time to drink. ACOG says it is safest not to drink at all while you are pregnant, and the NHS recommends not drinking alcohol if you are pregnant or planning to be. None of them says NA drinks are fine. A 2014 review in Canadian Family Physician points out that there are no studies directly testing the safety of NA drinks in pregnancy, and it recommends skipping them.

That review also leans on a labeling problem. A 2010 Canadian lab study tested 45 no- and low-alcohol wines and beers and found that 13 of them (29%) contained more alcohol than the label said. Six products that claimed to contain no alcohol had more than 1%. That study is more than 15 years old and tested Canadian products, so it does not tell you about today's US brands. It does tell you that a label is only as good as the company printing it.

The trace-amount view. Many doctors and midwives look at the numbers above and conclude that an honestly labeled NA drink is closer to a glass of juice than to a beer. On that reading, an occasional NA beer at a dinner or a party is a reasonable choice, especially if it keeps you away from the real thing.

Where Oli lands. In the Oli app, an NA drink labeled under 0.5% ABV gets a "Likely safe" verdict, not a safe or an avoid. It contains a trace of alcohol, similar to some juices and breads, so it is not in the same category as alcohol. But guidance varies, so the verdict comes with a note to check the ABV and ask your provider. Regular beer, wine, spirits and hard kombucha get an avoid, as they always have.

Drink by drink

Non-alcoholic beer

NA beer is usually made one of two ways: brewers either remove the alcohol after brewing or stop fermentation before much alcohol forms. Either way, the label is what matters. Look for one of three things: "0.0%" or "alcohol free," which in the US means no alcohol; "non-alcoholic" with "contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume" next to it; or a specific number such as 0.4%. If a can says "low alcohol," "light" or shows a number at or above 0.5%, it is a real beer.

If you want the lowest possible exposure, choose a product labeled 0.0% or "alcohol free." If your provider is comfortable with under 0.5%, you have a much wider shelf to pick from.

Non-alcoholic wine and de-alcoholised aperitifs

NA wine starts as real wine, and then the alcohol is removed. In the US, the FDA expects the label to say "dealcoholized" or "alcohol-removed" and to declare less than 0.5% alcohol. NA aperitifs and spritz-style bottles follow the same rule of thumb: find the ABV line before you pour. Sparkling NA wine is a popular swap at celebrations, and the same label check applies.

NA spirits and zero-proof cocktails

Zero-proof gin, whiskey and aperitif alternatives are usually distilled botanicals, flavored water or extracts. The alcohol question is the same as for beer: look for the ABV or the "less than 0.5%" statement.

The newer question with this category is what else is in the bottle. Some "functional" NA spirits add adaptogens or relaxation ingredients to replace the feeling of a drink. Three to know:

• Ashwagandha. The NIH's NCCIH says ashwagandha should be avoided during pregnancy.
• Kava. NCCIH notes that kava may have special risks during pregnancy.
• CBD or hemp extracts. The FDA strongly advises against CBD in any form during pregnancy.

A plain NA gin with juniper and citrus is a different product from a "calm" NA spirit with ashwagandha in it, even though they sit on the same shelf.

At a bar, a mocktail made with juice, soda, syrups and an NA spirit is fine on the alcohol front. Two things to ask about: whether the bartender is using a true NA spirit or a "splash" of the real thing for flavor, and whether the recipe uses aromatic bitters, which are made with alcohol. A couple of dashes is a small amount, but you can ask them to leave it out.

Kombucha

Kombucha is fermented tea, and fermentation makes alcohol. Store-bought kombucha sold as a soft drink is meant to stay under 0.5%. The catch is that it can keep fermenting in the bottle. The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau warns that kombucha bottled under 0.5% can rise to 0.5% or more on the shelf. When food regulators in Australia tested 132 kombucha samples in 2017 and 2018, about 65% were above 0.5% and about 23% were above 1.15%. Some samples rose in alcohol over their shelf life.

Kombucha also tends to be unpasteurized (sold as "raw") and contains some caffeine from the tea, which counts toward the 200 mg daily limit in our caffeine in pregnancy guide.

That makes kombucha less predictable than an NA beer, not more. If you drink it, choose a refrigerated commercial brand labeled under 0.5%, keep it cold, and ask your provider. Skip homemade kombucha and anything sold as "hard kombucha," which is an alcoholic drink.

Root beer

Root beer is a soft drink, and the "beer" in the name is history, not alcohol. Commercial root beer from the soda aisle is fine during pregnancy. The old ingredient people worry about, sassafras oil, contains safrole, and the FDA has banned safrole as a food additive since 1960.

The thing to check on root beer is caffeine. Most brands have none, but regular Barq's root beer has 22 mg per 12-ounce can, according to Coca-Cola. That is small, but it counts. And like any soda, the sugar adds up, which matters if you are being screened for gestational diabetes.

The quick decision table

How to read an NA label in ten seconds

1. Find the number. Look for "0.0%," "alcohol free," or "contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume." No number at all means you don't know yet.
1. Watch the word "low." "Low alcohol" and "reduced alcohol" mean the drink has alcohol in it.
1. Check where it was made. A UK "alcohol-free" label means 0.05% or less. A US "non-alcoholic" label means under 0.5%.
1. Read the ingredients, not just the front. Look for ashwagandha, kava, CBD, hemp extract or added caffeine.
1. For fermented drinks, check storage. Kombucha and water kefir should be refrigerated, and the label should show an ABV.

Already had one? Here is what to do

If you had an NA beer or an NA wine labeled under 0.5%, there is nothing you need to do. Mention it at your next appointment if you want your provider's view going forward.

If you had a regular drink before you knew you were pregnant, ACOG's guidance is reassuring: serious harm from this kind of use is unlikely, and the important step is to not drink alcohol for the rest of the pregnancy. Tell your provider so they have the full picture.

Check the bottle with Oli

NA labels are small, and a lot of drinks look alike on the shelf. Oli scans the barcode or the label and tells you whether a drink is a real alcoholic drink, a trace-alcohol NA drink, or neither, with the reason spelled out for your trimester. It also flags the ingredients that matter more than the ABV, like ashwagandha in a "calm" NA spirit. If you just want a one-off answer, the pregnancy food checker works in your browser.

If you are planning your fall and holiday drinks, these guides cover the rest of the list: apple cider, eggnog, and coffee, decaf, tea and mate.

FAQ

Can I drink non-alcoholic beer while pregnant? Guidance varies. A US "non-alcoholic" beer contains less than 0.5% alcohol, which is a trace amount, roughly one tenth of a standard drink per can at the legal maximum. Many providers are fine with that, while the CDC, ACOG and NHS say there is no known safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy. Read the label and ask your provider. If you want zero alcohol, choose a beer labeled 0.0% or "alcohol free."

Is 0.0% beer safer than 0.5% beer during pregnancy? It has less alcohol. In the US, "0.0%" and "alcohol free" mean the beer contains no alcohol, while "non-alcoholic" means under 0.5%. If you and your provider prefer no exposure at all, 0.0% is the choice.

Is non-alcoholic wine safe during pregnancy? It follows the same rule as NA beer. Dealcoholized wine in the US must be labeled as containing less than 0.5% alcohol, and "alcohol-free" wine should have no detectable alcohol. Check the label and ask your provider.

Are mocktails safe while pregnant? A mocktail made with juice, soda, syrups and a true NA spirit is fine on the alcohol front. Ask the bartender to skip aromatic bitters, which are made with alcohol, and check that any NA spirit does not contain ashwagandha, kava or CBD.

Does orange juice really have alcohol in it? A tiny amount, yes. A German study found up to 0.77 grams of alcohol per liter in orange, apple and grape juice, from natural fermentation. That works out to roughly 0.1% ABV at the highest levels measured. Juice is still considered a non-alcoholic drink by the FDA.

Is kombucha safe during pregnancy? Kombucha is harder to call than NA beer. It can keep fermenting in the bottle, and in one large survey about 65% of samples were above 0.5% alcohol. It is also usually unpasteurized and contains some caffeine. Skip homemade and "hard" kombucha, and ask your provider about store-bought kombucha.

Is root beer safe while pregnant? Yes. Commercial root beer is a soft drink with no alcohol and no sassafras oil, which the FDA banned as a food additive in 1960. Regular Barq's contains 22 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can, so count it toward your daily caffeine.

Can I drink non-alcoholic beer while breastfeeding? The evidence here is reassuring. In a 2013 study, 15 breastfeeding women drank 1.5 liters of NA beer in an hour. Most milk samples had no detectable alcohol, and the two that did had only trace amounts right after drinking. The researchers concluded it is likely harmless for the baby.

Does "low alcohol" mean the same thing as "non-alcoholic"? No. In the US, "low alcohol" beer can contain up to 2.5% alcohol, and in the UK up to 1.2%. Those are alcoholic drinks and are an avoid during pregnancy.

Sources: 27 CFR 7.65 (US malt beverage labeling), FDA CPG 510.400 on dealcoholized wine and malt beverages, UK low alcohol descriptors guidance, UK consultation on no- and low-alcohol labeling, NIAAA standard drink, Gorgus et al. 2016, J Anal Toxicol, Thierauf et al. 2010, Forensic Sci Int, CDC alcohol and pregnancy, ACOG tobacco, alcohol, drugs and pregnancy, ACOG alcohol and women, NHS drinking alcohol while pregnant, Adiong et al. 2014, Can Fam Physician, Goh et al. 2010, Can J Clin Pharmacol, NCCIH ashwagandha, NCCIH kava, FDA on CBD in pregnancy, TTB kombucha, FSANZ fermented drinks survey, 21 CFR 189.180 (safrole), Coca-Cola, Barq's, Schneider et al. 2013, Breastfeed Med.

This article is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. Always confirm with your healthcare provider.