Not too long ago, low-alcohol beers were not great. They tasted bland and lacked mouthfeel. But as brewing techniques improve, and brewers experiment with different methods and ingredients, there's a growing range of great beers in the 2.5% to 4% category. These days you don't have to sacrifice flavour in order to stay relatively sober.

The industry leader in this category is Croucher Lowrider, a 2.5% 'Very Small IPA' that's super-hoppy, bitter, light-bodied and refreshing. It's so good it often holds its own in competitions against bigger IPAs. Good George's Small Wonder (2.5%) is bantamweight, with a middleweight's punch. 

If you're looking for a little more kick without going into touch, Tuatara Iti is a delicious 3.3% pale ale. That extra little bit of alcohol lifts the flavour and Iti delivers in spades, while keeping you well under the 4% threshold. 

In case you were wondering - science tells us that your body can process alcohol at roughly one standard drink per hour, and a 330ml serve of a 4% beer is one standard drink. So any time you're under that 4% mark and drinking responsibly, you're onto a winner.