
Non-alcoholic beer - a Bibliography
Some of the academic and institutional research that went into the National Geographic article "The Quest to Reengineer Beer." If you have trouble surmounting a paywall on any of this, ping me and I'll see what I can do.
Anderson, Kym. “The Emergence of Lower-Alcohol Beverages: The Case of Beer.” Journal of Wine Economics 18, no. 1 (2023): 66–86. https://doi.org/10.1017/jwe.2023.8.
Azzolini, Michela, Emanuele Tosi, Stefano Faccio, Marilinda Lorenzini, Sandra Torriani, and Giacomo Zapparoli. “Selection of Botrytis Cinerea and Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Strains for the Improvement and Valorization of Italian Passito Style Wines.” FEMS Yeast Research 13, no. 6 (2013): 540–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/1567-1364.12054.
Baillière, Jeroen, David Laureys, Pieter Vermeir, et al. “10 Unmalted Alternative Cereals and Pseudocereals: A Comparative Analysis of Their Characteristics Relevant to the Brewing Process.” Journal of Cereal Science 106 (July 2022): 103482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2022.103482.
Bellut, Konstantin, and Elke K. Arendt. “Chance and Challenge: Non- Saccharomyces Yeasts in Nonalcoholic and Low Alcohol Beer Brewing – A Review.” Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists 77, no. 2 (2019): 77–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/03610470.2019.1569452.
Blasco, Lucía, Patricia Veiga-Crespo, Angeles Sánchez-Pérez, and Tomás G Villa. “Cloning and Characterization of the Beer Foaming Gene CFG1from Saccharomyces Pastorianus.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 60 (October 2012): 10796–807. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf3027974.
Britton, Scott J., and Annie E. Hill. “Microbiological Quality Control in Non- and Low-Alcoholic Beer Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Review of Microbial Contaminants and Strategies for Spoilage Prevention.” Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, May 29, 2025, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/03610470.2025.2508612.
Cadière, Axelle, Anne Ortiz-Julien, Carole Camarasa, and Sylvie Dequin. “Evolutionary Engineered Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Wine Yeast Strains with Increased in Vivo Flux Through the Pentose Phosphate Pathway.” Metabolic Engineering 13, no. 3 (2011): 263–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymben.2011.01.008.
Cordente, Antonio G, Christopher D Curtin, Cristian Varela, and Isak S Pretorius. “Flavour-Active Wine Yeasts.” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 96, no. 3 (2012): 601–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4370-z.
Dequin, Sylvie. “The Potential of Genetic Engineering for Improving Brewing, Wine-Making and Baking Yeasts.” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 56, nos. 5–6 (2001): 577–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002530100700.
Dunn, Barbara, and Gavin Sherlock. “Reconstruction of the Genome Origins and Evolution of the Hybrid Lager Yeast Saccharomyces Pastorianus.” Genome Research 18, no. 650 (2008): 1610–23. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.076075.108.1610.
Ehrenreich, IM, JP Gerke, and Leonid Kruglyak. “Genetic Dissection of Complex Traits in Yeast: Insights from Studies of Gene Expression and Other Phenotypes in the BY×RM Cross.” Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology 74 (2009): 145–53. https://doi.org/10.1101/sqb.2009.74.013.Genetic.
Ehrenreich, I.M., Noorossadat Torabi, Yue Jia, et al. “Dissection of Genetically Complex Traits with Extremely Large Pools of Yeast Segregants.” Nature 464, no. 7291 (2010): 1039–42. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08923.Dissection.
Gallone, Brigida, Jan Steensels, Guy Baele, et al. “Domestication and Divergence of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Beer Yeasts.” Cell 166, no. 6 (2016): 1397-1410.e16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.08.020.
Goffeau, A, BG Barrell, H Bussey, and RW Davis. “Life with 6000 Genes.” Science 274, no. 25 October (1996): 546–67. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/274/5287/546.short.
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Hornsey, Ian. A History of Beer and Brewing. The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2003.
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Hyma, Katie E., Sofie M. Saerens, Kevin J. Verstrepen, and Justin C. Fay. “Divergence in Wine Characteristics Produced by Wild and Domesticated Strains of Saccharmoyces Cerevisiae.” FEMS Yeast Research, no. 11 (September 2011): 540–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1567-1364.2011.00746.x.
Iseman, Courtney. “The Nonalcoholic Beer Industry’s Secrecy Stalls Innovation.” Punch, January 25, 2024. https://punchdrink.com/articles/nonalcoholic-beer-secrecy/.
Keersmaecker, Jacques De. “The Mystery of Lambic Beer.” Scientific American 275, no. 2 (1996): 74–80. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0896-74.
Lafontaine, Scott, Kay Senn, Johanna Dennenlöhr, et al. “Characterizing Volatile and Nonvolatile Factors Influencing Flavor and American Consumer Preference toward Nonalcoholic Beer.” ACS Omega 5, no. 36 (2020): 23308–21. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c03168.
Lafontaine, Scott, Kay Senn, Laura Knoke, et al. “Evaluating the Chemical Components and Flavor Characteristics Responsible for Triggering the Perception of ‘Beer Flavor’ in Non-Alcoholic Beer.” Foods 9, no. 12 (2020): 1914. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9121914.
Legras, Jean-Luc, Didier Merdinoglu, Jean-Marie Cornuet, and Francis Karst. “Bread, Beer and Wine: Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Diversity Reflects Human History.” Molecular Ecology 16, no. 10 (2007): 2091–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03266.x.
Libkind, D., C. T. Hittinger, E. Valerio, et al. “Microbe Domestication and the Identification of the Wild Genetic Stock of Lager-Brewing Yeast.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108, no. 34 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1105430108.
Liu, Li, Jiajing Wang, Danny Rosenberg, Hao Zhao, György Lengyel, and Dani Nadel. “Fermented Beverage and Food Storage in 13,000 Y-Old Stone Mortars at Raqefet Cave, Israel: Investigating Natufian Ritual Feasting.” Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 21 (October 2018): 783–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.08.008.
Manchester, K L. “Biochemistry Comes of Age: A Century of Endeavour.” Endeavour 24, no. 1 (2000): 22–27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10824440.
Mangindaan, Dave, K. Khoiruddin, and I.G. Wenten. “Beverage Dealcoholization Processes: Past, Present, and Future.” Trends in Food Science & Technology 71 (January 2018): 36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2017.10.018.
Maust, Andrew, Rahul Sen, and Scott Lafontaine. “Exploring Non-Traditional Yeast for Flavor Innovation in Non-Alcoholic Beer.” ACS Food Science & Technology 5, no. 5 (2025): 2007–20. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.5c00291.
Myncke, Elia, Dana Venderputten, David Laureys, et al. “Navigating Yeast Selection for NABLAB Production - Comparative Study of Commercial Maltose- and Maltotriose-Negative Strains.” Food Chemistry 447, no. 15 (2025): 143486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.143486.
Nesin, Bourcard. The Real Reasons Generation Z Is Drinking Less Alcohol. Rabobank, 2025. https://www.rabobank.com/knowledge/q011475715-the-real-reasons-generation-z-is-drinking-less-alcohol.
Pretorius, Isak S, Christopher D Curtin, and Paul J Chambers. “The Winemaker’s Bug: From Ancient Wisdom to Opening New Vistas with Frontier Yeast Science.” Bioengineered Bugs 3, no. 3 (2012): 147–56. https://doi.org/10.4161/bbug.19687.
Pretorius, Isak S, Maret Toit, and Pierre Van Rensburg. “Designer Yeasts for the Fermentation Industry of the 21st Century.” Food Technology and Biotechnology 41, no. 1 (2003): 3–10.
Rainey, Clint. “Inside Athletic Brewing’s Effervescent Rise to Becoming a Core American Beer.” Fast Company, March 18, 2025. https://www.fastcompany.com/91270872/athletic-brewing-most-innovative-companies-2025.
Rettberg, Nils, Scott Lafontaine, Christian Schubert, et al. “Effect of Production Technique on Pilsner-Style Non-Alcoholic Beer (NAB) Chemistry and Flavor.” Beverages 8, no. 1 (2022): 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages8010004.
Richter, Chandra L, Barbara Dunn, Gavin Sherlock, and Tom Pugh. “Comparative Metabolic Footprinting of a Large Number of Commercial Wine Yeast Strains in Chardonnay Fermentations.” FEMS Yeast Research 13, no. 4 (2013): 394–410. https://doi.org/10.1111/1567-1364.12046.
Roberts, Ian. “The Rising Power of Yeast Genomics.” European Baker, April 2007.
Rodicio, Rosaura, and JJ Heinisch. “Sugar Metabolism by Saccharomyces and Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts.” In Biology of Microorganisms on Grapes, in Must, and in Wine, edited by H Konig. Springer-Verlag, 2009.
Rogers, Adam. Proof: The Science of Booze. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.
Saerens, Sofie M G, C Thuy Duong, and Elke Nevoigt. “Genetic Improvement of Brewer’s Yeast: Current State, Perspectives and Limits.” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 86, no. 5 (2010): 1195–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2486-6.
Schreurs, Michiel, Supinya Piampongsant, Miguel Roncoroni, et al. “Predicting and Improving Complex Beer Flavor Through Machine Learning.” Nature Communications 15, no. 1 (2024): 2368. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46346-0.
Schubert, Christian, Jörg Maxminer, Matthew Aitkens, et al. “Filtration Challenges in Non-Alcoholic and Low-Alcohol Beer Production with a Focus on Different Yeast Strains.” Applied Sciences 15, no. 12 (2025): 6797. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126797.
Schuller, Dorit, and Margarida Casal. “The Use of Genetically Modified Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Strains in the Wine Industry.” Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 68, no. 3 (2005): 292–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-005-1994-2.
Swiegers, J.H., E.J. Bartowsky, P.a. Henschke, and Isak S Pretorius. “Yeast and Bacterial Modulation of Wine Aroma and Flavour.” Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 11, no. 2 (2005): 139–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-0238.2005.tb00285.x.
Ugliano, Maurizio, and Paul A Henschke. “Yeasts and Wine Flavour.” In Wine Chemistry and Biochemistry, edited by M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and M. Carmen Polo. Springer New York, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-74118-5.
Verstrepen, Kevin J., P Chambers, and Isak S Pretorius. “The Development of Superior Yeast Strains for the Food and Beverage Industries: Challenges, Opportunities and Potential Benefits.” In The Yeast Handbook, edited by Amparo Querol and Graham H. Fleet. Springer-Verlag, 2006.
