near-beer

near beer

A beer-like malt beverage that contains less than 0.5% alcohol. I didn't want anyone to know I was pregnant, so I said I could only drink near beer because I was taking antibiotics. I have to drive home later, so I'm sticking to the near beer.See also: beer, near

near-beer

n. beer with less than 1/2 percent alcohol content. (Originally from the Prohibition era.) You can drink a lot of near-beer without getting drunk.