Sober and out of pocket: nearly €14 for two 0% beers

Ordering two non-alcoholic beers will set you back a whopping €13.20, according to a survey of bars and restaurants across the Netherlands by the AD

The difference in price between alcoholic beers and those without is only €1, the paper found, making non-alcoholic beer the more expensive option.

A beer, such as a Heineken 0.0 or Jever Fun costs on average between €3.5 and €4, a sample of cafés showed.

For specialty beers, like Paulaner 0.0 and La Trappe Epos, you will need to fork over between €4 and €6. And small breweries charge even more, between €5 and €7 on average.

The process of making beer with little or no alcohol is complicated and expensive, requiring special yeast and machines.

While you pay less VAT on non-alcoholic beer, it gets hit with another tax. The so-called sugar tax was increased last year from 9% to 26%. As a result, the prices of the two drinks are nearly the same.