Beer without Buzz

I drank a Clausthaler Golden Amber this evening. This is an "alkoholfrei" beer. Rules vary from country to country, but "alcohol-free" means less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. This is way beyond switching to decaf. (I switched back, but that is another story.) Beer is pagan. Fermented grains and their spirits are the drink of shamans and druids. Beer without alcohol is a technological abomination, like GMO corn. Or not. Actually, the brew is rich with flavor and has a distinctively German nose. I don't know what a "golden" amber is, but the stuff is drinkable. It has a sharp, tangy finish. It tastes like beer. It would be nice to drink a beer now and then and not worry about getting too intoxicated. So, I took the plunge, crossed over into the evil darkness of social responsibility and healthy living. And survived. Now I need a beer.