Sensory Drivers and Emotional Determinants of Low- and Non-Alcoholic Beer Acceptance Among Young Romanian Consumers

Reducing alcohol consumption remains a global public health priority, with young adults representing an important target population for preventive strategies. This has increased interest in low- and non-alcoholic beers (LNABs) as alternatives to alcoholic beverages. However, relatively little is known about how sensory characteristics, emotional responses and consumption context jointly influence the acceptance of non-alcoholic beers among young consumers. This study investigated the sensory acceptance, consumption context, and emotional responses associated with LNABs among Romanian university students. A total of 673 participants (18–24 years) evaluated four commercially available LNAB products: one alcohol-free beer (0.0% ABV) and three flavored low-alcohol beers (1.9% ABV; grapefruit, lemon, and elderflower), using a 9-point hedonic scale, preference ranking, and a check-all-that-apply (CATA) emotional questionnaire. Flavored beers received significantly higher overall appreciation than the alcohol-free sample, with mean overall liking scores of 7.32 ± 1.54 for GLAB, 6.93 ± 1.61 for LLAB, and 6.89 ± 1.56 for ELAB, compared with 4.59 ± 2.00 for AFB (all p < 0.001). Aroma, fruity flavor, clarity, beer foam, and smell emerged as the principal drivers of consumer acceptance, whereas refreshing perception showed limited influence. Gender-related differences were generally small, although female participants assigned slightly higher ratings to sweetness, fruity flavor, clarity, and foam. Importantly, both genders expressed comparable acceptance of alcohol-free beer. Consumption was predominantly associated with social settings involving friends (66.7%) and family (34.8%). Emotional profiling revealed a predominance of positive emotions, particularly enjoyment (41.9%), happiness (35.1%), relaxation (34.0%), and achievement (21.2%). Preference data showed that 92.4% of respondents selected one of the flavored beers as their preferred sample, whereas only 5.2% preferred the alcohol-free beer. This study provides one of the first integrated evaluations combining sensory drivers, emotional profiling and consumption context to explain non-alcoholic beer acceptance among Romanian young adults.