The Latest Sports Drink Craze: Beer

Beer: It's not just for couch potatoes anymore. A Bavarian brewmeister is touting its non-alcoholic beer as the latest sport drink for athletes, handing it out at the finish line of sporting events and touting its regenerative benefits. Unlike Gatorade, Erdinger Alkoholfrei is served up with a frothy head, and it comes in one color—a golden hue.

The company touts the beverage as an isotonic, vitamin-rich, no-additive beverage with natural regenerative powers that help athletes recover from a workout. In other words, it's carbohydrate-loaded refreshment without the alcoholic buzz of beer or the jitters caused by some energy drinks. "It's a very healthy product," says the US manager for Erdinger. But note: Alkoholfrei still contains less than 0.5% alcohol, making it a no-no in some states for anyone under 21. (More beer stories.)