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.
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.