Clarifying the Ruling on Non-Alcoholic Beer and Wine

Assalamu alaikum, dear brothers and sisters. I’m finally gathering the courage to ask something that’s been bugging me for a while. Let me start with a bit of background. I’m a revert, raised in the West where beer was a big part of my culture. A lot of folks around me enjoy it, and I did too. I’ve been Muslim for a few years now, and in that time I’ve gotten so many different opinions on things, it’s left me pretty confused. One thing I hear often is 'alcohol is haram,' followed by, 'but you can drink non-alcoholic beer, right?' My family’s roots are English and Scottish, and while alcohol was never a problem-I just liked the taste, never really drank to get drunk-it was just kind of always around. After embracing Islam, I switched to non-alcoholic beer, and I know other Muslims who do the same. So I never thought much about it until I came across a recipe that used cooking wine for flambéing. I wondered if it’s okay since the alcohol burns off. But searching online, you find every opinion possible, and if you dig enough, you’ll find one that matches what you want to hear. That got me thinking, and it really troubled me. Many people say non-alcoholic beer and wine are haram, but the reasoning seemed shaky to me. 'If you drink it as a substitute for something haram, then it’s haram.' So by that logic, drinking non-alcoholic beer is like drinking regular beer? Then wouldn’t turkey bacon be like regular bacon, or beef brisket like pork? It’s an alternative that doesn’t contain alcohol and won’t intoxicate you. It’s just a replacement, like choosing water over a beer. I could see the point if someone argued, 'Liquor is haram, but nobody said you can’t drink mouthwash to get drunk.' But then, mouthwash with alcohol is haram, while alcohol-free mouthwash isn’t-both are alternatives, right? I’m not trying to defend my own habit, just sharing my thoughts and hoping some of you more knowledgeable can guide me better than my limited understanding. Since becoming Muslim, I’ve completely quit alcohol. But I genuinely enjoy the taste of Guinness, and I just found a 0.0% non-alcoholic version that brings me a bit of joy. Please be kind-I’m really trying to navigate my way through all this.