If you are partaking in dry January, don’t go crying in your mocktail about it.
Instead, use this time to explore the incredible non-alcoholic offerings available right now. Non-alcoholic “vodkas” and hemp-based “spirits” are part of a growing non-alcoholic trend, but these days, some of the tastiest and most satisfying NA products can be found in all styles of beer.
No, we’re not talking about O’Doul’s or the boiled brews of the early ’90s. New technologies allow brewers to create non-alcoholic (NA) beers that taste like the real thing. They’re not just experimenting. They’re meeting demand. NA beer sales in the U.S. were up 38 percent in 2020 and are expected to hit $29 billion worldwide by 2026.
And you know what? This isn’t just good non-alcoholic beer; it’s damn good brew by any metric. Here is a six pack our favorites.
Two Roots Brewing Company
San Diego, California
$12-14 (six-pack)
The Beer: Straight Drank IPA; Enough Said Helles; New West Hazy IPA; Dark Cookies Milk Stout; Bubbly Cush - Non-Alcoholic Extra Dry Pils
Two Roots shines in the IPA department, especially their West Coast styles. Overall, though, they have conquered one of the challenges facing NA brewers: mouthfeel. Many NAs taste great but can feel a bit thin and flat. Not Two Roots. Check out their Dark Cookies Milk Stout. Just a hint of sweetness and just the right amount of body. They also make one of the few great lagers in the NA space.
Wellbeing Brewing Company
St. Louis, Missouri
$9-$11 (four-pack)
The Beer: Hellraiser Dark Amber; Heavenly Body Golden Wheat; Going Places IPA; Intrepid Traveler Coffee Cream Stout; Intentional IPA; Victory Citrus Wheat + Electrolytes; Oatmeal Cookie Stout
Wellbeing is a pioneer of NA brewing and uses a vacuum distillation process that removes the alcohol without boiling off the flavor. Of their six offerings, the two wheat beers are great examples of what NAs can be. Heavenly Body Golden Wheat holds its own with any regular beer – you could easily fool your friends with it. Victory Citrus Wheat adds an orangey tone similar to Blue Moon and includes electrolytes. Yes, you can use it as a recovery drink.
Boston Beer Company
Boston, Massachusetts
$12
The Beer: Samuel Adams Just The Haze IPA
Boston Beer Company is the maker of the ubiquitous Sam Adams. (It also owns Dogfish Head and Angry Orchard ciders.) Its national presence and brand recognition give it perhaps the best chance on this list to become the go-to craft NA throughout the country. Just the Haze IPA is everything the name implies, but it adds tropical flavors such as mango and pineapple that round out the Citra, Mosaic, Sabro, and Cascade hops. Just the Haze is available in select grocery stores.
BrewDog
Ellon, Scotland
$9-$13 (six pack)
The Beer: Humbug AF Stout; Hazy AF IPA; Elvis AF IPA; Nanny State Pale Ale; Punk AF IPA; Nanny State Pale Ale; Ghost Walker IPA
Based in Scotland, Brewdog is well known for its innovative full-strength beers, but it has made a firm commitment to the NA market. They currently offer five IPAs and a stout, all of which are based on their leaded products. Eight specialty malts in the flagship Nanny State provide a sturdy platform for five different hops (Centennial, Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade, and Simcoe). The result is a solid English-style IPA with all the bitterness and complexity you’d expect. Note, all of their NAs are on sale this month.
Athletic Brewing Company
Stratford, Connecticut;
$13 (six pack)
The Beer: Run Wild IPA; Black IPA; Upside Down Golden; Free Wave IPA; All Out Dark; Cerveza Atletica Lager; Brut IPA; Lost In The Redwoods Amber; Stump Jump Autumn Brown; Hefeweizen Wheat; Thai IPA with Coconut; Athletic ESB Amber
Athletic Brewing Company is the king of NA beers. (Budweiser makes one too.) The company has produced dozens of styles, but their two premier IPAs will have you asking, ‘How did they do that?’ Short answer: arrested fermentation. Run Wild is a traditional IPA that smacks you upside the head with a bitter bite, leaving a lingering, hoppy finish in its wake. Free Wave is a hazy IPA that is everything you expect a hazy to be: juicy, floral, and eminently drinkable. You can get these and more in a Dryuary sampler pack.
Woodland Farms Brewery
Kittery, Maine
$11 (4-pack)
The Beer: Dark Stout; Pointer IPA; Ruby Sour; Witty Wheat Beer
Woodland Farms is new to the NA scene, but they came out swinging. All their brews are worth exploring. Two IPAs, a stout, a sour, and a Saison white ale taste exactly how you’d expect from the full strength versions, and the gentle price tags makes these microbrews a great value.
Mike Collins is a public policy attorney, avid cyclist, live music enthusiast, and father of two in the D.C. region. For the past three years, he been geeking out exclusively on NA products, making him Barleycorn’s resident authority on the subject.
