Until recently, I never gave non-alcoholic beer much thought. At some point in my past, I recall drinking an O’Doul’s and being disgusted by it. Some of you may have had the same experience and thought “What’s the point of forcing down a malty-water beverage with no intoxicating benefits”?
As I’ve aged, I’ve found my desire for all things beer has grown tremendously. Living in an area that’s constantly sprouting craft breweries seems to provide an endless supply of new styles to try, and I love it…but sometimes I don’t love the effects that come with it.
Each day seems to add more responsibility between taking care of a family, constantly running errands, staying ahead of the yard work, etc., which can make finding time to enjoy a delicious cold one quite the hassle. Then I noticed a growing section of non-alcoholic beers at my local grocery store. I figured if there’s this many options being stocked now, it must be worth a try. Surely it can’t be worse than my last experience with O’Doul’s, right?
So I went down a bit of a rabbit hole. What started with a few 6-packs from the store, quickly led to ordering craft options online. I’ve learned quite a bit on this journey and am not ashamed to admit that I’ve become a big fan of several NA beers. I was surprised to find that not only can I still be productive after a crispy beverage on a hot summer day, but without the intoxicating effects, my brain/body are satisfied with less. This in turn leads to less bloating, no altered mindset, and a better feeling overall.
Check out my quick reviews below of the most common options I’ve tried thus far, a few of which can now be found in my fridge at any given time. I implore you to keep an open mind and give them a try next time you’re at the store.
Budweiser Zero: 2 out of 5 Stars
To be honest, I was surprised to see this option from Anheuser-Busch. For such a large company, I figured they wouldn’t even consider such a niche corner of the market, but kudos to them for getting involved. So far, this is the only NA beer I’ve seen available in a 12-pack, which provides a better deal than stocking up on 6-packs. The downside is that I didn’t really enjoy this beer that much, so these were lingering at the back of my shelf for quite a while. The beverage itself had the initial light, crispy bite you would expect from a traditional Budweiser, but it quickly fell flat with a taste that seemed a bit watered-down.
Lagunitas IPNA: 3 out of 5 Stars
I struggled to bump this to a 3 star rating, instead of a 2, but I’m giving Lagunitas benefit of the doubt. The reason being is that I feel this might’ve been a bad bottling batch or perhaps my taste buds were just reacting oddly. The IPNA has a delicious IPA smell and full body finish with near perfect carbonation….but something in the after-taste left my tongue smacking the roof of my mouth. I’m trying to remain optimistic that it might not have been the beer’s fault and will give this another try soon.
Athletic Brewing Co. Run Wild: 4 out of 5 Stars
I wanted to find an actual craft brew option for this test to compare against the more common options, so a quick Google search led me to Athletic Brewing Co., who specialize in non-alcoholic beer. They routinely have several styles to choose from that any beer connoisseur would appreciate. With the award-winning Run Wild, Athletic has created a delicious IPA that provides just the right amount of hop flavor profile and bite. If this had been given to me in a blind taste-test, I likely would’ve assumed it was a standard ABV brew.
Athletic Brewing Co. Cerveza Atletica: 4 out of 5 Stars
Another home run from Athletic Brewing, the Cerveza Atletica is a Mexican style copper lager that’s brilliantly smooth, yet rich in flavor and perfect for the summer. I’ve found this pairs well with most meals, but became a go-to favorite of mine for Taco Tuesdays.
Heineken 0.0: 5 out of 5 Stars
This was the first NA I tried for this test and, unfortunately for the other beers, it set the standard. The taste is near exact to that of a standard Heineken. Let me proclaim here and now that I am all for whatever witchcraft they’ve done to pull off this feat. It has the perfect flavor profile, always crisp, and finishes exactly right. Now, I’ve recently learned from trying to inform others of this masterpiece that many people don’t like Heineken to begin with, but if you’re an enthusiast of the green-bottled-brand then you will (probably) love this non-alcoholic option as well.
Editor’s note: Ryan Yearwood is a longtime friend of the SoBros Network team – check out his other contributions: ‘Dogs of Peru‘ and ‘Struggling With Back Pain? Check Out Backmate.’ Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
