Though alcohol seems to be intrinsically woven into every holiday, social gathering, and celebration here in the States, there are, in fact, occasions when you might not want to imbibe. Seriously: There are plenty of times when boozing isn’t in order. Perhaps you just don’t want to drink for a night, or you don’t drink at all, or you’re trying to cut back on calories—you know what, it really doesn’t matter why you’re not liquoring up. What matters is that you have options to drink what you like, when you like, and for nights when I’m off the sauce, my go-to is the wonderful world of non-alcoholic beer. Advertisem*nt Advertisem*nt
Athletic Brewing Co.
Even if you know nothing about N/A beer, you’ve probably heard about Athletic. We’re huge fans of both its regular brews and its weirder, more experimental beers (like this, uh, dark brew with hella coffee and protein in it). Ever since the brewery sprung onto the scene in 2017, the team at Athletic has been cranking out some of the most delicious N/A beers on the market, with a mission of letting drinkers “enjoy the taste and experience of refreshing craft beer without sacrificing your performance, passions, health, or good taste.” Basically, they’re brewing for folks who wanna drink great beer, but still be able to get up and take care of business in the morning. This pack of sixers will help you figure out which of the brewery’s flagship styles you like best, whether it's the Run Wild IPA (my personal favorite), the Free Wave Hazy IPA (staff writer Adam Rothbarth’s favorite), the Upside Dawn Golden Ale, the All Out extra-dark, or the light copper Cerveza Atletica. The Lite is a great Bud or Miller Lite alt.
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Athletic Brewing
Athletic Brewing Company Craft NA Variety Pack (Four 6-Packs)
$57.99 at Amazon
$57.99 at Amazon
Bitburger Drive Non-Alcoholic German Beer
From the makers of delicious German pilsner—and the third best-selling beer in Germany—comes Bitburger’s Drive Non-Alcoholic German Beer. This full-flavored foray into the N/A space is completely alcohol-free and naturally brewed following German Beer Purity laws of 1516 (or Reinheitsgebot for my fellow beer nerds out there) and has a deliciously subtle bitterness, a malty backbone, and just a whiff of noble hop aroma.
Bravus
If stouts are your thing, don’t feel left out—Bravus has your back. The brewery’s Oatmeal Dark is a smooth, well-balanced, stout-style N/A beer that won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2019, which is one of the beer industry’s highest honors. “There aren't a lot of N/A stouts,” one reviewer writes. “But this one is just right. It is low gluten and low calorie but packed with flavor. Very smooth and enjoyable. Well done!"
Guinness
Great news, fam: The world’s best beer (objectively speaking) now comes in a non-alcoholic version. Trying to sneak some brews into Oppenheimer to pay homage to Irish star Cillian Murphy but not wanting to get drunk and sleepy because the movie is f*cking three hours long? (Though in the film’s defense, an IMAX-shot nuclear explosion might cut through the beers.) In any case, Guinness rules and now anybody can enjoy it.
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Heineken 0.0
Perhaps you’ve seen the ads for the latest N/A offering from Heineken N.V.—one of the biggest multinational brewing companies in the world—and thought, Huh, maybe I’ll give that a try. Well, here’s the sign you’ve been waiting for: If you like Heineken, you’ll like Heineken 0.0%, because it tastes just like the full-strength stuff. “The flavor is there and it is delicious,” one reviewer writes. “A family member had a taste and remarked how it tastes just like a Heineken.”
Pabst Blue Ribbon
To respectfully paraphrase our friend Frank Booth, “Non-alcoholic Heineken? f*ck that sh*t! Non-alcoholic Pabst Blue Ribbon!” That’s right, my working class culture fetishists: Your fave “bad” beer (read: what you drink when the dive bar doesn’t have craft IPA) just became even more accessible. Trying to not get drunk on six PBRs at your next Drive-By Truckers concert? Smash that order button, my guy.
Lagunitas IPNA
If you’re a beer person, chances are you’ve probably picked up a few cases of Lagunitas in your day. The suds sultans from California have entered the N/A beer game with their N/A IPA, and drinkers can’t get enough. Full-flavored and hop-forward, the most impressive aspect I got from this was a surprisingly strong and sharp hop bitterness, which I like in an IPA. “[I’m] cutting back on alcohol,” one reviewer writes, “and this is delicious!”
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Suntory ALL-FREE
This example from Suntroy strays from the rest, since, according to the description, the brewery “removes the fermentation process entirely to deliver a beer-alternative with 0 calories and 0.00% alcohol. It contains no sugar nor any artificial sweetener/flavors.” Which, if you’re really looking to cut back on carbs or calories, is a plus. “If you're about that low carb life, then you NEED to know about this product!!!” one reviewer writes. “IT ACTUALLY TASTES LIKE BEER!”
Proßt, and zum wohl!
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.