Back in 1970, Clausthaler took a punt on launching the first non-alcoholic beer brand in the U.S. After that, O’Doul’s came along in 1990 from Anheuser-Busch, with little of interest happening in between. To say it was a slow start for non-alcoholic beer is an understatement. Compare that with today, when the non-alcoholic beer segment achieved an on-premise growth of 33.7 percent in the U.S. between May 2023 and 2024, according to data from CGA, eviscerating full-strength beer sales, which dropped 2.9 percent in the same period.
With more Americans now believing that even moderate alcohol consumption is bad for their health, and many consumers mixing and matching between full strength and zero proof—so-called “substituters”—the alcohol-free category is thriving. Non-alcoholic beers are set to grow at seven percent volume CAGR through 2028, according to IWSR. It leads the charge in the no- and low-alcohol segment, which is partly because the science behind its dealcoholization is more straightforward—but also because category maturity has delivered some genuinely excellent products.
SevenFifty Daily reached out to retailers and bar professionals to find out which alcohol-free beers they are most excited about right now. Interestingly, the majority of the brands suggested by buyers were from non-alcoholic breweries—rather than a brand’s singular zero-proof option—and were launched in the last five years in response to growing demand. Established brands are also capitalizing on the zeitgeist; Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest non-alcoholic brewery, recently announced it closed a $50 million equity financing round to fund further expansion, showing that innovation in the category won’t be slowing down anytime soon. (All beers are listed below with suggested retail price per pack).
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Good Time Brewing Non-Alcoholic IPA; $14.99 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Andrew Bronstein, owner and buyer, Nemo’s Beer Shop, Forest Hills, New York
Opened in March 2022, Nemo’s is a neighborhood bottle shop and bar in Forest Hills, with eight exclusively local beers on draft—which can be enjoyed on premise or to go as growlers—and over 100 SKUs. When it comes to non-alcoholic options, owner Andrew Bronstein, who was previously a partner at Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn, is a fan of Good Time Brewing’s IPA. The company launched in 2023 as the brainchild of Michael “Mikey” McFerran, who previously founded New York City bar The Spaniard, and the IPA was their first, signature release, brewed using arrested fermentation. “It’s one of the rare NAs that has proper hop flavor and balance,” says Bronstein. “It looks and tastes like a classic West Coast IPA, and that has been hard to find in the non-alcoholic category.”
Halfway Crooks ‘Brevet Pils’; $14.99 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Dairelyn Glunt, owner, Salud Cerveceria, Charlotte, North Carolina
A beloved neighborhood bar, bottle shop, coffee shop, and brewery, Salud Cerveceria in Charlotte, North Carolina, offers a notably diverse selection of craft beers with a growing number of non-alcoholic options. Owner Dairelyn Glunt’s current favorite is the Brevet Pils from Halfway Crooks in Atlanta. The small, independent brewery opened in 2019, focused on lagers and barrel-aged beers. Originally selling on-site only, they started distributing in 2023 and its beers are still hard to come by. “We stock any beer they send to North Carolina,” says Glunt. “We just received Brevet Pils about a week ago, and it’s already become a top seller in our non-alcoholic category. It has that classic crisp and bitter taste you’d expect from a German pilsner, making it an easy pick for anyone looking for a high-quality non-alcoholic option.”
Best Day Non-Alcoholic Kölsch; $13.99 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Sam Bogue, beverage director, Flour + Water Hospitality Group, San Francisco
When buying for the handful of restaurants in San Francisco’s Flour + Water Hospitality Group, beverage director Sam Bogue operates under a simple ethos: “Keep them local and keep them fresh.” To do this he purchases in small weekly orders from a handful of Bay Area breweries. “Finding a high-quality non-alcoholic beer in a less hop-forward style has long been a challenge, particularly for those who prefer crisp, refreshing brews,” Bogue says, but Best Day Brewing‘s non-alcoholic kölsch changed that. “Its aroma mirrors its traditional counterparts perfectly, while the palate delivers the subtle body of an ale paired with a bright, thirst-quenching freshness that invites sip after sip.”
Rick’s Original Near Beer; $10 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Justin Bullan, general manager, WhichCraft Tap Room & Bottle Shop, Austin, Texas
Launched in 2022, Rick’s Original Near Beer is created by certified cicerone Josh Hare, who created a name for himself in Austin’s brewing community with longstanding Hops & Grain Brewing and the community hub and brewpub Pint & Plow. “He truly knows beer and how it ought to taste,” says Justin Bullan, the general manager of WhichCraft Tap Room & Bottle Shop, Austin’s first dedicated craft beer bottle shop. For Bullan, Hare’s status as an “Austin beer legend” is part of its appeal. Rick’s Near Beer, which is soon to open a new production facility, has a lineup of three products: Rick’s Hazy, an IPA; Rick’s Crispy Hop Water; and Rick’s Original, a pilsner, which is Bullan’s pick. “I’m excited to keep [it] in stock because it’s local, tastes great, and sells well,” he says. “I don’t typically drink non-alcoholic beer, but when I do, a Rick’s Original is my first choice.”
Nonny West Coast IPA; $18 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Andrew “Coco” Cordero, beverage director, Wildland, Carlsbad, California
Founded in 2022 by two brothers looking to reduce their beer consumption, Nonny has built a reputation for their craft, preservative-free, non-alcoholic beers. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, there’s a Czech pilsner and a pale ale—but it’s the West Coast IPA that is the favorite of Andrew “Coco” Cordero, the beverage director of the newly-opened Wildland in Carlsbad, California, as well as for restaurateur John Resnick’s and Chef Eric Bost’s restaurant group, including Campfire and the Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie. “It’s the closest thing to a [full-strength] West Coast IPA,” he says, “with bright citrus and pine flavors thanks to the Chinook, Columbus, and Simcoe hops.”
Go Brewing ‘The Story’ Double IPA; $14.99 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Patrick Bisch, co-owner, The Open Bottle, Tinley Park, Illinois
Another relatively new entrant into the non-alcoholic beer category, Go Brewing launched in 2023 after incubating for 18 months in the husband-and-wife founders’ garage. But unusually for a non-alcoholic brewery, it also operates its own taproom in Naperville, Illinois, just outside Chicago, offering their lineup of around a dozen beers on draft, as well as alternative beverages and a roster of live events. “This brewery isn’t too far from us here in Illinois, and has blown up since they launched last year,” says Patrick Bisch, a certified cicerone and co-owner of The Open Bottle along with his wife Julie. “[The Story Double IPA] has a wonderful piney, citrus hop kick thanks to the Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic hops and also a nice caramel malt backbone. And while calling a non-alcoholic IPA a ‘double’ IPA is a bit paradoxical, it still translates when you want a bolder IPA, but without the doubled booze.”
Guinness ‘0’; $8.99 per four-pack of 14.9-oz. cans
Selected by Scott Baird, beverage director, Starlite, San Francisco
In June 2023, Guinness announced that production of its non-alcoholic stout will increase by almost 300 percent to meet surging demand, following an investment of €25 million ($25 million) in a new facility at its St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin. And for Scott Baird, the beverage director of Starlite and founder of Trick Dog in San Francisco, it’s his favorite non-alcoholic beer. “Guinness being such a singular flavor memory for me, the non-alcoholic [SKU] absolutely scratches the itch when you have the craving for a Guinness, but aren’t inviting alcohol.” Guinness 0 is produced by removing the alcohol from the full-strength stout through a cold filtration method to reduce heat stress to the beer.
Visitor Extra IPA; $13.99 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Dylan Melvin, director of adult beverage, Foxtrot Market, Chicago
When purchasing for the Foxtrot Market in Chicago—a newly reopened coffee and convenience mini chain selling craft beers—Dylan Melvin, who is a certified cicerone and also the cofounder of micro brewery Is/Was, finds non-alcoholic, gluten-reduced Visitor beer the “perfect pick” for the clientele. “It transcends traditional categories, resonating not just with the ‘better for you’ demographic, but with anyone seeking a thoughtful, flavor-driven beverage,” he says. “Crafted with the same care as full-strength beers, it offers a true craft experience that appeals to beer lovers and non-alcoholic drinkers alike.” While he’s also a fan of Visitor’s lager, his preference leans towards the Extra IPA.
Golden Road Brewing ‘Non-Alc Mango Cart’; $12.99 per six-pack of 12-oz. cans
Selected by Mark Tuchman, owner, 99 Bottles, Sarasota, Florida
Located in Sarasota, Florida, 99 Bottles is a craft taproom and bottle shop with 34 draft taps and a rotating selection of global beers—as well as a particularly impressive selection of non-alcoholic options. “We have been serving non-alcoholic beers at the bar for over five years,” says owner Mark Tuchman. While he rates the “great tasting” Bravus Peanut Butter Dark and Samuel Adams’s non-alcoholic Just the Haze IPA—which “fills our need for the juicy citrus and hop bite we crave!”—the standout for him is Golden Road Brewing’s Non-Alc Mango Cart. A dealcoholized version of their full strength Mango Cart wheat beer, it’s made with real mango and Bravo hops. Los Angeles-based and woman-owned, Golden Road has just one zero-proof option, but, Tuchman enthuses, “what an amazing job the brewers at Golden Road did making a near perfect clone of their flagship fruit beer without any alcohol!”
Dispatch
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Tyler Wetherall is the senior editor for SevenFifty Daily and the Beverage Media Group publications. Her drinks journalism has appeared in publications including Punch, The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveler, Thrillist, and The Spirits Business, which awarded her the Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year. Tyler is also the author of No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run, and Amphibian, her debut novel. Follow her on Instagram at @tylerwrites.
