Almost at the same time as I Untappd my first Athletic N/A beer, I received an e-mail from Surreal Brewing.
Closer to us customers in Los Angeles is another new N/A brewer. Up in the Bay Area, Surreal Brewing Company founded by Donna Hockey and her husband,Tammer Zein-El-Abedein. Hockey, due to a cancer scare has a post-treatment diet which does not include alcohol. So they started their company to remedy this situation.
Out of the gate was their first offering Chandelier Red IPA which has now been followed by their 17 Mile Porter. The beers are in at Total Wine so I will be looking for them soon to see if the positive trend in taste filled N/A beers is going up.
That’s a powerful origin story. I recently met a sugar cane juice shop owner who pivoted to his beverage of choice for the same reason.
N/A is going to be a big category soon rather than later.