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Personally, the best choice for ringing in the New Year is Avec Les Bon Voeux from Saison Dupont but before you crack that gem open, might be best to pre-game with an N/A beer that also could sparkle….
Athletic Brewing is going the Brut IPA route for their Round of Cheers for a better 2026.
Since they have moved on from Casamigos, founders George Clooney and Rande Gerber are eyeing the Non-Alcoholic beer space for their next business foray. And it could be coming as soon as March of next year and considering that Diageo bought the lower shelf tequila for a cool billion dollars they have the financial resources to make it happen.
But should they? I am not against celebrity beverage brands per se. As with any new brands, there are some just in it for the money and some who like the spirit or beer or just the history of tequila creation in Mexico or Bourbon in Kentucky.
My gut tells me this is just a where do we put this Diageo money move.
It is a bit easier to pedal when you have had just N/A beer and you can also support cancer research as well when you buy…
…from Athletic Brewing. Which the N/A producer describes as “aromas of orange, grapefruit, apricot, and peach surge through this medium-bodied IPA, balanced by notes of a pine-fresh finish.” And while you are there, check out the other limited edition beers they have.
Back again with another N/A beer review, still staying positive that there are additional good ones out there and I may have found one…
It is from Sober Carpenter and their Discovery Series and it is a Black IPA. When popping the can, there is a mini rush of piney hop notes that dissipates quickly but is a good omen. The green wort-y taste is there but the chocolate malts cover that enough so that the minimal hop flavor can make an appearance.
For me, I have found better beers in the darker realm. Most N/A seem to have muted hops and muted adjuncts but a good roasty malt can really help. It is why I like the Guinness 0.0 too.
Sober Carpenter has a new Mexican Lager out as well so, if I see it, I will see if they can do medium malty beers as well.
You go around the sun enough times and you run into everything. Even a biegarten in Munich that serves only alcohol free beer.
Click the Facebook link HERE for a short video.
Personally, one spot in an entire large city should not worry German brewers and instead should make them look at their offerings to see what they can do better.
I feel like this upcoming beer is ripe for Em Sauter of Pints & Panels to do artwork on beers and streaming services….
Yup, Athletic Brewing the leader in the N/A beer space has teamed up with Netflix for an IPA. Makes one wonder what a Disney+ or Hulu beer would be and by what brewer.
I have reviewed a good many N/A beers here on the BSP blog and one of the key metrics that I used was, “Did it taste like a full normal beer?”
Now thanks to David Nilsen a prolific writer on both beer and chocolate, I have a different perspective. Nilsen writes that we shouldn’t expect N/A to taste the same as a regular beer. They can’t be because the process is so different to make them. He also makes good points as to which styles work better. Lighter beers and sour beers will be closer than higher ABV beers or ones that lean on fermentation more.
Check HERE for more of his N/A writing.
Seeing as how a N/A Parabola would not be the best course of action, Firestone Walker has made the much more logical choice of creating a non-alcoholic version of 805, with the clever insertion of the word Zero for the number Zero.
Could be a popular beer this summer, up and down the Central Coast.
Not only is N/A beer gaining on the ground but the air as well As Alaska Airlines has teamed with Best Day Brewing to offer their Kölsch on flights. It is “the first non-alcoholic beverage to join Alaska’s premium beverage line-up. “
I know that taste buds and aroma is different at altitude which makes having any flavorful drinks a hit or miss proposition but will an N/A drink hold up better or will the weakened state get weaker?
If I were doing a N/A beer, I would certainly use big flavors or loads of hops. AleSmith is going the big flavor route with a non-alcoholic version of their flagship Speedway Stout.
