Non-alcoholic craft beer

Oh boy, it. Has. Been. A. While! I have certainly fallen off the blog post horse but it’s never too late to get back at it right? For this post I wanted to take some time and shed a bit of light upon the phenomenon known as non-alcoholic beer. This non boozy bevvy has been gaining popularity over the years and even making its way into the craft beer scene. So if it's about craft beer then we shall discuss it here! Away we go…

What is non-alcoholic beer?

Well, apart from the fairly self-explanatory name, it is a beer brewed with such a low alcohol content that it has been deemed non-alcoholic. There are some varieties that do have 0% ABV but the majority of the brands you will find typically have about 0.3-0.5% ABV. So, yes, still some alcohol in these “non-alcoholic” beers but the term “non-alcoholic”, I imagine, is a much better marketing/buzzword than “partially alcoholic” or “low alcohol” beer. Ok, I bet you’re wondering well how the heck do you brew a beer with no (or low) alcohol? There are a few ways of completing this feat but the basic 2 processes are alcohol prevention/reduction and dealcoholisation. Out of the 2 methods prevention/reduction tend to be the most common as it is less capital intensive. For this method there are a number of processes such as choosing not to ferment the beer, preventing fermentation by adjusting the mash or using innovative techniques where you can use certain yeast varieties that will not ferment certain sugars. Now if you were to go the dealcoholisation route it would require a bit more equipment but can produce some great results. Methods for dealcoholisation include boiling off the alcohol, vacuum distillation, membrane filtration and reverse osmosis (yes, all delightfully complicated terms). To dive a bit deeper into all of these methods we recommend checking out THIS article from getgruvi.com.

Why is non-alcoholic beer a thing?

What's the point right!? I’m sure that may have crossed your mind at some point while reading all of this wonderfully valuable literature on non-alc brews. Well, contrary to some purist views, there are some excellent reasons for the existence of non-alcoholic beer. Enjoying a drink with friends is a common social activity that many take part in but sometimes drinking alcohol may pose an issue. Some common examples are those who are pregnant who can’t drink for 9 months (or more), designated drivers (aka the one who drew the short straw or has to work in the morning), some folks have a medical reason preventing the consumption of alcohol, others may have religious reasons for not drinking and some simply just choose not to have alcohol apart of their lives. My wife was recently pregnant but still having the ability to still kick back and have a beer with me was great even though it was non-alcoholic. Thus, there are a myriad of great reasons to produce non-alcoholic brews to satisfy many scenarios. I have also noticed a trend that people are shifting towards more health conscious beverages, another perfect place for non-alc brews. For all of these reasons there has been increased demand for booze-less beer and many producers have taken notice. If you’re familiar with the soft drink aisle in your local grocery store you may have noticed an increase in the variety of non-alcoholic beers over the last couple years.

Craft beer is catching on

Like any great beer trend, craft beer has caught on and this goes for non-alc brews as well. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise given the popularity of craft beer these days and the diverse demographic that make up the customer base. Also, the fact that many craft breweries are family friendly can almost guarantee you’ll have a few ladies coming by with a bun in the oven that would still love to chat with a beer in hand. Thus, with all the wonderful options at your craft beer spot it makes sense that one of them is non-alcoholic. Ok so who’s brewing these sinless suds and where can I get some? I’m glad you asked! Below is a quick run down of some top craft non-alcoholic options available in Canada.

The better question to ask is, “do the non-alc beers taste as good as the normal craft lineup?” This is a very good question which I believe you should explore on your own but I will pass on a few favs from my own experience. To be honest, I haven’t tried all of the brands listed above but I have had a few from partake which are quite nice. I would recommend the Partake Red or Stout. Also, there is a brand fairly popular in the LCBO called Clausthaler from Germany, give it a shot!

I like the fact that non-alcoholic beer is becoming more prominent as there are certainly a good number of scenarios to enjoy one if you’re not a boozer. Even if you are alcohol inclined I urge you to try a few non-alc types, you may be surprised.

Craft Beer Is Here.

Cheers!