Non-Alcoholic beer is basking in the glow of incredible growth and significant improvements in quality and taste, but challenges that could threaten its trajectory remain. In our most technical episode to date we're re-joined by Reducaholic's Tyler McMahon, who helps us break down some of the most important questions facing the young category, such as safety and handling, profit margins, consumer cost perceptions, and the ramifications of an industry still very reliant on contract brewing. Our featured guest is Kevin Barnes, co-founder and Brewmaster of Beaglepuss Brewing, a veteran of non-alcoholic beer already having previously helped start Two Roots Brewing Company, an early upstart in the NA category. Listen as Kevin answers these and other important questions facing the industry today.

Referenced in this episode:

Reducaholic
Beaglepuss Brewing
TheBeerShamus.com
Ultralow Brewing (Facebook group)

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We travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for this episode, and sit down with the co-owner of Two Frays Brewery, Mike Onofray, and the owner of The Open Road, Mel Babitz. The two businesses have forged a partnership with a series of unique collaborations that have helped bring non-alcoholic beer and beverages to their Pittsburgh community. In our conversation we talk about how they each got started, why the LGBTQ community has been so far in front of the NA movement, what inclusiveness means to the category, and how a smaller brewery that primarily makes full-alcohol beer like Two Frays can drive meaningful revenue from leaning into a non-alcoholic program.

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In the second stop of our summer road trip series, we take a visit to Naperville, Illinois, home of the taproom and brewery for Go Brewing, and sit down with Co-Founder and CEO, Joe Chura. The brewery has been on a whirlwind of growth since launching from Joe's garage two years ago, and we get his perspective on why he started an NA brewery, his philosophy on taking chances in business having previously started other companies, and what he sees as the future and opportunity not only for Go, but for the category as a whole.

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Residing in one of the smallest markets in the country currently supporting an AF bottle shop, Lafayette, Indiana's Generation NA has become a leader in the non-alcoholic beverage movement. In this episode, owner Rob Theodorow shares his founder story, including who is primarily coming into the store, and how each generation has its own expectations and attitudes toward the growing category. He also talks about the ways in which he's built the store experience around the premise of functional drinks, and how that positioning away from one-to-one replacements for alcoholic beverages has  helped change the conversation when people walk into his store.

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In this episode, we sit down with Chicago craft beer savant turned podcaster, Dave Zalatoris, host of the popular Chicago podcast Beer In Front (part of the OddPods Media Network). In our conversation we talk about the craft beer scene in the Windy City, how N/A fits into that vibe, as well as Dave’s thoughts on how non-alcoholic options there are growing, and what we’d all like to see for that to happen a little faster. We end with him sharing his own recipe for flavored hop water, perfected after some trial and error, which is as follows:

• 1/2 gallon water
• 1/2 ounce of hops (Dave recommends lemon drop for a citrusy flavor)
• Steep overnight, with a touch of citric acid, brewers yeast
• Carbonate in a refrigerator/mini-keg

Those getting an extended shout-out in this episode include:

Go Brewing

Pilot Project Brewing

Mash Gang

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In this Notebook episode we sit down with our friend Chi Jennings, known on Instagram as mysoberaflife, a fervent fan of non-alcoholic drinks of all stripes. We talk about her strategy for finding N/A beverages while traveling, her thoughts on Chicago's Pilot Project Brewing, favorite non-alcoholic retail spots in NYC (who knew bodegas were such a big part of the revolution?), and lastly, some of her current favorite near beers.

Also mentioned in this episode: nonalcjack

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In this episode we sit down with Momentum Brewery and ProofNoMore’s co-owner Lars Dahlhaus to better understand the non-alcoholic beer category, where it may be headed, and how he’s working to build a brand around the ‘why’ and ‘where’ consumers are drinking the product. As the category continues to mature, understanding these motivations will be critical to finding success, and creating more brands for N/A drinkers to enjoy. Lars' many beverage experiences include bringing the Rothaus Beers from Bavaria to the U.S., and later launching Crabbie's Ginger beer for St. Killian.

In our conversation Lars talks about some of the differences between the German and U.S. beer markets, his thoughts on branding and packaging (including how that may influence the consumer), as well as why Momentum would like to partner with smaller, local breweries to help them offer an N/A beer in their taprooms. 

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We set out to explore the middle ground between N/A and the big, boozy imperials and extra-hopped beers that helped make American craft beer famous, and figure out if it offered any clues as to where non-alcoholic beer could be headed. While IPAs and the like aren’t going anywhere, in the traditional brewing world there’s undoubtedly been a movement toward lower gravity lagers, pilsners, English ales and related styles that dare to come in at 5% ABV or lower, at least inching a bit closer to their under .5% counterparts. 

We start our episode sitting down with the creator of Duluth, Georgia’s Little Beer Festival, having recently celebrated its 4th iteration this month. Todd DiMatteo is also the owner/brewer of Good Word Brewing & Public House, which itself focuses on these low gravity styles. Similar to a few other festivals that have popped up in recent years to focus on lighter brews, Little Beer offers festival-goers the opportunity to sample hordes of beers that won’t knock you over with alcohol, which may go against some perceptions of a beer festival.

At the event we also talk with brewers and experts from Lupulin Brewing, Wren House Brewing, and The Whale Craft Beer Collective. All shared their own perspectives of non-alcoholic beer, where and how it’s going for them, and whether there may be an intersection of these movements within an overall trend toward moderation in craft beer consumption.

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In our first N/A beer notebook episode, we're joined by Myles Faulkner of The Modern Substitute, an informative newsletter featuring weekly recommendations of N/A beers, wines and spirits. In this episode Myles and I talk about the rising non-alcoholic scene in the Pacific Northwest, expansions with Partake Brewing and Kit NA Brewing, a quick dive into what we're drinking, and lastly, with both of us being fans of the beautiful game, we end with a discussion around the parallels between the growth of N/A and the game of soccer in the U.S. 

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While thus far the non-alcoholic brewing space has been dominated by Big Beer, Athletic Brewing, and dozens of other N/A-only brewers, the N/A movement is now showing up in local breweries around the country. In this episode we chat with our friend Tyler McMahon of Reducaholic on what's happening in this important part of the category, which breweries are already leading, what may be holding back others from jumping in, and why all of this is so important to the category's long-term growth.

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