U.S. of N/A: Non-Alcoholic Beer and Beverages

If you've enjoyed an American craft beer over the last few decades, you've benefited from the efforts of our guest today. Keith Villa founded Blue Moon Brewing Company for Miller Coors back in 1995, which would of course become an iconic brand that helped usher in a new era of craft beer that we know today. His trailblazing efforts in craft beer didn't stop there, though, as he would start Ceria Brewing in 2018. Ceria is known for two things. One, launching a very early-stage, cannabis-infused beer. When they had to pivot due to being so early to market, they currently brew one of, if not the only, completely zero-proof beers made in the U.S. In our conversation we talk about what microbrewing looked like in the mid 90s, before fast-forwarding to the last decade in brewing.

Mentioned in this episode:
Ceria Brewing
Blue Moon Brewing
Brewing With Cannabis (book)

The state of the (NA category) is strong, and getting stronger. Today's episode has a bit of a "state of the industry" feel to it, as I'm joined by Laura Silverman, founder of Zero Proof Nation, one of the most authentic voices in the non-alcoholic beverage movement.

In our conversation we first talk about her advocacy in the space, and how much has changed in the time she's been involved. She made a decision to go alcohol-free in 2007, well before the modern movement even existed. We then talk about the growth that's happening right now, and how that's both exciting and maybe a bit concerning with so many new brands competing in the same space, as well as the hemp-derived market that has really come on strong these past couple of years. We end by talking about some of Laura's favorites, and we ask her to weigh in on some of the language the media uses to describe the category.

Mentioned in this episode:

Bright Barrel
Go Brewing
The Open Road
Spirited Away
Sans Bar
Seedlip
CaliSoberMom
Dry Atlas
All The Bitter
Zeronimo
Partake Brewing
Uncool
Lyre's

"The good news for beer is beer is a non-partisan issue." So proclaims this week's podcast guest, Brian Crawford, President and CEO of The Beer Institute, a Washington DC based trade association representing the interests of the industry primarily at the federal level. In our conversation we talk about the growth of non-alcoholic beer, including how BI views the category as a nascent one within the overall industry, with health habits and drinking preferences quickly evolving. We then dive into the hemp-derived beverage market, which has really taken off since the 2018 Farm Bill, with Brian giving his thoughts on it from the POV of the beer industry at large. Lastly, we talk about some of the Beer Institute's legislative priorities, which include a new program aimed at making draft beer more accessible by providing tax credits to all those who serve it. We close out our discussion with Brian sharing some great info on how people can get involved in advocating for beer in all its forms with their local representatives.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Beer Institute

The phrase, "slow and steady wins the race" could easily apply to Portland, Maine's Kit NA Brewing. In a category largely defined by rapid growth and headlines around the ramifications of younger consumers not drinking like their older counterparts, this New England brewery has set out to build a brand that's built to last, with a focus on the product above all else. In this episode we'll hear about how Kit's co-founders started the business, their philosophy around growing comfortably but responsibly, how they view collaboration in a category not exactly known for that yet, and lastly, why mental health emerged as a cause they wanted to be a part of as a company.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kit NA Brewing
Austin Street Brewery

It all started with two forty-something friends exchanging texts, and suddenly realizing they both were mixing NAs with full-strength beers for a blended ABV at the same time. In our latest podcast episode, we chat with Dad Strength Brewing co-founder Ryan Kutscher on defining a new NA-adjacent category of low-alcohol beers, how NA played a role in their origin story, why they wanted to be a part of the growing moderation movement, and what Dad jokes have got to do with any of this.

Mentioned in this episode:

Dad Strength Brewing
Atlas Brew Works

Ted Fleming has been in the adult non-alcoholic beverage category since 2013, before many were even thinking about it. He founded Partake Brewing in 2017, but four years prior had launched one of the world's first online non-alcoholic e-commerce stores. Since that time, he has steered the Partake brand through an accelerated period of growth, and more recently, through an influx of newer players entering the category. In our conversation we talk about what Partake has prioritized in building a modern brand amidst transformational changes in the way people consume adult beverages, from merchandising to partnerships, to cultivating a sustainable community that can carry them into their next stage of existence.

Partake Brewing

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)

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.

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.

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.