Non-alcoholic beer used to be called near beer. That was back when O’Douls was the only near-beer around. These days, some people call it driving beer. Whatever your preferred nomenclature, non-alcoholic beer and other fermented beverages are on the rise.
Here are five of the best non-alcoholic beers you can wrap your sober little fist around.
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What are non-alcoholic beers anyway?
First, let’s get some terms right. Most non-alcoholic beer still contains a trace of booze. The FDA allows up to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) in beers labeled as non-alcoholic. Alcohol-free beer cannot contain any beer. For comparison, a typical IPA has about 6.5% hooch by volume. So a 12-ounce IPA delivers .78 ounces of liquor or one and a half tablespoons. A typical shot glass holds 1.5 ounces.
Strong Beer, Like Delerium Tremens Has 8.5% ABV.
Bozo Beer hits with more than 17%. Beer freaks will tell you the alcohol is critical for developing flavor. They would claim non-alcoholic beer sacrifices complex flavor for sobriety. But they’re wrong. New techniques in brewing essentially allow brewers to extract alcohol without losing the flavor.
This is why driving beers are experiencing a surge: They taste good. For folks who are sober (or sober-curious), this is an enormous relief since dry beers used to taste like carefully curated asphalt.
The Following Five Beers Are Considered by Various Sources as the Best Non-Alcoholic Beer
Athletic Run Wild IPA. Athletic’s entry comes with a slew of awards—more than 20 badges from the World Beer Awards to the U.S. Open Beer Challenge. They’re serious about this beer. It stands up to similar IPAs brewed to keep their alcohol, even though each can of Run Wild has less than 0.5% ABV, or a scant teaspoon.
Sober Carpenter Blonde Ale. A crisp, uplifting beer made with all the crazy town nerd focus of a great craft beer. Because it is a great craft beer. It has Hallertau Tradition and Saaz hops, and 2 Row and Cara malts. I don’t know what those mean but, I know that if I drop that beer-cred on a beer-nerd I win the conversation—and I can drive home.
Clausthaler Grapefruit. Clausthaler beat O’Doul’s to the punch by launching the first non-alcoholic beer in 1979. They’re still cranking out great beer and their Grapefruit Fruit Beer is the kind of summer-vibe beverage that kills at a BBQ.
Brooklyn Special Effects. This Hoppy Amber is at the top of the reviews on many sites for its flavor and beautiful, dark, rich color. But it’s not a heavy beer. It’s tight. Fresh. Great with a bitter salad or a juicy burger. Or while operating heavy machinery because it’s non-alcoholic so you’re good.
Bravus Oatmeal Dark. Finally, we get to the beer you didn’t expect. It’s a Guinness analog, a perfect non-alcoholic entry to the world of dark beers, and considered by many consumers to be the best non-alcoholic beer around. Getting the complexity of a dark beer right sans alcohol is a remarkable feat. Give it a shot.
Then There’s Ted Segers
I’m giving the Ted Segers crew their own section here because they are the first non-alcoholic brand that gets it. They have leaned into the irony of their product, developing a Magnum P.I. mustachioed 1970s dad-bod superstar as their eponymous impresario, Ted Segers. However, the real soul of Ted Segers isn’t in the ironic branding but in the authentic experiences that inspired the three founders, Aaron Tyrell, Aaron Weakley, and Dax Shepard.
“We all grew up drinking together, but now we don’t drink. We still wanted to enjoy that ritual of beer. It’s what beer is made for—to bring friends together to celebrate. To mourn,” said Tyrell. “It’s an important part of our life.”
Those familiar with Shepard are doubtless familiar with his very public discourse on his alcoholism. He and the other founders have this in common, and it was after going through rehab and recovery that these lifelong friends realized they missed beer and the non-alcoholic brands they were drinking weren’t cutting it. They hit up a Chicago brewer who developed the recipe for Unleaded Regal Brew—initially just for the three of them to enjoy. But while coming up with a name for their brew, they stumbled into a unique brand.
“We’re all Michicagn dudes,” said Weakley. “and we all lost our dads too early. So we starting thinking about what it would be like if we had a dad that stuck around, and then we were kind of tweaking him a little to be a better modern dad.”
Non-Alcoholic Beer for Your Best Dad Ever
This gave birth to an alamagam of lost fathers that became the fictional Ted Segers (the logo is an illustration of Weakley’s actual father) and late one night the trio came up with a kind of credo. This is where Ted Segers steps resolutely away from the pack of other non-alcoholic beers: they have an identity. They have a hero. Here’s some of the maxims associeted with this driving-beer bon homme:
- Never pick fights, but always finish them; and if you do lose, pick a tiny detail you’re proud of and focus on that when you’re telling the story.
- Let other people brag for you.
- Ask yourself: is my opinion needed here?
- Don’t ever say “I’m the type of person…” just be that person.
- A big man knows when to let the little man win
- Help someone less handsome than yourself
Which Is a Brilliant Way to Market Non-Alcoholic Beer
Because the market is generational—mainly the alpha and omegas of the emerging drinking market. They’re not big on drinking, or they’re in a program, or they just don’t like getting hammered. Also, a lot of them had and still have terrible relationships with their parents, often because their parents had a somewhat stormy relationship with alcohol. A sober father figure handling common tasks with that full mustache Burt Reynolds sober handiness works. Plus, it builds an identity for a community of people who are definitely in search of it.
Non-Alcoholic Beer Is Here to Grow Bigger, so Get on Board
Grab a can. Try it out. You’ll be surprised how good it tastes—and that you can still drive home.
The information provided on Health Food Radar is intended for general informational purposes only. While we strive to offer accurate and up-to-date content, we do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any dietary or lifestyle changes, especially if you have underlying health conditions or concerns.
