NON ALCOHOLIC BEERS
Now that we are at the threshold of summer with Memorial day just a few weeks away I wanted to talk about using non alcoholic beers as a way to dial back your drinking. I know for me it seemed like summer was always a time for more alcohol consumption. Whether it’s at the beach, or on the boat or back yard BBQ I think most people are reaching for a cold one more often, and we’ve had record breaking heat already here in Charleston / Folly Beach so its game on for summer.
Non Alcoholic Beers have exploded in popularity. Some societal trends have pushed the market. We’ve talked about Dry January popularity year after year, and the Sober Curious movement. Millennials are becoming more conscious of their physical and mental health and lowering alcohol can help both. And in general people of all ages are drinking less.
It used to be the NA options were few and far between with the few brewers who did offer it almost like leftover swill at the bottom of the barrel. Not anymore. The brewers have caught on and have changed their configurations and now specifically brew for TASTE and HEAD with non alcoholic bottling. And with improved taste and style options more and more people are trying them out. Psychologically too there is still somewhat of a stigma attached to not drinking in social settings, and drinking non alcoholic beer makes you feel like you are part of the party. And interesting too they did a study recently that the taste of non alcoholic beers can boost your dopamine levels because your brain associates the taste of alcohol with pleasant feelings.
In my journey of Moderation Drinking I’ve tried a lot of the NA beers, and here are some of my favorites:
Clausthaler
German beer and it is by far the BEST tasting of all the NA beers with a good head at the pour. Big downside is it’s not widely distributed. Go to Total Wine.
Becks
Very close second to Clausthaler, a bit more skunky which I like in a German beer. But can also be hard to find.
Heineken Zero
This is by far the best example of a NA beer tasting EXACTLY like the alcoholic version. I mean they nailed it. This is also the most ubiquitous of all the NA beers. You can find it at most restaurants, supermarkets, on an airplane, in Mexico wherever. So this is a go to for me when I can’t find my top two favs.
Sam Adams Just the Haze
I’m a big IPA guy and this is by far the best. Has wonderful head at the pour and brewed with a hint of orange grapefruit which I like. I always order my IPAs with a lemon. I love this one and for whatever reason this is what I have to have when eating fish. I grill salmon quite a bit and this is a good paring.
O’Doul’s vs Bud Zero and Coors Edge
Now for the real deal very hot day ice cold in the cooler selection. I don’t like the German beers or IPAs when its super hot out, and when I was heavily drinking Coors Light Silver Bullet was my go to. The mountains on the can turn blue when it gets upper cold I always loved that. And so it was with great anticipation that I tried Coors Edge…. But have to say the taste was way off and it doesn’t foam up like some of the other NA beers so cross that off the list. Same thing with Budweiser’s Bud Zero the taste was way flat. Honestly I think Annheiser Busch got it right when they launched O’Doul’s in 1990 widely hailed as the first commercially successful NA beer. It has the best taste of all the lagers in my opinion, and is my GO TO when packing a cooler for the beach or the boat.
In summary there are MANY OPTIONS now for non alcoholic beers and finding one you enjoy can be a fun journey. And whether you replace real beer for NA beers , or rotate them in it’s an easy way to consume less and still feel like you are part of the party.