Economist Writing Every Day

A wonder of the modern age.

Non-alcoholic beer always used to mean O’Doul’s, which is a poor substitute for real beer.

Then Athletic Brewing cracked the code of how to make something that tastes much more like real beer.

Their new process and the higher demand that came with it have led to an explosion in variety, with many new and established breweries offering their own new NA beers.

I tried many of these recently when my wife was pregnant, and was pleased enough that I plan to keep drinking them. Partly as an occasional healthier substitute for real beer (less alcohol also means fewer calories), and partly as a nice drink to have with lunch or in the afternoon when I wouldn’t normally drink beer.

My recommendations:

Re-created the category, pretty good taste, easiest to find: Athletic Brewing

Best NA version of a beer you know: Guinness

Best NA beer from a brewery you probably haven’t heard of: Collective Arts Brewing, Emerald Dark

“Spirituous liquors might remain as dear as ever, while at the same time the wholesome and invigorating liquors of beer and ale might be considerably reduced in their price.” -Adam Smith