In a previous blog post in our Non-Alc 101 series, we already covered what non-alcoholic beer is and how it is made. In this post, I’ll list out some of my favorite non-alcoholic beers in different categories such as pilsners, IPAs, and stouts.
Straightforward Beers - Lagers & Pilsners
AL’s Lager AL’s was one of the first non-alc beers I tried and I’ve been a fan since day 1. As a fan of dive bars and “cheap beers”, AL’s hits the spot when I want JUST A BEER. It’s crisp, refreshing, a little hoppy, and totally crushable.
Atmosphere Pilsner This is an excellent German-style pilsner that’s actually brewed in Germany. My people know a thing or two about beer! It’s super crisp with a little hoppiness, absolutely delightful.
Best Day Kölsch Okay I have to admit I can’t really tell the difference between pilsners, lagers, kölsch… they’re all just BEER to me. Some maybe a little hoppier, but overall, they’re what I think of when I think of beer. The Best Day Kölsch fits right in there - a great, drinkable BEER.
Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Hoppy Amber Okay, this one says hoppy, but it’s really not that hoppy at all. Honestly, to me this is the most straightforward BEER out of Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects lineup. Super refreshing in summer, I had quite a few of these babies on the beach last year!
Grüvi Golden Lager I am in fact running out of ways to say that this is another super straightforward drinkable beer - a golden lager, not super hoppy, but refreshing and without the malty sweet notes that a lot of non-alc beers tend to have. This one was a crowd favorite at our summer picnic last year!
Athletic Layaway Lime & Salt Uggghhh this is one of Athletic’s many “pilot projects” (ie experiments) that I got absolutely OBSESSED with last summer. It’s somewhere between a Corona with a squeeze of lime and a non-sweet shandy, with a hint of salt that makes me want to CRUSH one of these after a hot summer run. I really hope they bring these back!
Crafty Beers - IPAs, Stouts, & more
Good Time Brewing IPA Good Time is the new kid on the non-alc beer block! They just launched in November 2023 but are slowly taking over NYC’s bars and restaurants. This is a super hoppy IPA (according to the brand it’s “a healthy convergence of an East-coast and a West-coast style IPA”) that hits the spot when you want something bitter and hoppy!
Samuel Adams Just the Haze Hazy IPA This hazy IPA is a little on the sweeter and maltier side, like a lot of non-alc beers that I don’t actually like too much. However, in this case, the sweetness works with the juicy hazy vibe, and makes a really enjoyable and drinkable beer!
Untitled Art Juicy IPA This was the first non-alcoholic IPA that made me go HELL YES. The juicy IPA is hazy, juicy, with the right amount of hoppiness to make it feel like a real BEEEER. Absolutely delicious. Untitled Art tends to be a little pricier than most non-alc beers, but they’re totally worth it.
TALEA Spritzy Sour A cute little strawberry lemon sour that absolutely delivers true to its title: It’s SOUR. I was worried it would be sweet and not very beer-like at all, but it’s not really sweet and there’s enough hoppiness in it to still make it feel like a beer. Someone mentioned it tastes like a very tart cider, and I don’t totally disagree.
Guinness 0.0 Good ol’ Guinness 0.0! This is a super popular non-alc version of the classic stout. In a side-by-side comparison, I found that it was sweeter and a little tangier than the original, and the head was just a tad less creamy. It also seems to go flat a little faster, but that might also just be the can vs draft beer. Other than that, it really hits the spot when you’re craving a dark malty stout!
And finally: Come meet us at our events in New York City! Whether you’re sober curious or just taking a night off from drinking, we welcome everyone who wants to socialize without alcohol. See our event listings for details!
