It’s no secret that NA craft beer is growing rapidly, especially driven by the rise of Athletic Brewing. One would think that this makes someone who likes craft beer have an easier time of transitioning away from alcohol. Well, six months ago, after a weird blood test, I decided to stop drinking. 14 pounds and 6 months without a hangover later, I’m happy with my decision. That doesn’t mean it was easy though.
There are two components to fulfill when trying to replicate a craft beer enthusiast experience in the non-alcoholic market; the variety and the ability to go hang out in the local craft brewery drinking their beer. The first part isn’t as challenging as there are many brands available, led by Athletic, who have a strong variety of good beer. Athletic, GO Brewing, and others also have a series of seasonals that complement their regular brews as well.
One point a lot of people make about switching to non-alcoholic is that you can save money by stopping drinking. This is somewhat true, but most NA beverages cost a similar amount to their alcoholic counterparts and for good reason. Where I find I save money, is by not going out as much. I primarily went out to breweries 1-2 times a week to have some beers and hang out. I still go sometimes to the ones who carry multiple other NA beers but find myself going out less often.
Instead, I “splurge” a little. I have a regular supply of Athletic and GO Brewing’s variety of beers in the mail and pick up many other brands from the local liquor store, who have a great selection. These replace what would have been regular consumption. For premium I opt for the newer “expensive” ones like Beaglepuss Brewing and Mash Gang beer, which I get from Bendicion Bottleshop. I figure if I went out 2 times a week and spent $25+ each time, and now go once and spend $20 at most, it leaves a good budget. I get the variety and save overall still probably. Just $100 will buy 20+ of the more premium NA beers, even if you mix and match. And there will be money left over. Worth it. It’s easy to find and order direct from several of these brands on my site.
Last, I like to local when I travel, which is the other reason I built this site and the map. This means the local bottle shops and NA Bars when I go. I’ve been to Generation NA, Zero Proof MN, Binge Bar, a Third Place Bar event, and more. It also means hitting up local breweries who make their own, if they are available. I wrote about my New York and posted about my Minnesota, Chicago, Indiana, Texas, and Iowa visits.
For me the variety of quality options to help replicate the craft beer scene before is key. Remember, if you are drinking alcoholic options, you spend a fair amount of options. Craft NA isn’t about always saving money and instead can be about replacing quality with quality while maybe saving some along the way. Although I must admit, if half the breweries here came out with their own regularly available NA on draft, I might spend more, and I would be perfectly ok with that. Here’s to options.
*This is not sobriety advice, it is what has worked for me the past 6 months. I genuinely believe choices in NA beverages help, but NA beverages as a sobriety strategy might not be for everyone.
**Some of these, not all, are affiliate links.