I started building what would become Reducaholic in the Fall of 2022, when I opened an Excel spreadsheet and started jotting down breweries. Before that I had followed the industry and tracked it, learned about brewing techniques and equipment, and bounced a lot of ideas off of friends. After yet another “Tyler we are going here, what should we look for” from friends/family leading to discovering another 10+ NA breweries, I officially started the spreadsheet. Then in 2023 this account started with a bit of a different goal, but pivoted when I saw others were doing it better (hi BuzzCutCo) and realizing that tracking breweries was a different and unique focus on its own. That’s how the map evolved, as I realized knowing who made and served beer where was an important part missing from the sector.
One thing about me, the main work I do is something else, another business that I’ve been doing for 10+ years. It’s had ups and downs, but post Covid it was all down. Sober October in 2021 was the first dry month I did, but it was Dry January in 2023 that saved what I was doing. I focused and fixed everything going on with my main work, while also making substantial progress on Reducaholic. However, I still drank in other months and kept doing so, but after a doctor visit where I had blood test results that someone as fit as me should not have. I also was 14+ pounds over where I felt I should be at that time, so I stopped drinking for 3 months. That three months just became a year and I’m not looking back. I 100% credit my sobriety to NA Beer and the choices available. I’ve also lost the 12+ pounds and feel great mentally and physically.
The sector growth is incredible, and having followed it I see it doing the following in the coming 12-24 months:
-Continued growth and entrants of new NA Only Breweries both with and without their own taproom space. The sector is still small and there is a lot of space, smaller entrants who build both a local presence and a regional/national will continue and catch on (think GO Brewing). Yes, last year 3 NA beer brands closed, but more of that was due to bad luck at the wrong time (partner brewery closing without a lot of notice) than the industry having issues already. Growth remains strong and like the craft beer industry before it, many more new brands will enter compared to those who shut down.
-Safety Discussion – this will come toward a much clearer discussion with more guidelines. There will be innovations with in-vessel pasteurization to allow more medium sized breweries to make and distribute NA beer. Other options, like preservatives will also become clearer (and perhaps new techniques like natural preservatives and even lower (<4) pH).
-Small-medium breweries – the safety discussion will finally distinguish between small-scale on-premises draft (and crowler filling/small local cans distribution) and the 3-tier distribution. This will allow for standards that make it simple for small breweries to make and serve their own NA, potentially even without pasteurization. Common sense cold chain management, draft line cleaning, and keeping a pH below 4.2 will become the standards, along with guidelines on how long beer can stay on draft/cold storage before it needs to be changed. This will help the industry remain unique, competitive, and innovative.
-Alcohol removal – while there are a lot of innovations around NA yeasts and brewing methods without creating alcohol, there are plenty of amazing NA beers who remove alcohol. I do think we will see more innovation with smaller-scale alcohol removal machines as some breweries look to get on the NA and the hard seltzer trend; membrane filtration is modular, so I’d expect innovations to be in that space more so than the vacuum separation area.
-50-50 Breweries – this is less of something I predict but something I hope to see. Imagine a local craft brewery, who makes 6 beers, each with their own NA version as well. Maybe not in equal amounts, but at least equal variety. I personally think we might see this as the previous two points evolve along with breweries (and brewers themselves) becoming more open to the need for choices. A truly inclusive space would have equal options, variety and quality, for both drinkers and non-drinkers. This would also allow drinkers to stay and enjoy more brews without alcohol and reduce the risks after they leave the space as well.
The non-alcoholic beer industry has changed my life for the better and I hope to be a small part of the growth and support of the craft side of the industry.