Non-alcoholic beers have gotten better over the years, and they blend seamlessly when you are hanging out with a small gathering of friends. If you are feeling uncertain about what drink you should be holding in your hand, check out these 10 non-alcoholic beers to try in 2020.
How Non-alcoholic Drinks Are Shifting Social Culture
Before we dive into our top list, let’s take a look at how non-alcoholic drinks have changed over the years. You might be hesitant if you have tasted earlier versions of companies trying to make one alternative version to be comparable to their other popular alcoholic drinks. Many of the previous attempts at creating a non-alcoholic version often tasted like a watered-down beer, or even worse, just a sickly sweet mocktail.
Luckily, many others in alcoholics anonymous noticed this after their own recovery. Hence, the new dawn of beers made, all alcohol-free that taste as they should. With the cultural sensation of craft breweries, it opened the door for new thought leaders to emerge that invite a safe space for those in recovery to be a part of the social environments they love.
Many people are looking for alternative routes to meet sober people and have a good time. With local breweries having more options and smaller companies making waves in the industry, the social culture around drinking is able to shift for the better for those in recovery.
With the shift in social culture, take a look at the top 10 non-alcoholic beers to try this year.
- Athletic Brewing Company: Run Wild IPA
Athletic Brewing Company was created out of the struggle of wanting to balance a love for beer and living a healthy lifestyle. They thought, why can’t we have both? Their Run Wild IPA is popular among non-alcoholic beers and has set a high standard for other alcohol-free beers available.
Run Wild IPA is brewed with 5 different hops, all hailing from the Northwest. The NA beer has a malty body that is equated to the taste of an alcoholic beer, but does not compromise recovery or an active lifestyle.
With sweet floral notes and a citrus aftertaste, you can enjoy a cool drink with friends or family that gives you the chance to actually enjoy what you are drinking and have a good time with those around you.
- Clausthaler: Dry Hopped
From an obsession with the creation of the world’s first popular non-alcoholic beer, Clausthaler never gave up on the chance to create something worth drinking. Their innovative approach to brewing improves the process by stopping the brew’s fermentation before the alcohol has a chance to develop.
This controlled fermentation process allows for a smarter brewing process that holds in the beloved taste of beer without the need for alcohol. Their brewing style has won countless awards and holds the top spot for best NA brews around with their simple dry hopped recipe.
- Bravus Brewing Company: Oatmeal Stout
If you are looking for a darker non-alcoholic beer to enjoy, check out Bravus Brewing Company and their beloved NA Oatmeal Stout. While it is considered a winter beer, it also can be enjoyed at any time of the year with its subtle chocolate and caramel taste.
Bravus’s NA Oatmeal Stout was a silver medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival in 2019, and undoubtedly will blow it out of the park again for 2020. With their attention to detail and claim to fame for America’s first non-alcoholic craft brewery, Bravus brings their brightest minds to make a dark NA beer just right for you.
- BrewDog: Hazy AF
Brewdog’s Hazy AF has a claim to fame for the tropical fruity notes with grassy undertones that keep it at the top of everyone’s list for non-alcoholic drinks. (Keep in mind, it does have 0.5% alcohol within the drink).
Hailing from a godforsaken industrial area in Scotland, James and Martin set out to shift beer culture in Britain, and ultimately around the world. Not only is Hazy AF a top favorite, but so is their top-selling Punk AF and Lost Lager.
If you’re looking for those sweet fruity tones, then BrewDog’s Hazy AF is definitely the one for you.
- Wellbeing Brewery: Victory Citrus Wheat
Wellbeing Brewery is the definition of a caring craft brewery that focuses on non-alcoholic beer. The founder Jeff Stevens, created his company from his love of live music, the social culture of bars, and to meet sober people. With a knack for distilling, he created a brewery solely dedicated to alcohol-free drinks.
Featured in Outside magazine for being one of the top 12 beers of the summer, their non-alcoholic beer Victory Wheat is a seasonal favorite. Victory Wheat is surprisingly packed full of electrolytes, vitamins, and anti-inflammatories making it one of the healthiest NA beers on the market.
It has an orange zesty flavor that gives you exactly the flavor you need on a hot summer day.
- Brooklyn Brewery: Special Effects
Brooklyn Brewery is not just an ordinary brewing company located in the heart of a city. It is a staple of history where the brewing industry once thrived. Garrett Oliver set to bring ingenuity for brewing and flavorful styles back to the city of Brooklyn. Since his journey began, he has been awarded multiple times for his innovation within the industry.
Their NA beer Special Effects brings a peppy hoppy flavor and is described as a sensation of zesty aromas with a clean bitter edge. Brooklyn Brewery offers its array of drinks all over the globe, but the demand for Special Effects has inspired their team to create more non-alcoholic drinks for the future of brewing.
- Big Drop Brewing Company: Uptown Craft Lager
Big Drop Brewing Company’s claim to fame is their award-winning alcohol-free craft beer. The brewing company was created from a lifestyle change into fatherhood and the frustration of nothing alcohol-free that came close to what they wanted.
Instead of looking around for a better NA beer out there, they simply created their own personal best. Big Drop’s Uptown Craft Lager won double gold in the European Beer Challenge in 2019 and they continue to win awards for many of their other NA beers.
Their Uptown Craft Lager is gluten-free friendly, vegan, and provides a full-bodied and floral hoppy flavor with hints of spice that give it the craft lager of dreams. With its touch of orange at the end, you can enjoy the taste worry free.
- 8. Nirvana Brewery: Dark and Rich Stout
If you are looking for something rich and chocolatey, then Nirvana Brewery’s Dark and Rich Stout may be your ideal drink for a slow afternoon. It is a great drink all year round with a malty base and soft hints of vanilla.
Nirvana Brewery began in 2017 with the mission for family members and friends to feel socially included in gatherings and events. They have created the world’s first kombucha beer and continue to expand their brews ranging from rich dark non-alcoholic beers to fruity IPAs.
- Partake Brewing: Pale Ale
Partake Brewing’s founder shifted his approach to brewing when faced with a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Out of the search for the best non-alcoholic beer, he decided to make it himself.
Partake’s NA Pale Ale is a favorite among beer geeks and those looking for something new to try. This drink has a medium bitterness, a mix of fruity and floral hops, and a sweet hint of pine. The deep amber color pulls it all together for one great drink to enjoy and meet sober people.
- Bitburger: Drive
If you love a great pilsner, then Bitburger’s Drive 0.0% alcohol pilsner is a great one to try. This German beer has a honey and gingerbread aroma to it with a malty finish. With its light foamy bubbles at the top, it holds a sweet golden color to it that feels welcoming.
Without having to compromise recovery, you can enjoy one of the top favorites among non-alcoholic drinks. While IPAs tend to be the more popular NA beers available, Bitburger brings the lightness of a pilsner to the table that fills the missing piece in modern-day non-alcoholic brewing.
What Non-Alcoholic Beer Are You Going to Try in 2020?
The best non-alcoholic beers to try in 2020 are just at your fingertips, no matter where you are in the world. From great ingenuity in non-alcoholic brewing from Germany and all the way to the coastal shores of the United States, there are many more options for those in alcoholics anonymous to enjoy and feel a part of the social environments you love.
When it comes to looking for the right NA beer for you or a mix of a mocktail, there are plenty of amazing options out there. Ranging from IPAs, pale ales, dark stouts, and fruity aromas, you can find your favorite drink for the season, or for all year round.
What non-alcoholic beer are you going to try in 2020? Let us know your favorites and share which ones you decide to try with other friends looking for a sober lifestyle. With modern-brewing getting better and better, these top ten brewing companies are a great place to discover what you love in a good non-alcoholic beer.
