Nonalcoholic Beer Is Booming. Here Are the Ones to Try.
Nonalcoholic Beer Is Booming. Here Are the Ones to Try.
Despite the many challenges of brewing nonalcoholic beer, the evolving market has plenty of standout, crave-worthy options.
One of the issues I have with non alcoholic products is that because they are meant to be a drop in replacement for alcoholic they wind up being comparable in price sometimes even more expensive.
For what is effectively a softdrink you wind up paying almost 14-$20 a 6pack and a mocktail at a bar can cost $10+ a cup. Compared to something like soda, flavored seltzers, or a malty brewed softdrink like malta the prices are so high. You can get 12-24 packs for what theyre asking. Some mocktails actually take quite a lot of effort to put together to justify the pricetag, but most Ive seen in the wild tend to be simple to make and in terms of labor not much more than a late or milkshake despite being priced way above them.
That said there's nothing wrong with giving people more options to drink while out and about and if you do enjoy the taste of beer to be able to enjoy it without having to get buzzed(even if for some even a mild kick is part of the point)
Alcohol-free beer is usually made through the same process, though. So I expect it to cost the same.
But mocktaiks at bars that are basically juice costing almost the same as cocktails? Yeah, fuck that.
The pricing is infuriating in Canada, since nearly half the price of real beer is alcohol-related excise duties and taxes, which do not apply to non-alcoholic beers. So when companies charge the same or more they are just keeping the difference, it is not "sin tax" related like we've been conditioned to accept up here...
I think some of the reasoning is that because it's taken the same ingredients/processes/time etc. then commodores can charge the same as conventional beer. Where this falls down is here in UK the stronger the alcohol, the higher the tax. Companies probably will justify higher price despite less alcohol because of the expense of research or extra equipment.
They'll stiff us on the prices anyway they can.
I think It's a matter of time. Eventually the small time brewers and popular cheap brands come in to chase any margin gaps.
I agree with you in principle. As someone who stopped drinking, it would be great if I were paying a buck or two less for that mocktail or bottle of O'Douls.
But it's a matter of scale, right? Both large brewers and soft drink makers have distilleries/bottling factories that dwarf anything an NA product (especially NA spirit makers) can produce. Even Heineken or Guinness with their Zero beers are only dedicating a small portion of their facilities to make it.
UK here. Guinness Zero is uncanny. Just like standard draught. I always keep some in the fridge at home.
I’ll look for that but not sure we get it in the colonies.
Good luck ;-)
Just drink seltzer.
If you like beer, a good NA beer is going to be better than seltzers most of the time. If given the choice between an Athletic NA beer and a La Croix, I will take the Athletic unless it is sweltering hot outside.
Best day brewing is pretty good.
Athletic Brewing NA beers are pretty good. Of course, they don't get you buzzed, but the flavor is there. I especially enjoy the First Ride, from them. Wit's peak is good for that I want a Witbier style of beers.