Last modified on May 24th, 2023
Non alcoholic beer has its time in the sun right now. Younger generations are drinking less alcohol than those before them. Many people in all age groups are interested in exploring the sober or sober curious lifestyle. There are mental and physical health benefits, and with non alcoholic beer options, you can feel like you’re part of the party without the adverse consequences.
Below, we name our picks for the best alcohol-free beer options right now and go into some more details about what you should know if you’re thinking about a sober or sober-curious life.
7 of the Best Non Alcoholic Beer Options Right Now
Below are our top seven picks for great beers without alcohol that are top-rated by customers, have good flavor, are from craft breweries, and are generally the perfect option if you’re trying to cut down on your drinking or eliminate it from your life altogether.
- Run Wild is an IPA Non-Alcoholic (NA) beer
- Includes a blend of five Northwest hops
- Bitterness to balance the malt body
- It only contains four clean ingredients
- Non-GMO, low carb, and just 70 calories
- Award-winning
- Medium-light body
- Creamy head
- Floral notes
According to customer reviews, the Athletic Brewing Company’s Run Wild is ideal for beer lovers. It’s been featured in media outlets like Esquire magazine, and customers say they were surprised with how great-tasting and satisfying this brew is.
Many IPA lovers who decided to stop drinking say that this is hands-down their favorite. They feel like it’s full-flavored even with only 80 calories.
In general, Athletic Brewing is an excellent company if you’re searching for non-alcoholic alternative beverages. They have different types of beer and other beverage options.
- Subtle aromas
- Earthy and floral notes
- Low-calorie
- Award-winning
- Refreshing and light
- Brewed with organic malts
- It contains just four ingredients
Our next pick for a top NA beer is also from Athletic Brewing Company. The Upside Dawn Craft Golden is one of their signature brews. It’s a light, clean beer with just water, hops, barley, and yeast.
It’s very highly rated, including by beer lovers, who say it’s much like real beer.
We just generally think that Athletic Brewing is a great company too. The brand is built on a desire to improve your health and fitness, and alcohol-fueled days and nights often don’t help you live your best life.
The company’s founder decided he wanted to be as healthy and productive as possible, and he found alcohol didn’t have a place in that lifestyle.
- Pale ale
- All-natural
- Low calorie
- No carbs
- It uses just four ingredients—water, barley hops, and yeast
- The pale ale from Partake boasts fruity and floral notes
- Medium bitterness
- Balanced by caramel malt sweetness
Whether you’re a major beer enthusiast or new to the beer world, the Partake Brewing Pale Ale is a great option. The pale ale has just 10 calories and no carbs. It has a medium bitterness, and it’s fruity, floral and citrusy. The pale ale from Partake is award-winning. You can expect an amber hue with white, bright head.
According to customer reviews, these nonalcoholic beers have a sharp, smooth, and full taste, and most reviewers say it’s something they’ll reorder.
- Robust IPA
- Fermented for tropical flavors
- Undergoes a micro fermentation process
- Just 37 calories
- No chemicals or stabilizers added
- Not watered down
BrewDog is again another big name in the non-alcoholic beverage world and the nonalcoholic beer trend. BrewDog has a lot of fun flavors and one of their most popular is Punk AF. It’s an IPA, with just 6.5 grams of carbs per serving and 37 calories.
It’s moderately hoppy, and Punk AF features two types of barley, as well as oats and wheat. What you get is a full flavor, but without a lot of calories or alcohol.
According to customer reviews, this has a good nose and hop flavor and a great texture. Reviewers say it’s great to have after a hike or workout without getting into the fog you might experience with traditional beer.
If you’re looking for something that won’t sacrifice your health or well-being and will satisfy your desire for a great IPA, we’d say to try BrewDog Punk AF.
- Sparkling hop water NA beer
- Includes adaptogens and nootropics
- No sugar or calories
- Made with Centennial and Columbus hops
- No gluten
- Available in mango or blood orange flavors
We love HOP WTR for a few key reasons. First, because of the hoppiness, it’s going to remind you of relaxing with your favorite IPA, but without the guilt. It’s bubbly and flavorful.
What sets HOP WTR apart from other non-alcoholic beers on this list is that you might feel a little buzzy because despite having no alcohol it has adaptogens and nootropics, including ashwagandha and L-theanine.
You’ll feel relaxed and maybe even a little more upbeat after you have a HOP WTR.
- Supports immune health
- 40 calories
- Low sugar
- Hints of citrus and grapefruit
- No artificial sweeteners
- According to reviews, it tastes like a Blue Moon
So.Beer is one of our top picks for NA beer because first, according to reviews, it tastes great with a citrusy and grapefruit flavor similar to Blue Moon. As if that’s not enough, it also helps boost your health, which is something no regular beer can claim to do.
So.Beer contains Immunoboost, a combination of minerals, B vitamins and a soluble fiber called Beta Glucan, which helps supercharge your immune system.
- Fully -brewed nonalcoholic craft beer
- Uses German technology to remove alcohol gently
- The top-rated NA craft beer on Untapped
- Hydrating with no sugar and only 80 calories
- More protein than other beers
- Brewed in St. Louis
The Hellraiser Dark Amber from Wellbeing Brew Company is top-rated among customers and beer fans.
It’s very hydrating with antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory ingredients thanks to its unique fermentation method.
According to reviews, the Dark Amber from Wellbeing Brewing is great if you’re a true beer lover, but you don’t want the alcohol. It’s good on its own or with food. According to reviews, the Dark Amber has good body and flavor. Many people say that after trying a lot of other non-alcoholic beers, this was the first one that honestly did give them the beer flavor and experience.
What to Know About Zero Alcohol Beer
If you’ve come to a point in your life where you want to cut down on the alcohol or maybe eliminate it, you have so many options available to you. Many people want to have non-alcoholic replacement drinks to fill a habit, for when they socialize, or simply because they like the taste of them.
There are also potential health benefits of having a beer without alcohol. For example, they have anti-inflammatory benefits. Several of the ones above have added botanicals and vitamins, so along with being a healthier alternative to beer with alcohol it can be good for you on its own.
Beer without alcohol hydrates you instead of dehydrating you, and it may help with anxiety and promote better quality sleep.
If you work out, a non alcoholic beer can be a good recovery drink because it has phenols. Phenols come from plants, and they help your immune system and reduce inflammation.
The hops in beer without alcohol are what might help with sleep and anxiety. Studies have found they have benefits for both. For example, hops can act similarly to melatonin, enabling you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
With that being said, many types of NA beer do have trace amounts of alcohol in them. If you’re strictly sober or struggled with alcoholism, you may want to be aware of that.
In the U.S., as long as the product has less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, it can be called non-alcoholic. That small amount of alcohol isn’t going to make you drunk or probably even remotely tipsy because most regular beers have an alcohol content of around 5% ABV. Again, it’s just worth noting if you want to avoid all alcohol or think it could trigger you.
What is Sober Curious?
We all have different reasons that we might want to try NA beer. If you’re sober curious, that might be what’s led you here.
People joining the sober curious movements wouldn’t describe themselves as alcoholics and maybe not even problem drinkers. However, you might want to learn more and experience the benefits that not drinking could have on your life. Typically, when you’re sober curious, you’ve chosen to cut alcohol out for wellness or maybe personal reasons rather than dependence or addiction.
There have been several sobriety-related challenges in recent years that have taken off on social media like Sober October and Dry January, and these are times when you might be re-evaluating your use and relationship with alcohol.
While going with a trend might seem like a short-term fix, the reality is that if you can cut out a bad habit for a short period, you can often do it longer. You might feel a sense of control over your health and your life, and that sense of accomplishment can help you in other ways.
The Benefits of Eliminating Alcohol
If you’re looking for a little more motivation to cut alcohol out and perhaps try one of the non alcoholic beers above, the following is a quick overview of the benefits.
- Your liver may get some much-needed relief. Liver problems and damage can occur because of alcohol and also the foods we eat, and general negative lifestyle habits. When you have more than one drink a day as a woman and two as a man, your liver undergoes harmful fatty changes. You can reverse those, however. Then, your liver can focus on what it’s there to do, like breaking down toxins and metabolizing fats and unneeded hormones.
- You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease if you can cut down on alcohol. When you dink, especially heavily, it can raise your bad cholesterol and put you at risk for various heart problems. Heart disease is a number one killer.
- Cutting down on alcohol or eliminating it reduces your risk of many of the most common types of cancer including breast and colon cancer.
- You’ll give your brain a boost even compared to moderate consumption of standard beer and other types of alcohol.
- A big reason for many people to stop drinking or reduce their intake is to lose weight. If you’ve been working to lose weight and you’re not successful, you might want to look at your alcohol intake. Alcohol is high in calories, and it also has a lot of sugar. For many people, when they drink regularly, the fat accumulates in their midsection. Even if you have otherwise a very healthy lifestyle, until you cut out alcohol, you might not see the weight loss or changes in your body you’d like to.
- We’re all looking for ways to improve our productivity. Have you tried taking alcohol out of the equation? You may find that you’re able to get up earlier and have a clearer head. You’ll probably notice that your energy levels and motivation go up when you eliminate alcohol from your life. Plus, you’ll have more free time if you’re not spending it on alcohol.
- Alcohol overall tends to have a negative impact on mental health. When you have an alcohol-free lifestyle you may notice reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as more self-esteem and self-confidence.
- You’re going to find that an improvement in nightly sleep quality when you stop drinking. Yes, in the short term alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it’s not real sleep in terms of quality. When you cut alcohol out, your overnight sleep will be less interrupted and deeper, so you’re going to feel better in pretty much every way.
- Alcohol impairs your immune system, and with the pandemic still going on, this is probably the last thing you want. Alcohol impacts your body’s ability to produce enough healthy white blood cells, and long-term, heavy drinkers tend to be more prone to illnesses like pneumonia as a result.
Do you have a favorite non alcoholic beer, or are there any “alcohol-free” beverages you particularly like we didn’t include in our list? If so, let us know in the comments.
Ashley Sutphin Watkins
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