Drinks don’t need alcohol to make a moment special. With five years of NA beer tasting experience under our belts, here’s a list of the NA beers that we love best!
My Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beers
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On Drinking, and Its Place In My Life.
(But it actually starts with my husband.)
Five years ago, my husband Bjork decided he was going to stop drinking alcohol pretty much on the spot.
At a holiday dinner with friends in 2018, he leaned over to me and whispered, “I think I’m going to stop drinking for a year.” It was a total shock to me, but it also made sense; he was thinking about his health, his nightly routines, and our daughter, who was one year old at the time.
I had my doubts, but his on-the-spot decision at a restaurant in 2018 did, in fact, turn into a year of no drinking.
And a year turned into two years, and two years turned into five years.
I have never made any sort of grand declarations about my drinking in the same way he did, and I tend to be less of a black-and-white decision maker (there’s room for all types!). But an unintended consequence, or maybe benefit, of Bjork not drinking for the last five years is that I’ve also started drinking less, too.
These days I will drink socially, maybe one or two drinks per month when I’m going out to dinner with friends. But the biggest change for us with Bjork’s decision is that we no longer keep alcohol in our home. And honestly, this change has felt great for our family.
The hardest part with this decision is that I miss having something that can mark a moment as special. A nice dinner is one thing, but drinks? Drinks are a little extra, a little frivolous, and make it feel like it’s the real thing – whether for a birthday, a holiday, or even just celebrating being together on a Tuesday evening after work.
You probably see where this is going – it seems obvious, but what I’ve learned is that the drinks don’t have to have alcohol to create a special moment. Lucky for all of us who are looking to drink less, we live in a time when non-alcoholic (NA) drinks are becoming more popular and more… how do I say this? Good. Like, good-tasting. There are so many options out there that are genuinely exciting and create that same “this is special” moment that you’d get from a cocktail or a glass of wine.
So with a deep love for special moments and five years of NA beer tasting experience under our belts, here’s a list of the NA beers that we love best.
I poured them all out so you can see the color and clarity a bit better, and photographed them all in my good old scratched-up IKEA beer glass and we can feel like we’re tasting together. Enjoy!
7 Favorite Non-Alcoholic Beers
1
Sam Adams Just The Haze IPA
This is currently my favorite. I’ve never been huge on actual IPAs but this one is just it for me. Really juicy, really hazy, and really nice. Buy it here.
2
Best Day Brewing Kolsch
This kolsch-style beer is light, malty, and we love it! It’s generally considered to be one of the best NA beers on the market right now. Buy it here.
3
Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden
We love Athletic Brewing and they have a ton of beers and non-alcoholic drinks that are just really great all around. A current fave is this light, refreshing Upside Dawn (but, honestly, love all their products and have tried many). Buy it here.
4
Clausthaler Original
A house favorite for years! You can buy it at Trader Joe’s. The flavor is just nice and easy to drink, with “a creamy feel on the palate”. The dry-hopped IPA is also nice when you want something a little meatier. Buy it here.
5
Heineken 0.0
Fruity notes, soft malty body. Or, in my own words, light and mellow and crispy. Whatever it is, it’s delicious. We buy this on the reg! Buy it here.
6
Corona Non-Alcoholic
This guy drinks like a beachy Corona, but without the alcohol. Well done, Corona! Buy it here.
7
Guinness 0 Non-Alcoholic Draught
This is, as expected, rich and dark, mellow and creamy, with a velvety finish. Bjork says it’s one of his faves! Buy it here.
8
Bonus: Ghia!
We are now a family whose fridge is loaded with Ghia as often as possible. My favorite is the Ghia Ginger (tiny little can of spicy soda), mixed with a little rosemary syrup and sparkling water! OOOH BABY. What I like about all their products is that they’re complex and nuanced, containing lots of flavors like smokiness, saltiness, bitterness, and heat – so much more than just a sweet drink. Plus, for any design geeks in your life, the packaging is so beautiful. Buy it here.
Other Links and Recommendations
- Bauhaus Brew Labs Nah – we don’t often buy this because it requires a special trip for us, but it’s one of the beers we’ll get most often at a Twin Cities restaurants!
- Minnesota Non-Alcoholic Beers – a nice little list if you’re looking for something specifically brewed here in Minnesota!
- Marigold – This is a shop in the Twin Cities that specializes in NA drinks!
- Mucci’s – I have always loved the St. Agrestis Phony Negroni on their menu and I get one every time I go!
- GusGus – They have a whole creative and thoughtful spirit-free section of their bar menu, including – wait for it – non-alcoholic Jell-O shots!
- This non-alcoholic margarita is AMAZING! Made with jalapeño cilantro simple syrup, lime juice, and tonic water.
- This rosemary pom spritzer is on repeat in our house. Herby, zingy rosemary-infused simple syrup, sweet tart pomegranate juice, bubbly fizz, and fresh lime squeezes.
Least Favorite: Blue Moon Non-Alcoholic. I wanted to love this so much because I really enjoy a regular Blue Moon—it’s one of my long-time favorites. But the orange flavor on the NA variety was so strange, and the whole thing was just… not good. I think they’ll get it there eventually, but it’s not there yet. Save your money on this one!
What did I miss? What to try next? Let me know what your faves are!
More Of My Favorite Things
Filed Under: Lifestyle
January 7, 2025
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I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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I stopped drinking alcohol a couple of years ago and it’s been great. I never liked beer so I never tried the NA versions. There are so many good NA beverages now. My daily go to is just kombucha or a seltzer (Bubly, LaCroix, etc) mixed with a splash of cranberry or pomegranate juice. But for a dinner party or something more festive I really like TOST, which is a fizzy white tea concoction in a wine bottle that’s not too sweet at all. Or if I’m going to a friend’s house, I like to bring a can of Recess, Hiyo, or Kin.
Over the holidays, I tried some Peroni NA. It is really good! I like it more than some of the other ones that are typically on best NA beers lists.
I’ve been scaling back the alcohol too so I’m bookmarking this list! Thank you!! 🍻
Don’t sleep on the Sierra Nevada trail pass beers! This is a great list, but Sierra Nevada is at the top for me.
I’m participating in Dry January. I appreciate your recommendations! I have been a fan of Ghia for a while now– so delicious! And the expensive price point makes it feel like an extra special treat.
Can’t wait to try your NA margarita!
My recommendation for an excellent NA beer is Sierra Nevada’s Trail Pass IPA. It’s made in Chico, California. I’ve only had this one, but SN sells a few NA beverages including hop water.
https://sierranevada.com/family/non-alcoholic
The Blue Moon NA is my absolute favorite NA! I prefer it over all others!
I love this post! I went AF as well as soda free last January and I don’t plan to ever return to drinking either. My drink of choice now is simply water! I’ve found you don’t need fancy drinks OR food to make a moment special.
Great list, thanks!
I appreciate the list. I use a lot of NA beer in cooking (beer cheese soup, mussel pots, etc.) and although these might be lovely to drink, nothing beats Coors Edge for cooking. Like Coors beer, it’s a light lager with a crisp mouth feel and a lovely foam! Plus, it’s affordable. I just thought I’d throw that out there for anyone looking for a classic American-style NA beer.
Teste
Guinness Zero is my favorite non-alcoholic beer. I really love the Athletic one too.
Heineken NA is the worst. I didn’t even finish it. Sierra Nevada Golden Trail, Deschutes Black Butte, and Athletic Run Wild are all good ones.
Cool write up! I’m curious to see how this whole market continues to develop in the future. It’s already been predicted to grow exponentially in the next few years! For me, personally, I make it a point to drink only 0.0% brews. This certainly limits my options, but as a creature of habit I hardly ever consume a variety of offerings once I find a favorite, so, no biggie. And tbh, there really are a plethora of zero beers these days to sample. A few of my faves rite now are: Stella, Asahi, and Peroni.
And if I may, just a bit of a warning… Steer clear of Budweiser zero at all costs!
The peroni, Heineken and Stella Artois are my favorite light non-alcoholic beers. Caus hauler makes an IPA that has won a couple of awards. It uses Cascade hops and taste. Maybe even better than Sierra Nevada pale ale which uses Cascade hops