8 non-alcoholic beers that don’t suck (and one that kinda does)

A year-end review of non-alcoholic craft beers for mountain bikers, featuring recommendations from Athletic Brewing, Zero Gravity, and others worth trying post-ride.
By Jeff Barber

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I’m a big fan of craft beer, especially when I get to share a drink or two with friends after a ride. But as we all know, there are negative effects associated with consuming alcohol, and moderation is the key. Like many of you, I’ve switched to non-alcoholic (NA) beer for many of my after-ride celebrations, thanks to the wide variety of decent good NA beers available today.

As is my annual tradition, here are the new (to me) NA beers I enjoyed this year (and one that I didn’t).

A can of Athletic Brewing's "Winter Wonder" non-alcoholic brew placed on a silver camping table. The can features a festive design with snowflakes, evergreen trees, and a snowman, along with the text "Winter Wonder" prominently displayed. The background is slightly blurred, emphasizing the can.

Athletic Winter Wonder

I’ll start things off with the most recent NA beer I tried, Athletic Brewing’s Winter Wonder. A friend brought this one to a bonfire, and I was immediately drawn to the festive can and the fact that Athletic tends to make some of the better NA beers on the market. Winter Wonder does not disappoint with a rich taste and a hint of spice that makes you forget it’s a low-alcohol brew.

Tool Shed Zero People Skills

On a bike trip to Canmore over the summer, I had a glass of Tool Shed’s Zero People Skills with dinner. Tool Shed describes this NA beer as a “patio style ale beer,” and though that’s not a style I’m familiar with, it’s an apt description. The beer has a light, crisp taste that should go well with anything.

Zero Gravity Rescue Club IPA

Greg picked up a six-pack of Rescue Club IPA from Zero Gravity during our mountain bike trip to Vermont, and it ended up being one of my favorites of the year. Of course, almost anything tastes great after a long, hot ride, though this one is a particularly hoppy and delicious for an NA beer.

Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Hazy IPA

Sierra Nevada sells a variety pack of their Trail Pass non-alcoholic beers at my local market, and it’s a great way to try different styles of NA beers and find one (or none) that you like. The Trail Pass Hazy IPA doesn’t come close to the taste of a real hazy IPA in my opinion, but I give Sierra Nevada an A for effort.

A can of Old Milwaukee non-alcoholic beer sitting on a blue table in an outdoor setting. The can features green and white branding with the text "Old Milwaukee" and "America's Non-Alcoholic Near Beer." The background includes a blurred view of a stone surface.

Busch NA and Old Milwaukee

At the risk of losing all credibility with this list, hear me out. The night before a big ride in the mountains with friends, Borja offered me a Busch NA. I must’ve given him a look because he immediately explained: “Busch already tastes watered down, so this NA version isn’t too far off.” I could see his point. Busch NA doesn’t taste bad; that is, if you like Busch.

With that in mind, I gambled on a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee and found it to be similarly faithful to the original. I surprised Aaron mid-birthday-ride with a can earlier this year, and swigged one in the parking lot with Cameron after his first real mountain bike ride in a long time. It may not be the Champagne of beers, but it’s one of my go-tos for sober celebrations.

A can of non-alcoholic beer labeled "Stay Classy IPA" from Bellwoods Brewery is placed on a round wooden table. The can features blue and red text with a sun graphic, indicating it has an alcohol content of 0.5% and a volume of 473 mL. In the background, a glass with a dark beverage and a slice of lime is visible, along with people socializing at a bar setting.

Bellwoods Stay Classy IPA

Stay Classy IPA is another NA beer I tried for the first time on my Canmore trip, and true to its name, this is a swanky brew. It’s hoppy, as one might expect from an IPA, and tastes surprisingly rich given its low alcohol content.

Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Brewveza

As further proof that I have what some might consider “questionable” beer tastes, I used to like drinking Tequiza. A light beer (or whatever Tequiza was) with lime is refreshing, and the same goes for NA beer, too. Sierra Nevada’s Trail Pass Brewveza tastes pretty damn close to a Corona with lime without the hassle of lugging around a glass bottle or cutting up a piece of fruit.

Mash Gang Chug XPA

Chug XPA was the one stinker that I tried all year. The can art drew me in initially with its tie-dye skeleton art and gothic grunge font. Sadly, the beer was light on flavor, and an even bigger turnoff was the white chunks I encountered at the bottom of the can. I figured I just got a bad batch, but my MTB friend Chris said he found the same thing in his, and others have noted it as well. I don’t recommend chugging Chug XPA, and if you do pick up a can, avoid that last sip.

Your turn: What is the best NA beer you’ve tried recently?

 
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