Why would I even bother?
I love beer. Not in an American Redneck way where my fridge is stuffed with cans of my preferred brand of “Lite” dirty alcohol water, but in the Michael Jackson (not the singer) sort of way. I love learning about the styles and their history, tasting the differences a hop change can make to an IPA or seeing what creations the local brewers have come up with lately. I’ve stood in line for hours to buy a case of very limited barrel aged beers (Dark Wednesday at Victory Brewing in Downingtown) and have had the pleasure of trying many of the best rated beers in the world.
So when I turn the corner and hit my 40s, just imagine how gutted I was to realize that I had to be very limited in my alcohol consumption. Gone were the days of enjoying a bottle of 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head after dinner without feeling it the next morning. For the most point I have given up drinking beer at home and have not missed it much, except for when summer rolls around. There is nothing like a good beer while grilling, or after a long day mowing the yard, and so I decided to look into the world of alcohol-free beers. I hear they’re better than they used to be, so let’s find out.
Athletic Brewing Company
The first beers I had tried were from Athletic Brewing, a brand that had seemed to really kickstart the alcohol free beer revolution. Being an IPA lover, I decided to try their Run Wild IPA and their Free Wave Hazy IPA, so I headed to Wegman’s and picked up a 6 pack of each. Side note, I was surprised to find that they required me to show ID to purchase alcohol free beer that has the same alcohol content (less than 0.5%) as Kombucha.
Holy Crap! These actually take like a normal IPA. The Run Wild was maybe a little thin, more like a session IPA, but the Free Wave had the hops and malt flavors to stand up to most standard IPAs but without the alcohol and about half the calories. This experiment is off to the great start, no wonder these guys got so big so fast.
Partake Brewing
Highly suggested by a lifelong friend and beer enthusiast, I had some high hope for the Partake brand of alcohol-free beers. I purchase a mix pack that included their Pale Ale and IPA (no fancy naming here). Having set the bar so high with Athletic Brewing’s IPAs, I was a little underwhelmed by Partake’s take on the IPA.
Their IPA has the bitter bite you want, but at levels that are just in what I would consider the IPA realm. It has a somewhat strange aftertaste that isn’t bad, but also not what you would expect. That said, I’ve certainly had worse “real” session IPAs, and at 10 calories per can, you shouldn’t expect there to be much malt flavors or body. It’s beer-ly enough to satisfy the craving for a hoppy beverage, but if you are cutting calories or on a keto diet (0 carbs here) then this can be a great alternative.
Partake’s Pale Ale is a bit of a different story. It’s taste is very close to a Czech Pilsner with some good hop bite and a bit more body than the IPA. Still 10 calories for the can, it does have 4g of carbs, so perhaps that is contributing to the body and flavor. Crisp, refreshing and with a pleasant aftertaste, this is a perfect beer for a hot summer day.
Final Thoughts
Alcohol-free beers are here, and they can be quite good. If you’re looking for an IPA replacement and don’t care as much about calories, which at 65 is still way less than a regular beer, Athletic Brewing Company has got you covered. Their Free Wave Hazy IPA could trick even some of the pickiest beer enthusiasts and is my top pick. If you’re trying to lose weight and enjoy a crisp pilsner, the Pale by Partake Brewing is an excellent option.
I look forward to trying more styles from these breweries as well as beers from other breweries in the future. Until then, “Here’s to getting old, adapting and overcoming”. Cheers.