Four N/A Beers To Try This Sober October

Why should Oktoberfest beers have all the glory? With Sober October upon us, let’s take a look at brews for your pre-Halloween fun, without the headache.

For those of you secretly plotting your Halloween yard display strategy for weeks just waiting to go public once socially acceptable, your time has arrived. It’s October, when Fall accelerates from crisp mornings and cool nights into an avalanche of leaves on your doorstep that can no longer be ignored. But fear not, friends, for it’s also the return of a cadre of Fall themed beers, with non-alcoholic options that will let you escape that pumpkin-sized hangover.

By now we’ve all been inundated with Oktoberfest beers, and for sure, there are many good ones to choose from. But that was September. October is about planning Halloween costumes, hayrides, and getting lost (on purpose) in a corn maze. It’s also known as Sober October, the less-publicized calendar friend to Dry January who frankly is even more fun than his winter cousin. As Oktoberfest wraps up we turn our attention to a new slate of Fall beers that will remind us the beginning of the year-end holiday season is forthcoming.

So now that we’re feeling properly festive, let’s take a look at our curated list of four Fall-themed, non-alcoholic beers for your Sober October enjoyment.

Athletic Brewing Company Dark & Gourdy (< .5% ABV)

We start with a limited offering from the King of N/A Beers, Athletic Brewing Company, who in addition to their now-annual Oktoberfest Fest Brew, is about to drop its pumpkin & spice brown ale that takes its inspiration from a porter-style beer, yet with a more crisp flavor. With pumpkin added to each batch, this autumnal drinker delivers a hint of sweetness into the mouthfeel, bringing with it tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Pumpkin pie in a can.

Samuel Smith Alcohol Free Sam’s Brown Ale (< .5% ABV)

Next, we head across the pond for a selection from Yorkshire’s oldest brewery, established in 1758. The Alcohol Free Sam’s Brown Ale is a mahogany offering with a tight, beige foamy head. Malty in the mouthfeel with all the classic characteristics of a dry, European beer make this a great sipper, and at only 21 calories, you can feel good about having more than one. Bonus points awarded for great bottle art on the label, which features a classic advertising poster used by the brand in the 1950s.

Bravus Brewing Company Pumpkin Dark (< .5% ABV)

Like their counterparts at Athletic, this Anaheim-based brewer makes nothing but non-alcoholic craft beers, with a current evergreen lineup of six brews. The Bravus Pumpkin Dark is a celebration of Autumn, with a smooth, dark finish featuring a menagerie of Fall malty flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, molasses and ginger. Yes, please. If you’re able to find this beer in stores, you won’t miss the pumpkin can art that screams, “this is your Halloween month brew.”

Wellbeing Brewery Hellraiser Dark Amber (.3% ABV)

Okay, so technically an Amber isn’t just a Fall beer, but the name combined with a hop-infused skull head in the can art really sold us on putting it on the list. This dark amber brew looks like Halloween in a glass, with a combination punch of floral aromas in the start, driven home with spicy hops on the back end. At 80 calories it’s just a bit on the higher end of the scale for a non-alcoholic beer, but still less than your average sugary soda, and certainly your typical fully leaded beer.

So there you have it - four non-alcoholic beers to help you celebrate without the alcohol and extra carbs. Get your hands on any of the above beverages, and enjoy your October festivities guilt-free, while saving the hangovers for the sugary kind you normally get siphoning Halloween candy from the house stash.