Go Brewing And The Art Of N/A Beer Culture
Photo Credit: Go Brewing
Chicagoland N/A brewer proves that drinking beer without the alcohol doesn’t mean sacrificing full-bodied flavor, nor the beer culture attitude.
What stands out first about this Naperville, Illinois brewer is a brand that feels synonymous with any other craft brewer. Distinctive can art, like the draft-swigging skeleton on the front of one of Go’s many seasonal offerings, Damn Good Oktoberfest. Fan contests, like the one to name a new donut beer currently in development. Community engagement events, like their recent LFGO Wellness Summit. And perhaps our favorite, a flagship taproom that features not only Go’s current lineup on draft (still a bit of a unicorn in N/A circles), but a rotating tap list of "guest" beers that contain alcohol. The latter is a satisfying flip of the script for the N/A drinker accustomed to being the one relegated to the kids menu, so to speak, when out at breweries with friends. We recently had an opportunity to try one of Go’s Sampler packs to see if the company’s strengths in brewing beer matched that of their marketing prowess. We’re happy to report it does and then some.
We began our exploration with one of their flagship IPAs, and let’s be honest, making a great IPA is critical to any U.S. brewer’s success, non-alcoholic or otherwise. We were a little leary of this one due to the mango and peach influence, as we’re usually not into fruit-heavy beer. But this combination was amazing. For us the mango dominated the first taste, then the peach took things over. This aptly-named brew was like drinking a Florida citrus grove in a can. At 97 calories / 21 carbs per 12 ounces it’s a bit on the high-end for an N/A, but frankly, those have clearly been put to good use.
The second in a trio of flagship IPAs, the Burn It Down is also billed as having a tropical profile, but in our estimation, a clearly more subtle version than found in Sunshine State. With a generous helping of hoppiness, a solid mouthfeel, and a gentle, but noticeable bite of bitterness in the finish, this was a textbook IPA. Like many in the Go portfolio, it’s also one that could easily fool someone into thinking they were drinking a ‘leaded’ beer.
The final selection in the core IPA trilogy, Prophets again follows its leaded cousins down a path true to the style, this time through New England with a hazy offering. In addition to the signature cloudy appearance, this beer also delivers a creaminess with a smoother finish than its IPA brethren in the lineup. Definitely a good option for when you want the full body of an IPA, but with a bit less bitterness that often goes hand-in-hand.
One of the things we like about the Go lineup is they don’t try too hard to keep calorie and carb counts down to the point it may impact the flavor. With that in mind, the Savage Lite brings a bit of a craft attitude to a light beer option, but also delivers on the premise of the ‘lite’ part, clocking in at 49 calories, or roughly half that of a macro light beer with alcohol. We found it to have more body than we initially expected, yet easy-drinking enough to crush a few in a row on a Saturday afternoon, or after a long run.
Last Call For Summer Shandy (Beta Series)
The final two selections from our sampler came from the brewery’s pilot series, aimed at testing new beers to figure out which ones to keep around. Aside from being a brilliant strategy to gain feedback from a wider audience, it provides a window into the brewing process at Go. First up was their exploratory shandy, which for us brought serious Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy vibes, a pool-side beer hall of famer if there ever was one. We first cracked open this brew after a long late summer hike, and it met the moment perfectly.
Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA (Beta Series)
Our final selection was a bonus IPA, this one a grapefruit-flavored offering that has since been promoted to full-time status. With some tartness it could definitely pass as a sour, but if Jab Jab were a type of wine, we might say it’s a bit more ‘fruit-forward’ than that. Either way, grapefruit drink lovers rejoice - this is your N/A brew.
We can’t wait to see what else comes out of this brewery in the future, and a trip to their taproom feels like a must the next time we find ourselves in Chicago. But in any event keep your eyes on Naperville, as with the right combination of taste and attitude, this brewery is quickly becoming a leader in the non-alcoholic movement.