REVIEW: Athletic Brewing Company Non-Alcoholic Beer

The leader of the non-alcoholic brew pack, Athletic Brewing Company continues to take N/A beer to ever new heights.

Any conversation about non-alcoholic beer in the U.S. has to start with the King of (N/A) Beers, Milford, Connecticut’s Athletic Brewing Company. Founded in 2017 in nearby Stratford, and just up the road from Two Roads Brewing, which produces two successful N/As of its own, you can argue the coastal metro area around New Haven is a stronghold of U.S non-alcoholic craft beer.

In its Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies report last year, the Brewers Association listed Athletic as the 13th largest in the country, leaving them just a few clydesdales short of many of their more broadly-known competitors still above them, and ahead of such craft stalwarts as Harpoon, Gordon Biersch, and Allagash Brewing. Their use of certified organic malts sets them apart in the industry as well, both inside and outside the N/A category. Coupled with an acceleration of non-alcoholic beer consumption in the country, Athletic has not surprisingly ended up on multiple “fastest growing company” lists as well. Legend has it that Head Brewer John Walker answered an ad for a brewing leader back East at a brewer who referenced being in the most “innovative” sector of the market. Walker, then of the respected Second Street Brewery in Sante Fe, New Mexico, was looking to move back home, which for him happened to be Connecticut. Little did he know that innovative meant N/A, but the rest is certainly history.

Their year-round selection includes two IPAs with broad distribution - Run Wild IPA, and a hazy, Free Wave IPA, both of which come in at 70 or fewer calories. Easily found in cans in many bars and venues across the United States, both are tasty, N/A IPA offerings perfectly representative of their styles, although if you forced us to choose we’d lean toward the Run Wild.

Lighter options include Upside Dawn (Golden Ale), Wit’s Peak (Wheat), and the N/A craft antidote to all mass-produced light beers, the Athletic Lite. Of the trio our personal favorite is the Upside Dawn, which shines amidst a relatively large selection of N/A goldens on the market. Athletic Lite would be our choice for a day drinking option, or sports tailgate where you’ll be putting down more than a couple.

If you’re a fan of darker beers, All Out (Extra Dark) and First Ride (Coffee) are both terrific options, each with their own unique flavors. If you’re one that has enjoyed a little Irish coffee in the morning and are looking to substitute an N/A, we’re fans of First Ride for that morning buzz-free feeling.