REVIEW: Hedlum Brewing Wild Haze IPA N/A

Hedlum Brewing Company (New York, NY) Wild Haze IPA

Where’d We Find It: Sample provided by the brewery.

ABV: < 0.5%

Hometown: New York, NY

Our N/ATION Review:

Bursting onto the N/A scene in the summer of 2023, Hedlum hails from New York City, which is quickly becoming a hotbed of non-alcoholic beer energy. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, indeed. Bringing some attitude to the category, the brand also features a mascot, Heddie, who is the life of the party and here to remind everyone that N/A beer is about enjoying the good life, exactly as it is. Their initial offerings include a pair of IPA-style near beers, with the one we sampled, Wild Haze, styled after a hazy. A new lager, Easy Down, will be joining the party soon.

Our first impression of the Haze was its golden brown color, and a signature cloudy appearance you’d expect of the style. Next was a crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, with a clean, but definitely hoppy finish. In an increasingly crowded market there are certainly some N/A IPA options that can’t deliver the hoppy goods at the end, but this one provided flavor without going heavy on the bitterness that can turn some off to the style. And at a relatively-scant 70 calories, you don’t have to feel bad about having another when you’re finished, which come to think about it would probably make Heddie really happy.

As for where you can find these brews in the wild, Hedlum is currently focused largely in and around the New York City area, extending into the upstate, but you can also find them on Amazon, or direct from their own website.