REVIEW: Surreal Brewing Juicy Mavs IPA & Natural Bridges Kolsch

Surreal Brewing Company (Campbell, CA) - Juicy Mavs Hazy IPA NA / Natural Bridges Kolsch NA

Where’d We Find It: Our local Total Wine location.

ABV: < 0.5%

Hometown: Campbell, CA (near San Jose)

Our N/ATION Review:

Founded by the husband and wife team of Tammer & Donna after a successful treatment for breast cancer, Surreal Brewing Company came about due to the dearth of good, artisanal N/A beers on the market. They feature a current mix of seven non-alcoholic brews, five of which are < 50 calories per 12 ounce can, and two that are gluten-reduced.

Juicy Mavs Hazy IPA

First up, the Juicy Mavs Hazy IPA definitely displays a hoppy, yet clean malt taste, with an almost floral aroma as you pour one into a glass from the can. This one screams “summer IPA” from the moment you put one of the artsy four-packs into your shopping cart. Speaking of artsy, we’re a sucker for good can art, and this one sports an epic wave crashing toward Pillar Point, just north of Half Moon Bay.

Natural Bridges Kolsch

Next up is the Kolsch, the namesake of Natural Bridges State Park, also in Santa Cruz. With a visibly lighter color than its Hazy IPA cousin, it also comes in at a scant 17 calories per 12 ounce can, so you can load up after a day on the trails at the park. We did get just a hint of melon in the finish, and you could easily drink a few of these to recover from a workout or trail run.

While we didn’t try their other selections this time around (there’s a Pastry Porter? Yes, please.), we suspect they’d be of the same artisan ilk as their Santa Cruz-influenced brethren. Available nationwide at beverage stores from Total Wine to Whole Foods and Walmart, and also on their website.