Imagine Nation Brings N/A To The Big Sky
Photo Credit: Antonio Ibarra Olivares, The Missoulian
Montana becomes the latest state to see its first locally-made N/A beer, which takes on even greater significance than just health, wellness, and moderation.
This year’s Dry January brought several new entrants to the non-alcoholic beer space, as the growth of the category has begun to accelerate across the country. Among those making their debuts included Montana’s first ever locally-brewed N/A, the aptly-named Lupujus ZERO (pronounced "loo-puh-juice") from Missoula’s Imagine Nation Brewing Company. Along with the brewery’s extensive series of Lupujus beers, the ZERO is titled after the Latin taxonomy for hops, humulus lupulus, and the juicy nature of New-England style IPAs. We’ll toast to that.
So why was it important to make a homegrown N/A in the Treasure State, known for its expansive rugged vistas, beautiful landscapes, and national parks that include Yellowstone and Glacier? As it turns out, there were a few different reasons. The brewery is already known for being a safe, inclusive space that gives back to its community (25% of their profits are donated to various organizations), so for them, creating an N/A for those choosing not to imbibe for whatever reason just felt like a natural extension of who they already were. “Making a varied non-alcoholic menu is important to the culture of Imagine Nation Brewing Co., and we pride ourselves on continuing to try new things and explore different possibilities in our brewery,” says co-owner Tim Graham.
And if that weren’t enough, the unique circumstances of a rural state like Montana make greater accessibility of N/A beer even more important from a safety perspective. It’s a state that has the third largest number of breweries per capita in the country, which often serve as gathering spots for entire families. Unfortunately, Montana also has a higher-than-average number of alcohol related deaths and injuries, which can be at least partially attributed to many long roads and limited public transport options. Through that lens, the benefits of N/A as a healthier alternative take on an even deeper meaning there, beyond normal health, wellness, and moderation goals.
The origins of Lupujus ZERO began during COVID, when brewer Toby Benjamin first began experimenting with N/A beer, wanting to push further than the house-made sodas and ginger beers they had already been producing. As described by the brewery, the desire was for ZERO to express the same hoppy deliciousness of its traditional siblings, so they threw restraint to the wayside and used 3 lbs. per barrel of the same Citra, Mosaic, and Strata hops that are in the rest the Lupujus series. Lupujus ZERO has a bright and assertive hop profile with big notes of freshly squeezed citrus, melon, and a dank pine character. "I think customers can tell it’s made with intent, integrity and passion," head brewer Sean Nevins says. "We didn’t cut any corners."
IF YOU VISIT: As for where you can get your hands on some, it’s available at the brewery in Missoula, not far from the banks of the Clark Fork River at 1511 W. Broadway Street. Cheers to pioneering N/A beer in the heart of Big Sky.