In this article, we are going to discuss the 15 best selling non-alcoholic beers in the US. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global non alcoholic beer market, the rising popularity of Athletic Brewing Company, and the beer giants entering the zero alcohol category, and go directly to 5 Best Selling Non Alcoholic Beers in the US.
The emergence of low-alcohol beer can be traced back to 1919 in the United States, when the Prohibition laws imposed in the country resulted in alcohol being outlawed. The U.S. government set the maximum alcohol limit in any beverage at 0.5% ABV, which led to the development of a new breed of brews, referred to as non-alcoholic beers or ‘near beers’. Even after the Prohibition era came to an end, many people still stuck to the option of non-alcoholic beers and as a result, many brands in the country started creating light non-alcoholic brews to meet the preferences of consumers nationwide.
Global Non Alcoholic Beer Market:
No-alcohol beers may be drops in the proverbial bucket of total worldwide beer sales, but the market continues to explode with options as the category continues to expand. According to Global Market Insights, the global NA beer market was valued at $22 billion last year and is anticipated to grow to $40 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period.
Beer with zero alcohol has become increasingly popular as consumers become more health aware. It also has fewer calories than other carbonated beverages, making it a good substitute for customers and potentially contributing to market expansion.
The Rising Popularity of Athletic Brewing Company:
In the past few years, brands such as Surreal, WellBeing, Partake – all dedicated exclusively to non alcoholic beer – have come onto the scene, and Brooklyn Brewery and Lagunitas have also introduced non alcoholic options. But one brand that has made the most remarkable progress in the category is Athletic Brewing. Athletic makes over 50 different alcohol-free beers each year in a range of styles, including IPAs, goldens, and light and dark brews, among others. With a sales volume of 170,000 barrels in 2022, the non-alcoholic beer maker has now become one of the Largest Craft Breweries in the US by Volume.
Since launching in 2017, the Connecticut-based brewer’s sales reached $37 million in 2021, and grew 100% year-over-year in 2022. As of the end of 2022, Nielsen data showed that Athletic Brewing accounts for nearly half of non-alcoholic craft beer sales in the U.S., a segment that’s grown 352% since 2021.
Athletic received a major boost last year after Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. (NASDAQ:KDP) announced that it was investing $50 million in the non-alcoholic brewery, solidifying a minority stake in the brand. The deal valued Athletic Brewing at a staggering $500 million and as part of the investment agreement, Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. (NASDAQ:KDP) will hold a seat on the company’s board of directors. This funding was part of a $75 million Series D investment round from more than 25 current Athletic investors, which included celebrities such as Karlie Kloss and Naomi Osaka.
Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc. (NASDAQ:KDP) executive chairman stated in the press release:
“Athletic Brewing is a winning brand in a rapidly growing beverage segment. Our investment reflects our interest and ability to move into exciting white spaces, including in the blurring of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic categories. We look forward to partnering with the Athletic Brewing team to help them scale the business.”
The non-alcoholic beer trend has attracted the attention of several key players around the globe and one industry giant leading the charge is Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD). The beer behemoth has set the ambitious goal of ensuring that low- or no-alcohol beer products make up at least 20% of its global beer volume by 2025. As a result, the company announced this summer that it is investing $34.4 million in upgrading some of its Belgian breweries, which will help expand its non-alcoholic beer portfolio. The investment will also improve Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)’s bottling capabilities and optimize a new de-alcoholizing system that is used to make Corona Cero – the company’s newest non-alcoholic version of its classic Mexican lager that debuted in ten European countries last year.
Similarly, Guinness-owner Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) has also recently invested $26.7 million in a new facility at St. James's Gate in Dublin for its non-alcoholic stout. The new Guinness 0.0 production facility has a total capacity of 500,000 hectolitres, and is a big expansion of production capacity since the non-alcoholic stout launched in the Irish market in mid 2021. The investment is spurred by increasing demand from consumers for the 0.0 option, as Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) forecasts that the non-alcoholic alternative will account for 10% of all Guinness trademark sales in Ireland in the coming years.
With that said, here are the Most Bought Non-Alcoholic Beers.
15 Best Selling Non-Alcoholic Beers in the US
Ievgenii Meyer/Shutterstock.com
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to sources such as Liquor, VinePair, Men’s Journal, Reddit etc., looking for the Most Popular Non Alcoholic Beers in America. Due to the absence of reliable sales figures, we have used popularity as a proxy for sales, and so we picked beers that appeared at least thrice in the aforementioned sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly.
15. Brooklyn Special Effects IPA
Insider Monkey Score: 3
All hops and no distractions, Brooklyn Special Effects IPA brings the bright hop aromas and crisp citrus flavors of our favorite IPAs to the non-alcoholic world, all with under 100 calories.
The Tokyo-based Kirin Holdings acquired a roughly 25% minority stake in Brooklyn Brewery in 2016.
14. O’Doul’s Amber NA
Insider Monkey Score: 3
In the late 20th century, Anheuser-Busch turned history into pleasure, producing a malty, grainy, low-ABV brew the pickiest drinker would want to drink. Two-row and specialty caramel malts, along with a blending of imported and domestic hops give O'Doul's Amber its rich color, flavor, and fuller body.
As the O’Doul’s brand sees new competition in the non-alcoholic beer category from all angles, it still remains significantly cheaper than most of the smaller craft options that have hit the market.
13. Budweiser Zero
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Budweiser Zero is an alcohol-free brew with only 50 calories and zero grams of sugar and is made for those who want to cut back on alcohol without missing out on the full flavor and refreshment of Budweiser.
Budweiser Non-Alcoholic Beer was launched in 2020 by Anheuser-Busch as the company’s first non-alcoholic beer, setting itself up as the industry standard. AB InBev also reportedly bought the rights to supply the FIFA World Cup for $75 million exclusively last year. As the sale of alcohol is strictly controlled in Qatar, Bud Zero ended up being the only brew available at the stadiums during the whole event.
Budweiser Zero sits among the Top-Selling Non Alcoholic Beers in America.
12. Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale
Insider Monkey Score: 4
This refreshing, clean, and balanced Blonde Ale is made with B10 certified Vienna malt accompanied by English and American hops that provide a spicy and citrus character.
The Athletic Brewing Company announced earlier this year that JetBlue Airways would become the first major U.S. airline to sell non-alcoholic beer at 35,000 feet. Since May 2023, JetBlue customers have been able to enjoy Athletic Brewing's award-winning Upside Dawn Golden on all domestic flights.
11. Brooklyn Special Effects Hoppy Amber
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Brooklyn Special Effects Hoppy Amber tastes just like a regular beer, but therein lies the special effect – it’s not. Brooklyn Brewery uses a special fermentation method that develops the flavors, aromas, and character of beer with none of the alcohol, and a generous dry hopping resulting in lively hop notes and a clean finish.
Brooklyn Brewery boasted sales volume of 276,729 barrels last year.
10. Bravus Oatmeal Dark
Insider Monkey Score: 5
With hints of chocolate, caramel and roasted coffee, this popular non-alcoholic brew is extremely smooth and delightfully refreshing. Bravus Oatmeal Dark is a well-balanced and smooth stout-style craft beer that also claimed the Silver Medal at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival.
Founded in 2015, Bravus was the first non-alcoholic craft brewery in North America.
9. Athletic Brewing Free Wave IPA
Insider Monkey Score: 5
The Free Wave Hazy IPA is meant for the open road. Whether you’re cruising the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible or tracing your way up the coast on your bike, Athletic Brewing’s Free Wave doesn’t cut corners. This mouth watering IPA is loaded with Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops. You’ll want to grab a few for the road!
A 6-pack of Free Wave will cost you $13.99 on the brewery’s website.
8. AL’s Classic
Insider Monkey Score: 6
AL's is a classic non-alcoholic American lager that is light, crisp, and refreshing. Its bready character is harmoniously balanced with the herbal notes and spice of the noble hops.
AL’s is part of a growing number of craft breweries producing non alcoholic beer, which legally mustn’t contain more than 0.5% alcohol by volume.
AL’s Classic is placed among the Best Non Alcoholic Beers in the market.
7. Suntory All-Free
Insider Monkey Score: 6
With a light and refreshing taste, this Japanese brew is the ideal, alcohol-free option for a wide range of occasions – for beer lovers who have plans the following day, or for those who are choosing not to drink but want to enjoy the beer-like taste alongside colleagues, family, or friends.
Launched in the U.S. in 2020, All-Free stands out in the market because of its triple zero features – zero alcohol, zero calories, and zero sugar.
Suntory All-Free ranks among the Most Popular Non Alcoholic Beers in America.
6. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Alkoholfrei
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Sparkling, fresh, and highly drinkable, this guilt-free NA wheat beer is brewed by a technique created at the World Famous Weihenstephan Brewing University.
Established in 1040 in Germany, Weihenstephan is the oldest brewery in the world. The Bavarian state-owned brewery has a strong presence in 54 countries.
