In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 best non-alcoholic beers to try in Dry January. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global non-alcoholic beer market, the beer giants entering the zero alcohol category, and the NA craze in the air, and go directly to 5 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers to Try in Dry January.
Dry January is an annual health initiative that encourages people to kick off the new year by abstaining from drinking any and every kind of alcohol. Now popular worldwide, the trend was first launched as a campaign in 2013 under the organization Alcohol Change UK, though the practice has roots extending as far back as 1942, when the Finns had their own “Sober January” to help in the war against the Soviets.
In 2023, at least 175,000 participants signed up to observe Dry January on the Alcohol Change UK website. That same year, 15% of American adults also pledged to practice the viral trend and ditch the booze. Though it may seem like a temporary test of willpower, studies have indicated that people who participate in Dry January frequently experience lasting benefits. Often, they drink less in the long run and make other sustained changes to their drinking habits that lead to striking improvements in their overall health and well-being.
Global Non Alcoholic Beer Market:
No-alcohol brews 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. As we mentioned in our article – 15 Best Selling Non Alcoholic Beers in the US – 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.
Beer Giants Entering the Zero Alcohol Category:
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 last 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 in 2022.
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.
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.
The Athletic Brewing Company announced in May 2023 that the JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) would become the first major U.S. airline to sell non-alcoholic beer at 35,000 feet. Since May 2023, the low-cost carrier’s customers have been able to enjoy Athletic Brewing's award-winning Upside Dawn Golden on all domestic flights. According to Mariya Stoyanova, director of product development, JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU):
“In our continued effort to provide customers with an onboard experience customized to their needs and preferences, JetBlue is proud to be the first major U.S. airline to serve non-alcoholic beer. We're thrilled to partner with industry leader Athletic Brewing to offer our customers the refreshing, balanced taste of a classic craft Golden without the alcohol.”
With that said, here are the Best Non-Alcoholic Beers You Can Drink During Dry January.
20 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers to Try in Dry January
Ievgenii Meyer/Shutterstock.com
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we referred to sources such as VinePair, Delish, Liquor etc., looking for the Top Non-Alcoholic Beers to Try for Dry January. To make sure we only recommend the best of the best, we selected beers that appeared at least 5 times in the aforementioned sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When more than one beers had the same score, we ranked them by their rating on Beer Advocate.
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20. Clausthaler Original
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Ever since it put non-alcoholic beer on the map in 1979, Clausthaler has been the gold standard of the segment. With its own specialized brewing technique, the pioneer still creates its signature non-alcoholic lager, Clausthaler Original, in strict accordance with the German purity law.
Owned by the Radeberger Gruppe, Claustahler is one of the leading non-alcoholic beer brands in the world with a wide range of perfectly crafted NA brews.
19. Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Erdinger Alkoholfrei non-alcoholic wheat beer is a true multi-talent. Brewed according to the Bavarian purity law by the family owned Erdinger Weissbrau, this brew is marketed as a post-sports recovery drink, a tasty full bodied energizer containing Folic acid and vitamin B12 which reduce fatigue and support the immune system.
It was announced earlier this month that Erdinger has signed an agreement with United States Beverage, one of America's leading beverage companies, under the terms of which, USB will be the exclusive U.S. importer, as well as provide sales and marketing support, for the Erdinger portfolio.
18. Ceria Grainwave Belgian-Style White
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Grainwave is an unfiltered, alcohol-free Belgian-style white ale brewed with blood orange peel, coriander, and Hallertau Tradition hops for medium body and bright, refreshing flavors.
Colorado-based Ceria Brewing Co. also became a pioneer of cannabis infused beverages when it debuted its first THC beer in 2018. However, federal illegality has proven to be a big headache for this segment, and right now, Ceria’s offerings are not available in its own home state because it no longer has a local partner licensed to package its THC beer. Since federal laws prohibit marijuana from crossing state lines, products sold in Colorado must also be manufactured there. The company’s beers however remain available for purchase in California.
17. 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 ranked among the Best Non Alcoholic Drinks to try if you’re trying to cut the booze.
16. Bitburger Drive
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Here we have a delicately subtle and fresh-tasting beer combining a lightness with the genuine flavor of pilsner. Rich in vitamins and with less than 73 calories per bottle, Bitburger Drive is great for those watching their waistlines.
Introduced in 1817 by Johann Wallenborn, Bitburger is one of the Most Consumed Beer Brands in the World. Bitburger Brewery Group reported a revenue of $818.2 million in 2022, an increase of 15% from the previous year.
15. Lagunitas IPNA
Insider Monkey Score: 6
IPNA is pure NA satisfaction. This full-flavored beer is massively dry-hopped and delicious, kind of like a clean, zesty bunch of hops smacking you in the face, but In a good way.
The Chicago-based Lagunitas boasted $162.1 million in dollar sales in 2022, a 10.9% decrease from 2021. Owned by Heineken N.V. since 2017, Lagunitas Brewing Company is ranked among theBest Craft Breweries in America.
14. Big Drop Galactic Milk Stout
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Forget the notion this is a beer style that has had its day. Instead, think of it as honeycomb covered in chocolate, because that’s exactly what it tastes like – rich, unctuous, and an absolutely decadent treat of a beer.
Big Drop Galactic Milk Stout has won Gold at the 2023 World Alcohol-Free Awards, and Silver at the 2023 Australian International Beer Awards, making it a Great Dry January Alternative for your regular brews.
13. Rightside Brewing Citrus Wheat
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Revolutionizing the taste of your classic wheat beer, Rightside’s Citrus Wheat puts a spin on a tropical aroma, with nodes of fresh tangerine juice, banana, and a hint of spice to tie it all together. With ⅓ the calories of an average craft beer, the Citrus Wheat empowers you to be the best version of yourself.
Founder Emree Woods came up with the idea for Citrus Brewing in 2017, when, while pregnant with her daughter, she wasn't able to find a satisfying nonalcoholic replacement for her favorite beer.
12. Untitled Art NA Italian Styled Pils
Insider Monkey Score: 7
An Italian Pilsner is a hoppier version to your standard Pilsner. Untitled Art made this non-alcoholic version with Hallertau Mittelfruh and Strata hops for a floral aroma and crisp pleasantly bitter finish – a Must Try Beer for Dry January.
Over the last few years, Untitled Art have teamed up with popular but underground breweries such as Angry Chair, Aslin, and Cerebral Brewing to come up with some amazingly crafted beers, but also has a line of hard seltzers and NA beers.
11. Samuel Adams Just the Haze
Insider Monkey Score: 7
A good beer always hits the spot, but you don’t always want the buzz. In a move to bring beer lovers a craft non-alcoholic hazy IPA, Samuel Adams announced plans to introduce Samuel Adams Just the Haze in 2021. The expert brewers remove the alcohol slowly and gently, delivering a beer so good you'll never know it's non-alcoholic.
Just the Haze has also won a Gold Medal for the Best Non-Alcoholic Beer in America at the Great American Beer Festival.
10. Bravus Oatmeal Dark
Insider Monkey Score: 8
With hints of chocolate, caramel and roasted coffee, this popular non-alcoholic beer 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 Lite
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Imagine an NA brew so light and crisp that anyone could enjoy it, no matter the occasion. Brewed specifically for the sport of life, and all the good times that come with it, Athletic Lite is classically simple but expertly crafted with 25 calories, 5 carbs, and 0 hangover.
8. Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden Ale
Insider Monkey Score: 8
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.
Athletic received a major boost in 2022 after Keurig Dr Pepper 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, the beverage giant will hold a seat on the company’s board of directors.
With a delicate balance of grain and notes of citrus, the Upside Dawn Golden Ale is a Great Non Alcoholic Drink for Dry January.
7. Suntory All-Free
Insider Monkey Score: 9
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.
6. Athletic Brewing Free Wave IPA
Insider Monkey Score: 10
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!
