Just in time for the arrival of Sober October, here’s a review of several non-alcoholic beers, as well as a bonus TV review!

Sober October may not be as famous as its sibling Dry January, but both events aim to reduce alcohol consumption temporarily or even permanently. Non-alcoholic (NA) beer is typically permitted as substitute during either Sober October or Dry January; however, NA beer has become increasingly popular throughout the year as young people consume less alcohol.

In addition, millions of Americans (including myself) are required to abstain from alcohol for medical reasons. Since I was diagnosed with Stage 4 ALK+ lung cancer in 2016, I have been on a targeted medication that has several side-effects, including liver damage. As a result, I was only allowed to drink 0% beer for the last seven years because NA beer can legally have up to 0.5% alcohol, which my doctors thought was too high.

There are only a few 0% beer options on the market in US currently, with Heineken 0.0 and Guinness 0 being widely available in grocery stores. Hairless Dog Brewing is available online and offers a couple different varieties, however it is not as full-bodied as most NA beer.

However, my liver function has improved enough recently that my doctors gave me permission to drink NA beer! The 0% options were fine, but the NA market is much more diverse. To treat myself for my birthday, I ordered a sampler from NA Beer Club which has a decent selection (although many were sold out) – however, each can cost about $5 each. If you thought less alcohol meant a lower price, prepare to be disappointed! It was a great way to explore different varieties that aren’t available in my area without investing in a six pack of each one, but I wouldn’t use it on a regular basis.

First up, I enjoyed the Trail Pass Golden from Seirra Nevada has been one of my favorite drinks this summer – it is light, crisp, and very refreshing. It is also very sentimental since I first drank it on a vacation to Florida with Nataliya and her mother last year, plus Seirra Nevada was one of my favorite craft breweries before I was diagnosed. Founded in 1979, Seirra Nevada is also one of the oldest craft breweries in the US. 

Noon Wheat from Bero Brewing (founded by Tom Holland of Spider-Man fame) was also one of my favorite varieties for the warmer months. It was also very light and refreshing with an orange/lime citrus flavor.

Brasserie d’Achouffe is one of the leading Belgian breweries, but I felt the NA version of its flagship La Chouffe beer was weak and watery. It had pleasant citrus flavors with some herbal accents. I was letdown since I loved the original La Chouffe before I was diagnosed.

The White Belgian Style Wheat from Best Day Brewing, which was very aromatic and floral, was also a little weak and watery too. The ingredients include chamomile, coriander, and orange peel.

Next is the New School Sour from Go Brewing. I wasn’t a fan of sours when I could still drink regular beer, but I wanted to try it with an open mind. Advertised as sweet and tart, I felt the sour outweighed the blueberry and strawberry flavors. In fact, I didn’t get any blueberry taste at all – it was too subtle. It was also very tart, so it’s best suited for slow-paced sipping, at least in my opinion.

In addition, I used an introductory offer from Athletic Brewing, which has the largest share of the NA beer market, to get free shipping and 50% off two six-packs. They also threw in some free stickers. Usually, you can find at least three or four Athletic options in the NA beer section of your local grocery store, but they had almost 30 varieties available on their website! In a world where two-day shipping seems to have become the norm, I was slightly surprised by the fact I ordered beer on Saturday, but Athletic didn’t even ship it until Thursday!

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed their Apricot Acres Farmhouse brew. The apricot flavor was present but not overwhelming nor too subtle, and the dry finish was well calibrated too. Although the discount only applied to two six-packs, I ordered several more! As with the mainstream craft beer industry, bitter varieties like pale ales or India pale ales tend to dominate the NA beer market as well. As opposed to the light and citrus flavors I tested so far, I prefer dark varieties like stouts during the winter months. However, very few NA brewers seem to offer dark varieties, except Athletic which produces several different stouts and seasonal options. Be prepared for another seasonal review some of the fall and winter varieties available from Athletic as well as other brewers in the near future.

Finally, I tried several varieties from Untitled Art’s line of FLVR! NA beer options, including the Orange Peel Witt. It was full-bodied and bold having been brewed with orange peel, coriander, and honey. I feel it is a superior and less overpowering version of Blue Moon’s NA Belgian White where the orange flavor is so strong and concentrated it tastes artificial to me. I gave the sour variety another chance with Untitled Art’s Mango Dragon Fruit Sour and was not disappointed. I felt the sweet mango and dragon fruit were better balanced against the tart sourness.

Beer Rankings by Categories
Great	Great: Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Golden, Bero Noon Wheat, Untitled Art Orange Peel Witt
Good	Athletic Apricot Acres Farmhouse, Untitled Art Italian Pilsner, Untitled Art Mango Dragonfruit Sour
Not My Favorite	Brasserie d’Achouffe’s La Chouffe, Go Brewing New School Sour, Best Day White Belgian

I was also intrigued by Untitled Art’s Italian Pilsner since it’s typically a Czech or German style. The Italian variant is usually brewed with a shorter boiling time and fermentation period as opposed to the traditional Pilsner. This creates a lighter, slightly more bitter and less malty flavor which was still very crisp and drinkable. It’s suitable to use during a drinking game while watching Mussolini: Son of the Century (streaming on Mubi) TV series.

The show follows the rise of Mussolini and his black shirt fascists from 1919 until he establishes a dictatorship in 1925. While Mussolini is often portrayed as a buffoon overshadowed by Adolf Hitler, Luca Marinelli captures many different facets of Il Duce (the leader) from blustering strongman to self-doubting intellectual. Based on an 800-page novel, the eight-episode series is forced to simply ignore many important topics for the sake of brevity. However, the series is filmed in an energetic manner with a soundtrack from Tom Rowlands (of the dance music group Chemical Brothers). Marinelli frequently breaks the fourth wall and addresses the camera which becomes repetitive. While ham-handed at times, the series is nonetheless entertaining, visually appealing, and informative, especially given the current political climate.

Look for another seasonal NA beer review soon for autumnal and dark varieties!