We’re only a few days into Dry January, the month in which growing numbers of Americans swear off alcoholic beverages.
But what if you could continue drinking your favorite beers and still avoid the booze?
This is one of brewing’s holy grails: great tasting, totally satisfying alcohol-free beer. The latest entrant: RationAle, which was recently launched in San Diego County.
The brewery’s three beers — West Coast IPA, Hazy Citrus IPA and Mexican Lager — are aimed at craft beer fans who thirst for a healthy lifestyle.
“We are pushing the wellness attributes of our beer,” said Jamie Fay, RationAle’s co-founder.
That’s not all they are pushing.
“Our beer tastes really good,” said co-founder Wendy Pickett, who grew up in Encinitas. “At its core, it’s delicious.”
It’s also a potential gold mine.
Consider the fortunes of Athletic Brewing, a Connecticut company with a large San Diego brewery. In 2020, the new company didn’t register on the Brewers Association’s list of the nation’s 50 largest craft breweries.
In 2021, it debuted at Number 27. In 2022, it had climbed to Number 13.
Statistics aren’t available yet for ’23, but industry observers see nothing stopping Athletic’s run.
“The most notable development (of 2023) is the growth and success of non-alcoholic craft beer,” said Tiago Carneiro, founder of Chula Vista’s NOVO Brazil Brewing. “This is the perfect example that if you are brewing a great and unique product, there are opportunities.”
Athletic, of course, has plenty of rivals. They include the titans of Big Beer — Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Corona, Heineken — and a growing number of craft breweries.
This month, Karl Strauss is rolling out Non-Alcoholic Red Trolley, a buzz-free version of its award-winning Irish red ale. The beer, sold in 12-ounce bottles, is found inside the brewery’s five San Diego County locations.
The RationAle team realizes they are not alone in this endeavor. In fact, they consulted with Athletic co-founder Bill Shufelt.
“What Bill was really clear on was you have to have high quality and safety standards,” Fay said.
Good partnerships help, too. RationAle’s beers will soon be brewed by Oregon powerhouse Deschutes.
“We’re super stoked,” said Pickett.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Barley & Sword brewery.
(Courtesy of Barley & Sword)
Barley & Sword
In San Diego County’s sea of craft breweries, how can a newcomer stand out?
“We offer traditional styles,” said Erin Fulcher, director of operations at Barley & Sword Brewing. “We’re trying to make all the people who are tired of hoppy IPAs come back to what beer was, and is.”
Owner Mike Howell is a Navy veteran and long-time home brewer who went pro last June 15, opening Barley & Sword at 3052 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego.
One of the region’s smallest breweries, Barley & Sword is one of the few to always offer cask-conditioned ale. You’ll also find some rarely-seen beer styles: best bitters, English IPAs, dunkels.
At last summer’s San Diego International Beer competition, the fledgling operation won a gold medal for its hefeweizen and a silver for its Scottish ale.
Here, Fulcher promised, true-to-style beers are served in a truly welcoming environment.
“You can come in here, drink a beer, talk to someone and they’re your friend,” she said.
The Next Round
A previous edition of San Diego Brew Fest.
(Dan Silberstein )
Saturday: The 13th annual San Diego Brew Fest, at Liberty Station’s Naval Training Center Park, promises to feature 200 beers from 70 breweries. noon to 4 p.m. at NTC Park, 2455 Cushing Road, San Diego. $50 to $65. eventbrite.com
Saturday: Veteran-owned El Cid Brewery will screen a 2023action flick, “The Master Chief: Part One,” at 6 p.m. eventbrite.com.
Quick Sips, Dry January Edition
RationAle Brewing’s non-alcoholic Mexican Lager.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Mexican Lager
From: RationAle Brewing, Windsor, CA
ABV (Alcohol By Volume): Less than 0.5 percent
Style: Mexican-style Lager
Drink or dump: Drink. A durable head tops this pleasant non-alcoholic brew. There’s a snappy corn base, a hint of lime and a clean finish, unlike the chemical stew that mars so many NA brews.
Brookly Brewery’s non-alcoholic Special Effects IPA.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Special Effects IPA
From: Brooklyn Brewery
ABV: Less than 0.5 percent
Style: West Coast IPA
Drink or dump: Drink. What’s so special about Special Effects? This bubby brew has a strong and tasty hop presence. My favorite NA beer to date, it paired well with a lunch of rockfish and mango salad.
Heineken’s non-alcoholic 0.0 beer.
(Courtesy of Peter Rowe)
Heineken 0.0
From: Heineken, Amsterdam, Holland
ABV: Less than 0.5 percent
Style: Lager
Drink or dump: Dump. Foul aroma gives you a fair warning of this beer’s moldy grain flavor — that’s my unhappy experience with bottled 0.0. The canned version was better but both, alas, were worse than the other NA beers in my lineup.
Rowe is a freelance writer.