“ Personally , I am a beer drinker . And with all the great beers out there , it is fun to try different ones and enjoy a variety , especially those that complement our food menu ,” he says .
Joshua James , CEO / owner of alcohol-free bar and bottle shop Ocean Beach Cafe in San Francisco , says that no-alcohol beer gets the lion ’ s share of the zero-proof beverages it sells .
At Treadwell Park , a beer hall with two locations in New York , best-selling brands include Sierra Nevada , Lagunitas and New Belgium .
N / A BREWS ON FIRE
One type of beer experiencing an uptick in sales is alcohol-free brews . Athletic Brewing Co , which specializes in NA beer , told CNBC that its revenue has more than doubled since the brewer ’ s Series D funding round about 18 months ago . NielsenIQ data also reports that Athletic holds more than 19 % market share within nonalcoholic beer and is driving 32 % of total nonalcoholic beer category growth .
Joshua James , CEO and owner of alcohol-free bar and bottle shop Ocean Beach Cafe in San Francisco , notes that no-alcohol beer always gets the largest part of the market share compared to other zero-proof beverages .
“ Everybody knows Athletic Brewing , and that brand will only continue to grow ,” he says . But Northern California ’ s Best Day Brewing is another popular non-alcoholic beer at Ocean Beach Cafe , along with RationAle , Barrel Brothers and Untitled Art .
The alcohol-free beer selection at Bagley Liquor in Bagley , MN , is booming , says liquor operations manager Christopher Arnold . “ My non-alcoholic sales are through the roof .”
The store has a four-foot end cap section with five shelves and 29 SKUs , “ and it gets replenished every week ,” he says . “ For a lot of consumers , they ’ re switching to these beverages because of health issues , but honestly the buying patterns have changed ever since Covid .”
Two Roads Brewing in Stratford , CT , started expanding its portfolio beyond beer in recent years , and Brewmaster Phil Markowski says the company ’ s alcohol-free offerings have seen great success .
“ The line , which includes our award winning Non-Alcoholic Juicy IPA , is currently outperforming the rest of the non-alcoholic segment in the Northeast ,” he notes . “ With more consumers looking to moderate their consumption , we ’ ve created quality products that still offer the taste of traditional beer without the buzz .”
BALANCED BEERS , LIGHTER STYLES
Speaking of IPAs , the beer style remains popular , but there have been some shifts in preferences . “ The Hazy IPA isn ’ t going anywhere . It ’ s still the dominant style in the U . S . right now ,” says Winget at Sea of Monsters .
“ IPAs in general control between 70 % to 80 % of the market , and
18 Beverage Wholesaler • Fall 2024 www . beveragewholesaler . com