At one time, the concept of a non-alcoholic beer would have been an oxymoron or a joke. Now it’s one of the fastest-growing segments in the brewing world—and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Yet while non-alcoholic (NA) beer’s proponents are thrilled at its sudden surge in popularity, they’re not entirely sure why it’s happening now. In short, everybody is wondering: Who is drinking non-alcoholic beer … and why?
Producer, writer, and NA beer enthusiast Jenny Allison set out to find answers. Formerly a devoted beer drinker, she quit drinking in 2020 and transitioned into the world of NA craft beer. Assuming that most NA beer drinkers weren’t fully avoiding alcohol (a correct assumption), she was curious to know which specific life paths, motives, and desires had led so many people to the same non-alcoholic shelves and menus.
The episode features stories from an array of voices, including an event producer in NYC who throws wild alcohol-free parties, a pro mountain biker in Utah, a retired beer aficionado in LA, and more, all of whom help shine a light on this rapidly growing, yet still largely unknown, group of people.
The Brewers Association and CraftBeer.com are proud to support content that fosters a more diverse and inclusive craft beer community. This post was selected by the North American Guild of Beer Writers as part of its Diversity in Beer Writing Grant series. It receives additional support through a grant from Allagash Brewing Company.
Jenny Allison is an award-winning multimedia storyteller based in Brooklyn. Outside of writing and producing podcasts for both work and fun, she enjoys wandering Fort Greene Park, playing board games and D&D, reading in public, and tending to her very needy cats, Puck and Darcy. And as a sober person who (still) loves beer, Jenny feels incredibly lucky to be living in a day and age when non-alcoholic beer is so widely available (not to mention delicious!).
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