The best NA beers for Dry January: A taste test
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Just because you're drying out this January doesn't mean you need to stop drinking beer.
State of play: The increasing popularity of better-for-you beverages is leading to more nonalcoholic beer options.
- And the newest NA beers actually taste enough like beer to be satisfying.
What to know: We put roughly 50 NA beers in a variety of styles to the test.
- Here are the best NA beers, and other great sips:
Hazy IPA
Sam Adams Just the Haze and Athletic Brewing's Free Wave both burst with tropical fruits and finish with a soft mouthfeel.
- Also good: Mash Gang's Chug IPA, Untitled Art Non-alcoholic Juicy IPA, Brewdog Non-alcoholic Hazy AF, Best Day Hazy IPA and Gruvi Juicy IPA
IPA
Athletic Brewing's Run Wild IPA is a go-to with the right balance of hops and malt.
- Also good: Boulevard Flying Start IPA
Lager
Patagonia Provisions and Deschutes Brewing's Kernza Lager is made with climate-friendly ingredients and offers a classic and clean-flavored sip just like an alcoholic version
- Also good: Deschutes Brewing's Super Stoked Golden, Untitled Art American Gold and Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Golden
Pilsner
Untitled Art Italian Style Pils and Designated Dales NA Pils from Oskar Blues both offer a light and refreshing sip that tastes like real beer.
- Also good: Brooklyn Special Effects Pils, Best Day's Nature's Pils
Dark beer
Deschutes Black Butte Non-Alcoholic is rich and smooth without being filling. It's arguably the best NA beer on the market in terms of being a clone of the original.
- Also good: Bravus Peanut Butter Dark
Fruited beer
Best Day Brewing's Electro-Lime Cerveza gives Mexican lager vibes with a dose of lime and sea salt.
- Also good: Go Brewing's New School Sour Berry, Partake Peach Gose, Brooklyn Special Effects and Grapefruit IPA, Bravus Blood Orange IPA
Wheat
Blue Moon Non-alcoholic Belgian White. A lot of orange and spice character in a full-body sip.
- Also good: Ceria Grainwave
My thought bubble: I entered this taste test with plenty of skepticism because NA beer is just so different from the real thing. But I came away plenty impressed with how much the best ones emulated the beer-tasting experience.
- Get an Untitled Art, Athletic or Brooklyn mix-pack so you can try multiple styles and find your favorites.
- Most of them you can order online if you don't find them in a local beer shop.