How Athletic Brewing came to own Dry January
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Photo: Courtesy of Athletic Brewing Co.
Beer lovers celebrate IPA Day in August. Stout month is February. Now, Athletic Brewing owns January.
Why it matters: San Diego's Athletic Brewing is America's No. 1 nonalcoholic brewer — and the eighth largest among the nation's Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies. The company is looking to shift the conversation about moderation well beyond dry January.
State of play: NA beer remains about 2% of the overall beer market, but don't tell Athletic CEO Bill Shufelt. He says that sales in recent weeks are among the biggest in the company's history, defying the broader slump in craft beer.
- A new partnership with OpenTable allows the restaurant app's users to find its beer on menus.
- One other data point that Shufelt likes to cite: Athletic is on 20% of Michelin-star restaurant menus.
What they're saying: "We have this kickoff to the year where people examine healthy habits and start fresh new goals. And Athletic is square in the crosshairs of those active improvers and people looking to set big goals for the year," Shufelt tells Axios.
- But "more and more, we see the dry January's spike emerge into broader seasonal moderation," he adds.
The intrigue: To meet the growing sales demand in retail and on its website, Athletic is expanding beyond its original Connecticut operations.
- Last year, the company acquired San Diego's largest brewing facility, purchasing the former Ballast Point location on Carroll Way, where brewing capacity per batch reaches 750,000 barrels — roughly equivalent to the volume of a seven-foot-deep Olympic pool.
- Athletic also retained its Miramar location with its 150,000-barrel capacity and established its West Coast headquarters across the street.
Between the lines: Beyond the company's 185 awards, Athletic thinks NA beer crosses age and taste preferences.
- "We think there's a really long generational runway, and nonalcoholic beer combines the best of what people want in nutrition in a beer with the flavor people want in beer," Shufelt says.
What's next: Athletic recently debuted NA cocktail-inspired brews to appeal to new customers.
- The first three offerings: Paloma, Moscow Mule and Kir Royale.
- "We have so many talented people in brewing and quality … and they keep making amazing things," Shufelt says. The new offerings are "a really good opportunity to bring a lot of new drinkers into the category, into the company."
The bottom line: The company's ability to make beers that taste like their alcoholic counterparts makes it perfectly situated to ride the NA beer wave as younger generations gravitate to healthier, lower-calorie beverages and longtime craft beer drinkers get older.