Nonalcoholic beer has come a long way since Prohibition, when breweries like Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Pabst were forced to produce “near beer,” an insipid malt beverage with most of its alcohol removed.
In contrast, many modern nonalcoholic beers are clean and crisp, with a kaleidoscope of hop aromas and flavors that work hard to convince your senses you’re drinking the real thing.
Brewers do this a number of ways, using vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, or a spinning cone to remove alcohol, while boosting mouthfeel (which typically comes from alcohol) with additives like protein and dextrin, and reintroducing aroma through cold dry-hopping.
While this may sound complicated, many nonalcoholic beers are simply
crushable.
Hop water, a sparkling, zero-calorie beverage that capitalizes on hops’ bright citrus notes, is another NA alternative.
Here are some of our favorites:
Fieldwork Brewing
The Berkeley-based brewery opened its first Sonoma County location last year in Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village. CEO Barry Braden’s mantra is to “offer something for everyone,” including NA beers, which have been flying off the shelves. Choose from Encore NA Hazy IPA, Headliner NA West Coast IPA, Day Money NA Grapefruit Blonde, and Light NA American Pils. 2400 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa. fieldworkbrewing.com
Barrel Brothers Brewing Co.
This Windsor brewery compares its NA Dad Pants Pilsner to “a trusty pair of go-to trousers.” 9238 Old Redwood Hwy., Suite 128, Windsor. barrelbrothersbrewing.com
HenHouse Brewing/Fort Point Beer Company
Fort Point Beer Company recently introduced two NA beers, produced and poured at its sister brand, HenHouse Brewing. Citrusy and floral, NA Villager is a San Francisco-style IPA, while the NA KSA Kölsch is light and complex with a bright, flavorful finish. 322 Bellevue Ave., Santa Rosa; 1333 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. henhousebrewing.com
Lagunitas
The IPNA is a nonalcoholic version of this Petaluma brewery’s popular IPA, with slightly herbal, bright citrus notes and less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. 1280 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. lagunitas.com
Cooperage Brewing Co.
Terpé hop water is a highly carbonated, nonalcoholic tonic infused with hop oils. Says Cooperage’s owner, Tyler Smith: “It’s crisp, refreshing, and instantly invites another sip.” 981 Airway Court, Suite G, Santa Rosa. 575 Ross St., Santa Rosa. cooperagebrewing.com
Old Caz Beer
Creek Water is a nonalcoholic sparkler with bright citrus notes from hop extract. Not into hops? Try Old Caz’s ultra-smooth nitro cold brew coffee with notes of hazelnut and vanilla. Somo Village, 1500 Valley House Drive, Suite 110, Rohnert Park. oldcaz.com
Russian River Brewing Co.
The simply named Hop Water is ultra-light and refreshing. “A lot of hop waters have sweetener, which I don’t like,” says Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Co. “Ours is just water and hops.” 725 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor. russianriverbrewing.com
This story originally appeared in The Press Democrat and was featured in our Ultimate Guide to Sonoma County’s Beer Scene. Read the full article here.