Did you know craft non-alcoholic beer exists? You can enjoy a nice non-alcoholic stout or IPA, which actually tastes like a stout or IPA, but without any alcohol and way fewer calories! The non-alcoholic beer such as O’Douls or Molson Exel are what most people would think of when they picture NA beer, and they’re actually really awful. They do not taste good and they sure don’t taste like beer. Craft non-alcoholic beer is not the same! They look like normal beer, have the same mouthfeel as normal beer and even taste like normal beer, just without the alcohol.
Non-alcoholic beer may be a good option for some people who may want to slow down or stop drinking alcohol entirely. It’s safe to drink for everyone — even during pregnancy!
Central City Brewers + Distillers
| Address | 11411 Bridgeview Dr, Surrey, BC V3R 0C2 |
| Phone | 604-588-2337 |
| needbeer@centralcitybrewing.com | |
| Website | https://centralcitybrewing.com |
| @centralcitybrew | |
| @CentralCityBrew | |
| @CentralCityBrewing | |
| untappd | https://untappd.com/CentralCityBrewers |
Central City Brewing is based out of Surrey, BC, and you may recognize them from their Red Racer craft beer series. The Red Racer India Pale Ale is pretty popular amongst IPA drinkers in Alberta.
Street Legal is traditionally brewed before having the alcohol removed in our state-of-the-art cross-flow filtration system. This allows us to preserve the delicious flavour of our craft beer and produce a product with only 0.5% alcohol. Red Racer’s Brewmaster Gary Lohin uses only the best ingredients in his beer and has dedicated his career to brewing the best beer possible. With Red Racer Street Legal you are still getting that dedication and passion imbued in the can without the alcohol.
Partake Brewing
| Address | #400 119 14th Street NW, Calgary AB T2N 1Z6 |
| Phone | 1-888-416-7125 |
| customerexperience@drinkpartake.com | |
| Website | https://drinkpartake.ca |
| @partakebrewing | |
| @drinkpartake | |
| @drinkpartake | |
| untappd | https://untappd.com/PartakeBrewing |
Sober Carpenter
| Address | #400 119 14th Street NW, Calgary AB T2N 1Z6 |
| Phone | N/A |
| amanda@sobercarpenter.com | |
| Website | https://sobercarpenter.ca |
| @sobercarpenter | |
| N/A | |
| @sobercarpenter.ca | |
| untappd | https://untappd.com/SoberCarpenter |
Founded by two brothers in Montréal who wanted more from non-alcoholic beer, Sober Carpenter offers 3 styles of craft non-alc beer, an Irish red, a white, and an IPA. Their beers are available at several liquor stores throughout Calgary, plus they sell it on their website (with free shipping if you order 24+). I really enjoyed their IPA and would highly recommend trying it, if you like pale ales.
In Calgary find them at Co-op Wine & Spirits, Liquor Depot, Aspen Wine & Spirits, Rocky Mountain Wine, Spirits & Beer.
🍺 Irish Red – Brewed in the irish style with Windsor yeast, you’ll notice the malt focused aromas of this medium bodied ale. The roasted barley translated into subtle notes of coffee and caramel.
🍺 IPA – Loaded with hops, this floral West Coast IPA style offers notes of tropical fruit and citrus. Its sustained and balanced bitterness allows for a crisp finish that will have you coming back for more.
🍺 White – This flavourful Belgian style white offers balanced aromas of orange, coriander, and wheat. Its rich and hazy body will surely please beer lovers.
Village Brewery
Village Brewery not only brews a wide selection of great regular beer, they also offer a non-alcoholic Pale Ale and a non-alcoholic Stout. Both are worth trying as they’re remarkably different from each other, and both taste good, like you’d expect them to taste.
They’re pretty widely available and easy to find at most grocery stores such as Sobeys, Safeway and Calgary Co-op.
You can also find them at most liquor stores in Calgary, plus they also have an online store for delivery (free delivery for orders over $25).
| Address | 5000 12a St SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5K9 |
| Phone | (403) 243-3327 |
| info@villagebrewery.com | |
| Website | https://www.villagebrewery.com |
| @villagebrewery | |
| @villagebrewery | |
| @villagebrewery | |
| untappd | https://untappd.com/VillageBrewery |
The Village Local Stout is a silky, smooth Stout with bold chocolate and coffee notes from Alberta black malt and subtly notes of noble hops. Available to be enjoyed Anywhere, Anytime.
0.1% alcohol, 70 calories, 17g carbs
We can’t get too much of the Local Pale Ale . This cool, carefree brew is always welcome, anywhere, anytime. The Local delights us endlessly with the full flavour of sweet Alberta caramel malt and hops that hint of citrus zest. Then instructs us to drink local, for craft’s sake.
0.3% alcohol, 35 calories, 7g carbs
We can’t get too much of the Local. This cool, carefree brew is always welcome, anywhere, anytime. The Local delights us endlessly with the full flavour of sweet Alberta caramel malt and hops that hint of citrus zest. Then instructs us to drink local, for craft’s sake.
0.4% alcohol, 35 calories, 9g carbs
Conclusion
Throughout the months of November and December in 2020, I decided to stop drinking alcohol, just for fun. During my time abstaining from alcohol, I tried every non-alcoholic beer I could find as I had never really tried any of them before. I quickly learned that the non-alcoholic beer offered in grocery stores is terrible and not worth buying. Craft non-alcoholic beer is another story. They taste just like real, normal, regular beer. The brands listed on this page are decent and worth buying. Check them out if you’ve ever wanted to try decent non-alcoholic beer 🍺
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One for the road brewing company is Calgary brew with 6 amazing non-alcoholic beers. Got Hops is an amazing beer with great flavour hops and under 50 calories.