The Beginning: Why Non-Alcoholic Beer?
When we started The NA Beverage Company, our vision was clear but flexible. We called ourselves "The NA Beverage Company" because we aimed to establish a platform for all kinds of alcohol-free beverages. But we decided to begin with what we knew had the potential to create waves: non-alcoholic beer.
Why beer? At the time, I was over one year sober and diving deep into the world of non-alcoholic options. I noticed the market was lacking authentic, craft-quality non-alcoholic beers that actually tasted good. The challenge intrigued me. Little did I know, this journey would transform my life, helping me discover a newfound sense of purpose and connection.
A Turning Point
Getting laid off from my corporate job felt like hitting rock bottom. My first reaction was to panic, dust off my resume, and get back in the game. But amidst the chaos, a strange peace emerged. A prayer had been answered and I realized this was my chance—my calling—to pursue something more meaningful. It was my chance to start my own business.
I wanted to focus on something hands-on, making a physical product that was meaningful. That’s when non-alcoholic beer emerged as my answer. The problem? I had no prior experience in brewing or the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. But if there’s one thing consulting taught me, it was how to be resourceful and navigate ambiguity.
The Leap of Faith
Armed with Google, ChatGPT, and my personal and professional network, I began piecing together the puzzle and the doors kept opening. Along the way, I spoke with brewery owners, beverage entrepreneurs, and brewers who helped open new doors. Eventually this led me to Noah, a brewer with an open mind and an innovative spirit, whom I randomly met at a local brewing supply store. Unlike many traditional beer industry veterans who rolled their eyes at the thought of non-alcoholic beer, Noah saw it as an exciting challenge worth tackling.
Together, we dove headfirst into home brewing. Our mission: to create a non-alcoholic beer that actually tastes good.
Home Brewing: Developing the Recipe
Brewing a non-alcoholic beer is much harder than it looks. Unlike regular beer, it requires balancing flavors while navigating unique technical constraints, such as maintaining low alcohol levels without compromising body or taste. Here’s why:
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Alcohol Content: To be classified as non-alcoholic, the beer must stay below 0.5% ABV. Large commercial breweries sometimes use de-alcoholizers, but these machines are expensive and can affect taste. We had to craft a process that avoided over-fermentation without losing flavor or body.
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Flavor Challenges: Non-alcoholic beers often taste thin or flat. The trick was to use a grain bill that naturally limited fermentation, low-attenuating yeast, and carefully treated water—all while maintaining the complexity of a full-flavored beer.
The result? After countless test batches brewed (and dumped) in my home office-turned-brewery, we developed a recipe that worked. We were onto something.
The Commercial Leap: Scaling the Recipe
Once we perfected our recipe at home, the next step was scaling it for commercial production. As if divinely planned, our brewer, Noah, went on to join a team of investors to buy out a local San Clemente-based brewery, giving us the perfect partner to bring our vision to life. Together, we brewed and packaged our first batch of Straight Edge West Coast Pale in February 2024. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with early testers saying it was the best non-alcoholic beer they ever tasted. We were onto something special.
The Journey Ahead
Straight Edge West Coast Pale will always hold a special place in our hearts as the beer that started it all. But this is just the beginning. Scaling production has introduced new challenges, and we are continually refining our products while also introducing new offerings, such as Revolución Mexican Style Lager, to meet the increasing demand for alcohol-free beverages.
Our mission remains the same: to craft alcohol-free drinks that don’t compromise on taste or quality. From our garage brewing setup to local brewery partnerships, every step of this journey has been fueled by passion, resilience, and a lot of learning.
P.S. How Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Made?
Our non-alcoholic beer isn’t just regular beer with the alcohol removed—it’s an art and a science. Here’s a simplified breakdown on brewing non-alcoholic beer:
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Ingredients: It starts with the same basic components as any beer—grains, hops, water, and yeast.
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Brewing: The brewing process involves traditional steps like mashing, boiling, and whirlpooling, but specialized techniques are used to limit fermentable sugars.
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Controlled Fermentation: The key is carefully managing fermentation to prevent yeast from fully converting sugars into alcohol. This requires selecting specific grains, yeast strains, and timing. Fermentation is still necessary to achieve the flavor and avoid the “wort-like” taste of unfermented beer.
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Conditioning: The beer is conditioned and carbonated like traditional beer. Additional steps may be taken to clarify the beer, as non-alcoholic versions can sometimes be hazier than their alcoholic counterparts.
Non-alcoholic beer has its own distinct character, but the goal is to replicate the taste and experience of traditional beer as closely as possible.