At the start of this year I published a long-term review of non-alcoholic beers that I tried in 2022. Since then I’ve tried a bunch of other new N/A beers thanks. Here are my thoughts about a handful of the new and new-to-me N/A beers that I’ve tried and liked in the last four months.
Woodland Farms N/A Beer
Back in January I wrote about Woodland Farms West IPA. I liked that one so much that I ordered a four-pack of every N/A beer that Woodland Farms offers. There was one that I wouldn’t order again, the Pointer IPA which had a kind of sharp finish that I didn’t care for. All of the others I thoroughly enjoyed.
Woodland Farms Dark
When I was drinking alcoholic beer (last one almost two years ago) I really liked stouts and porters. Woodland Farms Dark hits all the notes that I like about stouts without the alcohol. There’s a rich, deep flavor that I enjoy throughout every sip. Some other N/A stouts that I’ve tried have tasted a bit watery. That’s not the case with Woodland Farms Dark.
Side note, it’s funny how there more I talk about N/A beers the more people tell me about the ones they’ve found.
Woodland Farms Witty
If you have a hankering for a wheat beer like Blue Moon, but better, then the Woodland Farms Witty White is the N/A beer for you. Belgian-style wheat beer has never been my favorite style. That said, I wouldn’t be upset if you told me I could only drink Woodland Farms White for the rest of my life. I’d happily drink it for the rest of my life.
Safety Glasses IPA
When I had my first sip Safety Glasses IPA after a great day of skiing at Jay Peak in March, my first thought was “this is what IPAs should taste like!” I’ve read some less-than-favorable reviews of it, but to me Safety Glasses IPA is exactly what an N/A IPA should taste like. It has a full body (zero wateriness found in some N/A beers) and a hoppy finish. My only criticism is the price. Even by craft beer standards it’s pricey.
Rescue Club Pils
As the weather warms (“warm” is a relative term after a long Maine winter) we like to enjoy pizza at a local place that has lots of outdoor seating. That place is Oxbow Brewing. Unfortunately, Oxbow doesn’t brew their own N/A beers. However, as I learned last Friday, they do cater to the N/A crowd by stocking Rescue Club Pils.
As the name implies, Rescue Club Pils is an N/A pilsner. Pilsner isn’t my favorite style of beer so I might not be the best person to judge it. None-the-less, I’ll rank it as a solid N/A pilsner far better than any of the big breweries’ attempts at making a palatable N/A pilsner (I’m looking at you Bud Zero).
Estrella Galicia 0.0
Estrella Galicia 0.0 is the other pilsner-style N/A beer that I’ve tried and enjoyed this spring. Again, at baseline this isn’t my favorite style of beer. When it’s served really cold I do enjoy it. If I was looking for something cold to drink after an afternoon of mountain biking with my buddies, I’d take Estrella Galicia 0.0 over similar options like Bud Zero or O’Douls.
