Athletic Brewing Co. is an American brewery that has recently reached the Australian market, bringing with it its range of craft non-alcoholic beers. ManSpace magazine was lucky enough to try their award-winning Upside Dawn Golden Ale and Run Wild IPA.
It seems like every non-alcoholic beer I wrap my lips around gets better and better and these two are no exception. Two of the issues with non-alcoholic beers is their ability to head up and how they replicate the intricacies of craft brews – Athletic Brewing Co. knocks these out of the park.
The brewery has a motto, ‘brew without comprise’, with their website stating: “We believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your ability to be healthy, active, and at your best to enjoy great beer – so we created our innovative lineup of refreshing, non-alcoholic craft beers.”
It’s aiming to find a balance between loving beer and being healthy and active. These non-alcoholic beers hit the harmony between these two ideologies and Athletic Brewing Co. has brewed some innovative beers with all-natural ingredients in small batches.
So, whether you’ve decided to cut alcohol out of your life for good, for a night, or just one drink, Athletic Brewing Company provides an option without compromises.
Athletic Brewing Co. Run Wild IPA
The first beer I tried was the Run Wild IPA, it’s the ultimate sessionable IPA and I don’t just mean that because of the low alcohol. At only 70 calories, it’s not a heavy drink but it doesn’t hold back on trademark IPA bitterness.
I was surprised at how well this poured and maintained its flavour throughout the drink. A foamy head settles on top of the rich orange colour that keeps its flavour throughout the whole pour, not just the start.
It boasts fruity notes but it’s not overpowering. I’m definitely heading back for more of this one in the future as my go-to non-alcoholic brew.
One of the best parts about the Athletic Brewing Co. range is how surprisingly healthy they are. Obviously, there’s no alcohol, which is great, but this beer only has 70 calories and 50 for the next one, Upside Dawn. This beer has only 5g of sugar in one can.
Athletic Brewing Co. Upside Dawn Golden Ale
The second beer I wrapped my lips around was the Golden Ale, a fruitier brew that packs a punch as heady as its IPA counterpart.
It’s crafted in a classic golden ale style and while I’m not the biggest fan of that kind of beer, this non-alcoholic version is a lighter alternative. It has aromas of subtle floral and earthy notes. Brewed with premium Vienna Malt along with a combo of English and traditional American hops.
The Upside Dawn (great name by the way) keeps the signature bitterness of a golden ale which is something non-alcs can struggle with.
Again, I’m impressed with its ability to head up, creating a foamy blanket, probably the best one I’ve had out of a non-alcoholic beer so far. Its best compliment is that if you gave this to me and said it’s a full alcoholic ale, I wouldn’t question it. Hitting the nail on the head here.
The can design is simple, attractive and works well when sitting next to each other. No, it’s not winning an award for being out there or jumping off the shelf, but next to their complete range (plenty more than just the two), it’s an extremely aesthetic and appealing design.
These cans from Athletic Brewing Co. are the latest in a long range of exquisite non-alcoholic beers and we’re lucky here in Australia that the guys have brought their beers down from the States.
