We each picked our top 5 favorite drinks we enjoyed the most over the last year. That’s the only criteria. It’s all incredibly scientific, you see. Got a different top 5? Let us know. We are currently polling all of the internet to see what were the world’s favorite non-alcoholic beverages of 2024.
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Untitled Art – Non-Alcoholic S’Mores Dark Brew
My personal favorite near beer of the year is this rich dessert in a can. It is reminiscent of a Chocolate Stout or Peanut Butter Porter. It isn’t overly sweet or bitter despite its dark color, and the flavor profiles are spot on for a drink meant to remind one of campfires on a cool evening. After two of these I find myself full, and my need for sweetness is satiated for the night. I highly recommend giving this brew a shot!
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Athetic Brewing Co. - Run Wild IPA
Just like I always carry my wallet in my pocket, my fridge is always stocked with at least a six pack of this hoppy IPA. Crisp, refreshing and pairs well with a slice of orange on the rim of your pint glass.
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Sierra Nevada - Trail Pass IPA
This beer makes a great reward after hiking around your favorite trail or after battling a band of goblins in your Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I find this IPA to be refreshing and very heady. I am interested in trying Sierra Nevada’s other NA brews, but this one is a hit!
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON
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Athletic Brewing Co. - All Out Extra Dark
Here on my top-five for a second time is Athletic’s version of a nice, velvety stout. Though not as sweet, this dark Stout-like brew really delivers on the flavor here. Best drank from an ancient ceramic beer-stein.
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON
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Heineken - Heineken 0.0
Every time I crack open a bottle or can of Heineken 0.0, I am instantly brought back to my last three-month-long trip to Europe. The olfactory-derived nostalgia aside, this alcohol-free rendition of the classic Dutch beer always makes me feel just a little classier while I drink it.
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON
Shawn
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Crux Fermentation Project - NØMØ Galaxy Gazer IPA
This is hands-down my favorite beer of the year. The other NA offerings from Crux didn’t do much for me, but this one has quickly become my go-to NA beer of recent. It’s a potent, hops-forward mix with an extra piney touch that really throws you into the woods at night. It’s probably not the best tasting NA beer of all time, but it’s aggressive in a crowded field of samey NA IPAs, and I really dig it for that.
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This easily could have been my top pick for the year, but I’m placing it at number two because of how less often I’ve had compared to the rest on here. Admittedly, I haven’t tried a ton of fake liquor yet (partially because they’ve mostly been…meh so far) but this “Hemp and Root” spirit tastes not just great on its own or in a mixed drink, but manages to feel surprisingly “authentic” to the hard stuff. Authentically what? Well, that’s what makes this stuff truly worthy of it’s namesake as it treads it’s own path and stands alone as something quite peculiar and unique.
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON
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Sutter Home - Fre Red Blend
I was never the biggest wine drinker when I was drinking, and only ever really went for the cheap stuff on the rare occasion I did. So, maybe my standards are pretty low but this was the first NA wine I’ve tried and still probably my favorite (though I’ve only had a handful). I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to nail down wine without the alcohol in it, but Sutter Home has definitely managed to capture that lower-tier, serviceable red wine je ne sais quoi that Carlo Rossi himself might be proud of.
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON
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Athletic Brewing Co. - Run Wild IPA
What more can be said about this modern classic? It can be easy to forget that just a few short years ago, NA beer options were pretty bare-bones at most grocery stores. When this started popping up everywhere I knew I’d never be too far away from a tasty IPA and though this is our inaugural list, it would have been on every top 5 for the past 4 years. This has become a beacon in my sobriety.
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Pelican Brewing - Sparkle Hops (Strata Hops + Açai Flavor)
Rounding out my list is this offering in the still seemingly emerging “Hop Water” category of drinks. Combining the floral and mildly bitter flavors from hops with the burny, bubbly goodness of a seltzer water is the best of both worlds for me, and the açai flavored version from Pelican is my favorite of the few I’ve had so far.
FULL REVIEW COMING SOON