Ranking 11 Non-Alcoholic Craft and Macro Beers

According to the Brewers Association, there are around 10,000 craft breweries in the U.S. alone. And with so many options coming from each brewery, finding your drink of choice can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. It can be even more difficult to find a non-alcoholic beer with a great flavor. 

Thinking about saddling up to a bar and saying, “Gimme a beer but hold the alcohol,” might leave you wondering if there is even a point. Is it going to taste like a beer, or are you going to have to suffer through something that is obviously not what you wanted? But, the growing interest in NA options has inspired many breweries to release NA options, which contain less than 0.5% ABV. Lucky for you, I sorted through many of these options to give you the down and dirty on which craft and macro brews will satisfy your NA itch. 

I sipped on several selections and examined their aroma, head, mouthfeel, and overall flavors to rank them from worst to best. Overall, I wanted a brew that was satisfying and didn’t make me feel like I was missing out on a good beer. And, I was delighted to find out that there several satisfactory options available. You just have to know where to look. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

As the name suggests, Hoplark is all about the hops. And while it does offer non-alcoholic craft brews, it seems its specialty is in hopped teas and hopped water. It’s even won awards for its hop-infused beverages. But if you are looking for a “beer” taste, Hoplark is probably going to leave you disappointed.

The color is the first indication that this may not be what you expect from a beer. It pours out of the can hazy and muddled, with a very light golden color. The aroma is soft and subtle and gives the impression that the liquid will taste beer-like. But it’s easy to spot the difference on the first sip.

The burn from the carbonation is pertinent and is too much on the palate. Although this hazy style is supposed to be crafted with orange and pineapple juice, I could not find either of them. There was a hint of citrus there, but nothing definitive. Honestly, there really wasn’t much flavor at all, let alone a beer taste. If anything, it was grassy. Hoplark might be good for those seeking a hoppy NA, but it’s not really a good NA beer.

Partake’s pale ale comes much closer to a mainstream beer taste than the lowest-ranking selection on my list. The amber pour is nice and resembles a regular beer. Meanwhile, the aroma is noticeable and gives off a hoppy and semi-grassy scent. But it wasn’t the pale ale I was expecting. 

At the beginning, there is a nice deep, rich flavor of both barley and a bit of hops. It goes down smoothly and doesn’t hit the mouth with too much of a burn. The sensation only comes through when it’s in your throat, which gives it a nice, alcohol-like feel.

What threw me, however, was the sourness that snuck onto my palate and lingered on my tongue. There is also a faint carbon flavor in the aftertaste that isn’t incredibly pleasing. Despite this taste, it is the tart sourness that is both unexpected and difficult to overcome. And, it’s just a little too thin for a pale ale.

The beers from here on out are all great NA selections. This BrewDog golden ale has a beautiful medium amber color. It gives off the impression that it’s going to taste like a “regular beer.” The aroma is very well-balanced with a hop and citrus blend that wafts from the head. And its aroma was a good indication of what was to come in terms of its taste.

The citrus is very faint, which allows the hops to act as the primary flavor. It’s on the lighter side, as far as its taste goes, and the mouthfeel resembles what a golden ale should be. It’s a little high on the burn ratio for my taste, though. And the aftertaste is oddly citrusy and very blunt. While this golden is by no means difficult to drink, nor does it give any indication that it’s an non-alcoholic option, the citrus component is distracting and almost seems misplaced. And although it has a fairly clean finish overall, the citrus is still present in the background and is something I could have done without. Had it not been there at all, I believe this brew would have ranked much higher on the list.

This Go Brewing pilsner is exactly what you want from this style of beer. It’s bright gold in color and has a nice bubbly appearance. The aroma is very faint with just a hint of citrus, but you really have to look for it.

This one has a dense flavor, but it comes with a pleasant, lightweight feeling on the tongue. There is an unsweetened maltiness at the forefront that offers a beer vibe. A nutty flavor soon follows and sits on the tongue. It’s followed by a buttery smoothness. There is an effortless flow between these flavor waves and an overall clean finish. But, the blunt nuttiness is something I could have done without. Otherwise, as far as aroma, look, feel, and alcoholic-likeness goes, there is definitely nothing being missed here.

As the name suggests, the Sam Adams does give off a bright and hazy golden pour. A subtle scent of citrus, followed by hops, comes off the glass, but it still falls on the lighter side. If you’re craving the familiar taste of Sam Adams, you’re not going to get it with this brew. However, what you will get is something very pleasant.

This beer delivers aspects of an IPA that I enjoy. Though, I didn’t get the same, hoppy taste that I’ve come to expect with an IPA. I did find it after I did some searching, but it was incredible subtle. The sweet, citrus ale taste is at the forefront. And — as it says right there on the can — it is juicy and refreshing!

But there seems to be more there than just citrus. It almost gives off a hint of pineapple musk. I found it fruitier and sweeter than other IPAs, and I think it’s more of a golden brew than anything. Though, I did like that the flavors were expertly subdued and not too sweet at all. While it doesn’t necessarily fit in the realm of IPA styles I’m used to, it definitely has a place in the ale arena.

I can see this being a very refreshing summertime drink for someone looking for a beer with a seasonal harvest vibe. Though, it still ranks in the middle of this list due to its fruity and sweet uniqueness. All in all, you can’t discount the amazing flavor this NA option brings to the table. 

Brooklyn Brewery goes all-in on this golden style ale and delivered much more than I was expecting. It comes out of the can with a hazy golden color that is bright and lively. There is a pleasing hoppiness with a hint of citrus that wafts from the foam, giving a refreshing scent to this brew.

The full, hoppy flavor takes the lead here. While crisp, there is something very unique about its style. It didn’t take long for this golden to become very big on the mouthfeel and deliver something heavier than the description and color suggested. While it is well-balanced and leaves on a light clean note on the palate, it is surprisingly filling. I would even liken the density to that of a stout, which makes it a little harder to drink than you would anticipate from a golden ale. I don’t necessarily see anyone being disappointed in this brew. However, I also don’t know if it would be easy to drink more than one.

If you’re not familiar with the BERO brand, it was founded by none other than “Spider-Man” himself, Tom Holland. BERO’s IPA has a very light golden wheat color and a nice pour that produces a dense haze. The smell is a little high on the hops, but it also has a sweet and citrusy undercurrent. As the aroma suggests, the hops take the flavor lead. However, it is by no means unwanted.

There are an array of fruity flavors that converge in the middle of this beverage. It maintains a nice balance with a light hop aftertaste that doesn’t linger too long. The burn is quick and low, tipping its cap to the true flavor of a beer. But, it doesn’t have the pronounced hoppiness to fit in with the IPAs; it instead toes the line of being a pilsner or a lager. While it’s not exactly as it is described, I do feel it would scratch the itch for someone who’s looking for a solid and refreshing brew.

The Wit’s Peak Belgian-style brew is a lovely shade of gold and emits a surprisingly sweet floral scent that I did not notice other brews did. When I first sipped it, my immediate thought was, “This tastes like a beer” — in every way, shape, and form.

There is an instantaneous crispness that hits the palate with a low burn. It’s very pleasing to the senses. While I did not taste the floral notes that I smelled, I did find a spiciness that kept me searching for its origin. After quite a few sips, I still couldn’t decide if it was cloves, or perhaps anise, that I was tasting. Whatever is it, I found it to be agreeable.

The flavor leans more towards the malt than hops, but it still maintains a relatively balanced ratio of both. While it is a bit spicy, it’s very smooth and has a clean finish that left me wanting more. Although I tend to like my brews a bit darker and heavier, this one is still satisfying.

The most obvious difference between Sober Carpenter and the others on this list is that this can comes in a pint-sized can, rather than a 12-ounce can – which I enjoyed. This IPA boasts a hazy gold color and has quite a lovely presentation. It was also more fragrant than the other brews, thanks to its subdued hoppiness and floral flavors.

As one expects from an IPA, there is a density to the hops that is quite enjoyable. However, the density really doesn’t punch the palate. The fruit flavor offers something naturally sweet and keeps the profile well-balanced. There is a maltiness that softens the hops and a buttery finish that comes through. It’s very clean on the palate and leaves a floral freshness in the mouth that is extremely unique.

Sober Carpenter’s IPA is full, but not too heavy. It has a cornucopia of flavors that work well together; they don’t fight for attention, but all receive some. This is a taste I have not experienced in the past, and I think it would be surprising to most drinkers. But if you up for an adventure, this brew will give you a satisfying one.

I was happy to see this German-style beer among the NA offerings. I anticipated a darker color, but was met with a hazy light gold that made me wonder what was in store for me. The scent from the brew was exceedingly light and gave off only a wisp of sweetness. There were really no hints as to what the flavor would be, which is odd for a kölsch.

I noticed a burning sensation, quickly followed by a lovely, malty sweetness on the first sip. A tartness pinches the tip of the tongue as it passes through the mouth and invites fermented fruit to make an appearance. Although subtle, I believe it as supposed to be apricot-like. The hops are light, but have a nice density to them. And while the flavor is full, the drink is not too heavy. It’s not completely what I expected, but it still came across as a brew that would be easy to drink in any weather, at any time of the year.

The NA Sierra Nevada Trail Pass golden didn’t stray too far from the original. But as far as an NA offerings go, it was more than I expected. The nice orange gold color is very reminiscent of the alcoholic version of this brew and the sweet malty smell is pleasant and subtle. It is the sweetness, however, that separates this golden from its alcohol-containing namesake.

The burn is low and gives this drink a nice, warm alcohol presence. There is a light malty richness to the flavor that only hints at hop. The medium weight in the mouth is more than acceptable and makes the golden easy to drink. The finish has a bit of a flourish, a slight kick in the aftertaste, and leaves just a hint of the malted sweetness on the tongue. And the aroma-to-taste ratio is so solidly on-point that it garnered this brew extra points.

I have to say that as I sipped this brew, I noticed that there was a unique flavor that was hard to identify. Was it the result of the rest of the flavors working well in tandem? Or did the aroma help lend something to the flavor? I don’t exactly know. What I can say is that the mystery behind it all made it stand out from the rest and helped it earn top honors on this list.

It took quite some time to give all of these brews a fair taste. Since there were such rich, dense flavors to sample, I took a week to cover them all and made sure to cleanse my palate in between. Above all, I was looking for something that would fully quench my thirst for a mainstream, craft brew. Although these beverages do not contain a high alcohol content, I wanted to feel like I was drinking a “true brew.” I thought that this was going to be the most difficult aspect for the brands to achieve, but found that it was not an issue for most of these beverages.

Alcohol-like flavor aside, I also looked at the appearance, weight of the mouthfeel, density of the taste, pleasantness of the aroma, and the overall balance of flavors in each beverage. I have to admit these options ran a much tighter race than I thought they would. It was quite challenging to rank one above the next. And at some points, only slight subtleties that made one rank higher than another. All in all, I feel that there are more than enough NA craft and macro brews to choose from, regardless of the style you prefer. These selections are all a good place to start.