Best Dark NA Beers for Fall Vibes
Craft non-alcoholic beer is having a moment. Once upon a (recent) time, all you could find was O’Doul’s. Now, craft NA is everywhere. Here’s a look at some of the best non-alc dark brews (ports, stouts, seasonals) around for those crisp, cozy fall vibes.
Narrowing things down was a practically impossible task. Not even four to five years ago, our list would have been much, much shorter. And yes, O’Doul’s gets its fair share of grief, but that little beer that could, in fact, well, did. It was the only option available in the USA for almost 30 years until a small craft brewery in Connecticut launched in 2017. Athletic Brewing — maybe you’ve heard of it? Since then, NA beer is widely available across the country, ranging from large NA craft breweries like Athletic and mid-size ones like Wellbeing, RationAle, and Go Brewing to Big Alcohol providing options too, with NA brews from Budweiser, Coors, Lagunitas, and Sam Adams (just to name a few). Our neighbors up north in Canada are trailblazing too, with more and more Canadian NA brands (beer and otherwise) and if we travel across the pond, we’ll hit the NA epicenter. For those just dipping their toes into the adult non-alc world, the UK is really the heartbeat of no and low. Naturally, some British brands make their way to our list. But devoting time and space to NA in the UK is another blog post for another day.
So let’s take a look at these brews, sourced by yours truly and some friends in the NA community. These chosen few are a testament to just how far we’ve come with craft NA beer.
Go Brewing’s Street Cred Nitro Bold combines two of my favorite things: coffee + NA dark beer. Go Brewing out of Chicago is one to watch. I’m not the only one who’s obsessed.
Cheri Hammons and the High Street Tonics team chose this as their fave, and here’s why:
Ginger Espresso Beer-Tini:
1.5 oz Go Brewing Nitro Bold
1.5 oz Lyre’s coffee spirit
.5 oz High Street Tonics Ginger Turmeric Tonic
2 dropperfuls High Street Tonics Aromatic Bitters
Follow High Street Tonics on IG: @highstreettonics
Bravus Brewing Co.’s Oatmeal Dark got two votes from some pretty heavy hitters in the NA industry. Let’s see what they had to say about this toasty brew.
Douglas Watters, co-founder of Spirited Away (the USA’S first brick and mortar non-alcoholic bottle shop) and Dry Atlas, a non-alc industry and reviews-based website, says:
Follow Douglas and Victoria Watters on IG: @spiritedaway.co & @dryatlas
Derek Brown, author of Mindful Mixology and co-founder of Mindful Drinking Fest (in addition to being the former proprietor of DC’s famed inclusive hospitality hotspot, Columbia Room) also raves about Bravus’ Oatmeal Dark:
Follow Derek Brown on IG: @positivedamageinc
Partake Brewing’s Oktoberfest is a Sober October dream and clocks in at only 30 calories to boot. Our Canadian friends are getting a lot right in the NA world these days, and Partake has been doing the damn thing for years now (maybe the first NA beer I ever saw at Total Wine and More).
I’m not the only one in love with this seasonal release. Tawny Lara, author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Releating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze votes for this brew as well.
Follow Tawny Lara on IG: @tawnymlara
Deschutes Brewery’s NA Black Butte Porter - and Untitled Art’s Chocolate Milk Dark Brew got an interesting combo vote. FYI, I’ve never heard of the former, let alone tried it, so please hold while I run to Deschutes’ website to order this bad boy (note: only ships to Oregon, Virginia, and DC).
Our combo vote comes from industry darlings Ian and Carly Blessing of All the Bitter.
Follow ATB on IG: @allthebitter
MMM. I might have to try this combo and add some ATB chocolate mole bitters!
Athletic Brewing Co.’s Dark & Gourdy pumpkin ale is a natural fit for a fall roundup. Rumor has it the beer (which I’ve never tasted!?) has notes of chocolate, coffee, and obviously, pumpkin!
Olivia Sears, cofounder and CEO of BuzzCutt, a U.S.-based NA discovery app, loves this pumpkin ale.
Follow BuzzCutt on IG: @buzzcuttco
While we’re on the Athletic train, here are some of my own faves: Lodge Life, a blink and you’ll miss it release, this campfire s’mores in a can does not disappoint and All Out Stout, the year-round dark brew in Athletic’s portfolio. I absolutely love a stout any time of the year. I know it’s not just me. Right? Bueller?
Another combo vote here: Mash Gang’s Superstack, Lo Tide’s Check This Stout, and Untitled Art’s Chocolate Milk Dark Brew. I get it, I get it. It’s always impossible for me to narrow down faves, so I 💯 respect this submission. Also, we finally get some brews from the UK here (Mash Gang and Lo Tide).
Cristina Torres, founder/owner of the always bustling NA shop and social space, Bendición Bottle Shop, has good taste.
Follow Bendición Bottle Shop on IG: @bendicionbottleshop
Speaking of Mash Gang, I finally got to taste the UK’s answer to liquid gold when I stopped at Generation NA in Lafayette, IN on my summer cross-country road trip. I fell in love with the low alcohol coffee stout and can’t wait to try Cristina’s pick as soon as I’m able. I mean, blueberry blackcurrant maple sour what!?!
Lo Tide’s Check this Stout out of Bath, UK gets another vote! I really do need to check this one stout, er, out. I mean, just look at that stylish can.
The team at Generation NA’s ears must have been ringing when Cristina at Bendición mentioned one of her faves. Rob Theodorow and his rockstar team are loving this dark brew:
Follow Generation NA on IG: @generationna
Atmos Brewing Co.’s Barrel-Aged NA Milk Dark gets its first vote on our list. But gosh darn it, I can’t find this one anywhere and that just makes me sad. Atmos, if you’re reading this, please send me some Barrel-Aged NA Dark please and thank you? 😇
Our friend Tyler McMahon of Instagram page @reducaholic is a fan of this dark NA sip:
Follow Tyler on IG: @reducaholic
War Chief Collection’s Handcrafted Hop Porter, Guinness Draught 0.0, Wellbeing Brewing’s Intrepid Traveler Coffee Cream Stout, and Eighteen Twenty Brewing Co.’s Stand Up & Stout are my remaining picks, knowing I can’t actually list every single dark NA beer I’ve ever loved — and ever will love.
PS: if stouts and porters aren’t your thing, check out this list of NA beer brands on ZPN. You’ll find lagers, pilseners, IPAs, hazy IPAs, sours, goses, shandys, weisses, and just about everything else. Love hops but allergic to gluten? Try hopped seltzers and teas — take a peek here.
PPS: Sam Bail of Third Place Bar in NYC thinks of a different type of autumnal beer:
Follow Third Place Bar on IG: @thirdplacebarnyc
There you have it. This was no easy feat, but someone had to do it. Happy fall sippin’, y’all. 🍻 🍂
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AF in Arizona with Sam of @forkintasty
Guest blogger Sam of @forkintasty takes us on a zero proof tour of Phoenix, AZ. Sam is known for her fun roundups of alcohol-free and dairy-free content on IG and Tiktok.
My name is Samantha (Sam for short) and I have been sober/alcohol-free since I was in my mid-twenties (when I learned that I reacted severely to any alcohol). I am originally from the Midwest (Columbus, Ohio to be more specific) and moved to Phoenix, Arizona about 6+ years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Valley as there are many cities/suburbs to explore! I enjoy going to new restaurants and bars and most places are able to either do alcohol-free versions/mocktails of cocktails on their menu or take the creative liberty to concoct a delicious drink! It is so important to not place judgement on those who choose not to consume alcohol and now I believe that the sober/sober-curious/alcohol-free space is more wide-spread and accessible than ever in many markets/areas around the country.
I love that many places now offer just as beautiful and creative alternatives to cocktails for those who are sober-curious. Aside from only being able to have club soda and cranberry (or versions of this) and pop/soda/iced tea/lemonade, the restaurant and bar industries have created a new space for these concoctions to shine just as bright. I often find myself pleasantly surprised when menus have designated non-alcoholic/alcohol-free sections that boast creative, delicious and Instagram-worthy drinks! When I travel, I often ask restaurants and bars if they are able to create a mocktail/alcohol-free version of cocktails and many more now have been able to accommodate this request, which I am super thankful for!
Below are some of my favorite places that offer alcohol-free options in Phoenix.
Platform 18 located inside Century Grand (Phoenix, AZ)
Undertow located inside Century Grand (Phoenix, AZ)
KHLA (Phoenix, AZ)
Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour (Phoenix, AZ)
The Rose Garden (Downtown Phoenix, AZ)
The Parlour Room/The White Rabbit (Gilbert, AZ)
Garden Bar (Phoenix, AZ)
Little Rituals (Downtown Phoenix, AZ)
Samantha (Sam for short) has been sober/alcohol-free since she was in her mid-twenties (when she learned that se reacted severely to any alcohol). Sam is originally from the Midwest (Columbus, Ohio to be more specific) and moved to Phoenix, Arizona about 6+ years ago.
Instagram: @forkintasty // TikTok: @forkintasty