5 Recipes to Make Non-Alcoholic Beer More Interesting
Non-Alcoholic beer first came to the US in 1919.
That's because during prohibition, the government decided the most alcohol a drink could have was 0.05% (and most NA beers still carry that ABV).
When prohibition was repealed in 1933, people were used to drinking a super light, crisp brew. So the major breweries amped up the alcohol, but kept the taste... hence the proliferation of light, watered-down beers in the US.
For most of history, drinking non-alcoholic beer was either mandated by the federal government or, often, an activity solely for recovering alcoholics or pregnant women.
Unless you're in Germany... Germans, who invented non-alcoholic beer, enjoy drinking NA drinks after workouts in place of sports drinks. In fact it's been scientifically proven to help athletes recover faster.
Today, the market is realizing NA beer is for more than just designated drivers and pregnant women. In fact, over the past five years, NA beer sales have grown 3.9% a year, versus just 0.02% for regular beer.
And NA beer drinkers are blessed today with more choices than ever before.
Sure, you can still get an O'Douls or St. Pauli Girl. But there's also Heineken's "0.0" beer, which the company launched in 2017. The NA version is so close to the original that it's fooling people in blind taste tests.
There are also craft, NA beer brewers like Athletic Brewing in Denver, CO and Wellbeing Brewing in St. Louis that are making NA stouts and IPAs.
But even with the growing number of choices available today, you may want something other than a plane, old NA beer.
Or, some of the craft choices may not be in your area yet.
If you love the taste of beer, but the craft non-alcoholic beers haven't made it to your grocery store or bar just yet, here are a few recipes to make non-alcoholic beer taste better.
These options will seriously level up non-alcoholic beer and were custom made by us at TZP. Let us know what you think!
Recipes to improve Non-Alcoholic Beers at home or in-bar.Oh, hell yeah. You heard that right.
Non-Alcoholic Harissa Michelada
"That's a spicy meatball!"
Non-Alcoholic Spiced Pear Shandy
Spicy, bitter, complex. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Did we just invent the "beerlini"? Yes. Did we throw in a few ripe peaches, because we get them fresh down here in the South. Yup.
Perfect for fall and winter drinking. We'll even suggest a few non-alcoholic stouts you can purchase online, since they aren't widely available in stores.
Caramel Non-Alcoholic Stout Affogato
A slight build on the last recipe, with some sugar craving ice cream.
We'll continue to look out for great non-alcoholic beer, and we're more than happy sipping on one without any additional need to improve or mix it up. However, the market hasn't caught up to most non-drinking americans, so we'll hit up these non-alcoholic beer recipes until then.
A roundup of our favorite non-alcoholic gins—for seekers of the botanical, crisp, zesty spirit in its zero proof form.
A bitter riff on the traditional whiskey cocktail, this one with The Pathfinder is for those who want something a little darker—and non-alcoholic.
Using balsamic vinegar instead of booze to create a refreshing non-alcoholic Pimm's Cup cocktail.
A classic non-alcoholic Old Fashioned recipe, with a few backup options if you're running low on time.
A clean, refreshing non-alcoholic mojito recipe.
Recipes
Café du Monde Non-Alcoholic Martini →With espresso martinis all the rage, we wanted to look to other regional coffees for inspiration. This bittersweet non-alcoholic drink is named after the 24 hour café in New Orleans famous for serving piping hot beignets buried under drifts of powdered sugar alongside distinctively bitter chicory coffee.
This spicy, cinnamon infused hot chocolate with non-alcoholic tequila will warm you from the inside out... and it's surprisingly easy to make.
There are a lot of recipes for non-alcoholic espresso martinis out there, but they almost always lack the thick head of foam that makes their alcoholic cousins so photogenic. Not anymore.
Kristin’s tribute to A Tribe Called Quest, Electric Relaxation is a delicious, non-alcoholic Boulevardier. The Boulevardier is a Negroni variation that substitutes bourbon for gin. Still bitter and bracing, but with a smoky roundness that eases you into cooler weather.
The cocktail of choice in the movie Casablanca, the flirtatious French 75 looks glamorous but is easy to make. The original was named after a field gun used by the French army in World War I, as it was so strong you'd feel like you'd been shelled the night before. This non-alcoholic version packs all the flavor punch but won't leave you with a concussive headache.
A more grown up option for when you've outgrown the espresso martini but still love coffee cocktails. Rich, sophisticated, and still guaranteed to give you a bit of a caffeine kick.
Think lychee martini meets aperitivo spritz.
Ease out of summer and into fall with recipes from some of our favorite mixologists, showcasing the flavors of Swedish botanicals.
Developed by Kristin Chaconas at Redbird in Atlanta, the SpottieOttieDopaliscious is a delicious, booze-free riff on the Pearl Diver. (And, yes, it is named for the song by hometown heroes, Outkast.)
Recipes
Pineapple Garden Sparkler →This zero-proof blend of ISH Mexican Agave Spirit, Optimist Botanicals Fresh, and a simple shrub made with fresh pineapple, this drink is a tropical garden in a glass.
A distinctly northern twist on the berry margarita, using ISH Mexican Agave Spirit and flavors found 40º or more above the equator (hence the name).
A simple honey syrup infused with chamomile tea adds a complex but comforting sweetness to ISH Mexican Agave Spirit and punchy ruby red grapefruit.