Non-alcoholic beer has come a long way. There never used to be a lot of options and they didn’t taste close to any kind of beer I’d want to drink. But in the last few years, there has been a tremendous improvement in NA beer, so much so that I often can’t really tell the difference. And even better, there’s no lasting effect later.
I recently had a chance to try a non-alcoholic beer from a cool little company in California called Best Day Brewing and their beers are truly craft beers. They have three different styles to choose from: a West Coast IPA, a Hazy IPA, and a Kolsch-Style Ale, which is what I tried.
According to the website, the Kolsch paired well with “sunshine, trailheads, and fish tacos.” I couldn’t agree more. All of these things make me think of summer, and summer is the time I most crave a nice cold beer with a meal or after a good sweat. The Kolsch is extremely easy-drinking and thirst quenching and the combo of cologne and Pilsner malts and Hallertau hops really do make it taste like an alcoholic beverage.
The best part of drinking the Kolsch beer by Best Day Brewing? In addition to having an ABV of less than 0.50%, it’s only 55 calories per can. There are no fats, carbs, or sugars, and there’s even 1g of protein. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols are packed into these brews as well, which actually help with recovery and your immune system. And hey, no hang-over or heavy feeling after knocking back a couple.
My husband and I both love good beer, and he recently asked the question: “Why?” Why on earth would anyone want to drink non-alcoholic beer when they can have the real thing?
For me there are several reasons, and the biggest is, shock of all shocks, I’m a runner. I’m an AGING runner to boot. I’m not old yet (as far as I’m concerned!) but when I got to 40 (and .. ahem.. beyond,) I noticed that recovering from bad choices the night before a run was proving more challenging. So now I have a rule for myself – if I am planning to run anything over about 13 miles, I won’t drink alcohol the night before. It does make a difference, and I’m happy to do so for the sake of a better run, but sometimes I just want a little something to celebrate the end of the week. Sometimes I want something that still feels a bit like a treat while relaxing on a Friday night. This new beer from Best Day Brewing definitely fits the bill. Sometimes the TASTE of beer is what I want, not the after-effects. Maybe that’s not the case for everyone, but it is still satisfying somehow.
Th Kolsch is light and citrusy and it certainly does the job of reminding me we’ve finally reached summer. And since I’m officially training for yet another marathon, there are lots of Friday nights ahead of me where this exact thing will come in handy. Cheers!!
Best Day Brewing
Kolsch Style Non-Alcoholic Ale
