Athletic Brewing is the reason non-alcoholic craft beer exists as a category. Before Athletic launched in 2018, NA beer meant O’Doul’s and a handful of dealcoholized imports. Athletic built a brewery that only makes non-alcoholic beer, brews every recipe as non-alcoholic from the first step rather than stripping alcohol out at the end, and put real hops in the cans. Within a few years they had grown into one of the largest craft breweries in the country by volume, alcoholic or not.
Three Athletic beers appear in my best non-alcoholic beers ranking, which raises the obvious question of whether the whole lineup is that good. I bought every beer in their core range and tasted them side by side. The short answer is that four of the six are excellent, one is fine, and one is a beer you only buy for the calorie count.
The quick verdict: Run Wild is the beer to start with. Free Wave if you like hazy IPAs. Upside Dawn if you do not like IPAs at all. Wit’s Peak if you miss Blue Moon. All Out if you want a stout in a 12-pack. Skip Lite unless 25 calories is the whole point.
Why Athletic beers taste different from other NA beers
Most non-alcoholic beer is made by brewing a normal beer and then removing the alcohol, either by heating it or by filtering it through a membrane. Both methods strip out aroma along with the alcohol, which is why so many NA beers smell like nothing and taste like sweet malt water.
Athletic does something different. Their process produces a beer that never contains much alcohol in the first place, so there is nothing to strip out and the hop aroma stays where it belongs. The exact method is proprietary, but the result is consistent across the range. Every Athletic beer has a clean malt body and a real aroma, and none of them has the cooked, wort-like sweetness that gives away a dealcoholized beer. That consistency is the brand’s real advantage, and it is why the ranking below is mostly about which style you prefer rather than which beer is well made.
#1 Run Wild IPA
Best Overall
Why it’s #1: Run Wild is the flagship and the best beer Athletic makes. Citrus and pine hops, a firm bitterness that reads as bitterness rather than astringency, and a clean body at 65 calories. It is the beer that convinced craft drinkers NA beer could be good, and after tasting the whole lineup it is still the one I reach for most. If you only try one Athletic beer, this is it.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $16.94
- Calories: 65 per can
- Profile: Citrus, pine, moderate bitterness
Pros: Best NA IPA on the market, balanced, widely stocked Cons: Not bitter enough for West Coast IPA purists Best for: Everyone, as a starting point
Shop Run Wild on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#2 Free Wave Hazy IPA
Best Hazy
Why it’s #2: Free Wave is Run Wild’s softer, juicier sibling. Mango and stone fruit up front, a pillowy body for an NA beer, and almost no bitterness on the finish. It is the best non-alcoholic hazy IPA available, and the one Athletic beer that sells out reliably every summer. The only knock is a slight sweetness on the finish that a full-strength hazy would mask with alcohol.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $18.98
- Calories: 70 per can
- Profile: Mango, citrus, soft finish
Pros: Best NA hazy, big aroma, easy to drink several Cons: Slightly sweet, pricier than Run Wild Best for: New England IPA fans
Shop Free Wave on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#3 Upside Dawn Golden Ale
Best for Non-IPA Drinkers
Why it’s #3: Upside Dawn is the beer to bring to a party. A light golden ale with a little citrus, a little floral hop, and a clean finish, at under 50 calories. It has none of the bitterness that puts lager drinkers off IPAs, and more flavor than any NA lager. It is the most universally liked beer in the range, and the one I hand to people who say they do not like craft beer.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $16.98
- Calories: Under 50 per can
- Profile: Light golden ale, mild citrus and floral notes
Pros: Universally likable, low calorie, pairs with anything Cons: Mild enough that hop lovers will find it boring Best for: Parties, food, people who do not drink IPAs
Shop Upside Dawn on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#4 Wit’s Peak Belgian White
Best Wheat Beer
Why it’s #4: Wit’s Peak is a Belgian-style witbier with orange peel and coriander, and it is the only non-alcoholic wheat beer that is easy to find in the US. Think Blue Moon without the alcohol. It is refreshing, a little spicy, and excellent with brunch or anything with heat. It ranks fourth because the spice level varies more from batch to batch than the other beers here, and because it is a style with a narrower audience.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $29.99 on Amazon, less in stores
- Calories: Around 70 per can
- Profile: Orange peel, coriander, wheat
Pros: Only widely available NA witbier, refreshing, food-friendly Cons: Batch variation, pricey online Best for: Blue Moon drinkers, brunch, spicy food
Shop Wit’s Peak on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#5 All Out Extra Dark
Best Stout
Why it’s #5: All Out is Athletic’s stout. Coffee, dark chocolate, a touch of dried fruit, and a dry roasted finish. It is a good stout. It ranks fifth in the Athletic lineup only because Guinness 0.0 exists, and Guinness 0.0 is better. Where All Out wins is convenience. It comes in a 12-pack of standard cans, it costs less per can, and it is on the shelf next to Run Wild. See the best non-alcoholic stouts guide for the full comparison.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $29.99 on Amazon, less in stores
- Calories: About 90 per can
- Profile: Coffee, dark chocolate, dry roast
Pros: Good roast character, 12-pack value, vegan Cons: Thinner than Guinness 0.0, no nitro Best for: Everyday stout drinkers
Shop All Out on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#6 Athletic Lite
Only for the Calorie Count
Why it’s #6: Athletic Lite is a 25-calorie light lager brewed with rice, and it is the one beer in the range I would not buy again. It is clean and it is not unpleasant, but there is almost nothing there. Athletic’s advantage is aroma and body, and a light lager is the one style that asks for neither. If you want a low-calorie Athletic beer, Upside Dawn is under 50 calories and tastes like something.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $16.48
- Calories: 25 per can
- Profile: Very light, rice and malt, minimal hops
Pros: Lowest calorie beer Athletic makes Cons: Almost no flavor Best for: Light beer loyalists
The seasonals and limited releases
Athletic rotates a long list of seasonal and limited beers through their online store, and most are worth trying once. The ones I would seek out are the Oktoberfest-style lager in the fall, the winter spiced ale, and their occasional sour releases, which are among the few NA sours that taste like sours. These are easiest to get by ordering direct, where Athletic also runs a subscription with a discount and free shipping over a minimum order.
Where to buy Athletic Brewing
Run Wild, Free Wave, and Upside Dawn are in most large grocery chains, Whole Foods, Target, and Total Wine. Amazon carries the full core range, though prices for Wit’s Peak and All Out run high there. Buying direct from Athletic gets you the seasonals and the best per-can price on the flagship beers if you order in bulk.
Quick winners guide
| Beer | Style | Calories | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run Wild | IPA | 65 | Best overall |
| Free Wave | Hazy IPA | 70 | Best hazy |
| Upside Dawn | Golden ale | Under 50 | Best for non-IPA drinkers |
| Wit’s Peak | Witbier | Around 70 | Best wheat beer |
| All Out | Stout | About 90 | Good, but Guinness 0.0 is better |
| Athletic Lite | Light lager | 25 | Skip unless calories are the point |
What to try next
If Run Wild and Free Wave are your speed, the best non-alcoholic IPAs guide puts them up against Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, and Sam Adams. If Upside Dawn is more your style, the best non-alcoholic lagers guide covers the clean-and-crisp end of the spectrum. And for every style ranked together, see the best non-alcoholic beers page.
