IPA is the style where non-alcoholic beer has most completely caught up with the real thing. Hops carry the flavor and aroma of an IPA, and hops do not care whether there is alcohol in the glass. What alcohol adds is body and a warming finish, and the best NA brewers have learned to fake that with grain bills and dry hopping. The result is that a craft beer drinker can now pick up a can of Athletic Run Wild or Sierra Nevada Trail Pass and not feel like they are settling.
I tasted the seven NA IPAs below side by side, cold, from the can and from a glass. Here is how they rank.
The quick verdict: Athletic Run Wild is the best NA IPA and the one to try first. Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA is the pick if you want a bitter, piney West Coast style. Athletic Free Wave is the best hazy. Partake is the one to buy if calories matter more than body. Everything else on this list is good, but those four cover almost everyone.
How I judged them
Four things matter in an NA IPA. Hop aroma, because that is the point of the style. Bitterness that reads as bitterness and not as astringency, which is the most common failure in dealcoholized beer. Body, since the thinness of a bad NA beer shows up worst in an IPA. And a clean finish, without the sweet, wort-like aftertaste that tells you a beer never fully fermented.
I also weighed price per can and how easy each beer is to find, because a six-pack you can grab at the grocery store beats a better beer you have to order online.
#1 Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA
Best Overall
Why it’s #1: Run Wild is still the benchmark. Athletic brews it as a non-alcoholic beer from the start rather than removing alcohol afterward, and the difference shows in a clean malt body that most dealcoholized beers cannot match. The hop profile is citrus and pine with real bitterness on the finish. It is the NA IPA most craft drinkers cannot pick out in a blind lineup.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $16.94
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 65 per can
- Profile: Citrus, pine, moderate bitterness
Pros: Best balance of aroma, bitterness, and body, widely stocked, low calorie Cons: Not as bitter as a true West Coast IPA, sells out in summer Best for: Anyone trying NA IPA for the first time
Shop Athletic Run Wild on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#2 Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA
Best West Coast IPA
Why it’s #2: If Run Wild is a touch too polite for you, this is the answer. Sierra Nevada’s NA IPA is piney, resinous, and noticeably more bitter than anything Athletic makes. It tastes like a Sierra Nevada beer, which is the whole point. It is also the best value on this list, because a six-pack costs less than most 12-packs cost per can.
- Pack: 6 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $12.99
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: About 70 per can
- Profile: Pine, grapefruit, firm bitterness
Pros: Most authentic West Coast character, cheap, in most grocery stores Cons: Bitterness is too much for hazy fans, six-pack only Best for: West Coast IPA purists, Sierra Nevada loyalists
Shop Sierra Nevada Trail Pass IPA on Amazon
#3 Athletic Brewing Free Wave Hazy IPA
Best Hazy IPA
Why it’s #3: Free Wave is Run Wild’s softer sibling. Tropical fruit and stone fruit up front, a pillowy mouthfeel for an NA beer, and almost no bitterness on the finish. It is the closest an NA beer gets to a New England IPA. The only knock is a hint of sweetness that a full-strength hazy would hide behind alcohol.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $18.98
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 70 per can
- Profile: Mango, citrus, soft finish
Pros: Best NA hazy, big aroma, very easy to drink Cons: Slightly sweet, pricier than Run Wild Best for: Hazy and juicy IPA drinkers
Shop Athletic Free Wave on Amazon or buy direct from Athletic Brewing
#4 Partake Brewing IPA
Lowest Calorie
Why it’s #4: Ten calories a can. That is not a typo. Partake’s IPA is the lightest beer that still tastes like beer, with a bright citrus hop character and zero sugar. The trade-off is body. It drinks closer to a hop water than a full IPA, so it ranks below the Athletic and Sierra Nevada beers on flavor. But if you are drinking four over an afternoon, the math is hard to argue with.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $27.99
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 10 per can
- Profile: Citrus, light body, dry finish
Pros: Lightest NA beer on the market, genuinely hoppy, gluten-reduced Cons: Thin, most expensive per can here Best for: Calorie counters, athletes, all-day sessions
#5 Lagunitas IPNA
Best for Dank Hop Lovers
Why it’s #5: Lagunitas makes IPAs one way, and IPNA follows the house style. Resinous, dank, and a little rough around the edges. It has more hop punch than Free Wave and a cheaper six-pack than anyone but Sierra Nevada. It ranks here rather than higher because the finish carries a slight harshness that the top three avoid.
- Pack: 6 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $11.99
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Profile: Dank, resinous, bitter
Pros: Big Lagunitas hop character, cheap six-pack Cons: Slightly harsh finish Best for: Lagunitas fans, anyone who likes an aggressive IPA
#6 Best Day Brewing Hazy IPA
Best Craft Alternative to Athletic
Why it’s #6: Best Day is a California brewery making NA beer for surfers and cyclists, and their hazy is a credible alternative if you want to look past Athletic. Tropical, low carb, and clean. It ranks below Free Wave on aroma and above Sam Adams on price.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $27.93
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Profile: Tropical fruit, citrus, low carb
Pros: Independent craft brewery, clean hazy profile Cons: Less aroma than Free Wave, pricier than Athletic Best for: Craft drinkers who want a second hazy option
Shop Best Day Hazy IPA on Amazon
#7 Samuel Adams Just the Haze
Best Aroma, Worst Price
Why it’s #7: Just the Haze has the biggest hop aroma on this list, thanks to a Sabro, Citra, Mosaic, and Cascade blend that smells like a full-strength hazy. It ranks last for two reasons. At 98 calories it is the heaviest NA IPA here, and the Amazon price is far above what it costs at a grocery store. Buy it locally if you see it.
- Pack: 12 cans, 12 oz
- Price: $42.95 on Amazon, much less in stores
- ABV: Under 0.5%
- Calories: 98 per can
- Profile: Tropical, citrus, big aroma
Pros: Best aroma in the category, recognizable brand Cons: Expensive online, highest calorie Best for: Hazy fans who can find it at a local store
Shop Sam Adams Just the Haze on Amazon
Worth a mention
A few NA IPAs that did not make the ranking, mostly because they are hard to buy online. Bravus makes a solid West Coast IPA and sells it direct from their site. Go Brewing’s Sunshine State tropical IPA is worth trying if you like fruit-forward beers. And Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects Grapefruit IPA is easy to find in stores but tasted flat next to the beers above.
Quick winners guide
| Pick | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Athletic Run Wild | Best overall | $16.94 / 12 |
| Sierra Nevada Trail Pass | West Coast style | $12.99 / 6 |
| Athletic Free Wave | Hazy | $18.98 / 12 |
| Partake IPA | Lowest calorie | $27.99 / 12 |
| Lagunitas IPNA | Dank hops | $11.99 / 6 |
What to try next
If you like Run Wild and Free Wave, the full Athletic Brewing review covers their whole lineup, including the golden ale and stout. For every style in one place, see the best non-alcoholic beers ranking. And if you drink IPAs in the summer and stouts in the winter, the best non-alcoholic stouts guide has you covered for the cold months.
