One of the highlights of the Low2NoBev Show last year was Athletic Brewing Co. New to the UK market, the US alcohol-free craft beer brand launched two cans during the summer - Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn Golden Ale. It has since brought out a couple of further beers - All Out Stout and Free Wave Hazy IPA - which you can also enjoy during Dry January and beyond 🍺.
Created with health-conscious drinkers in mind, Athletic Brewing Co. was founded in 2017 by ex-finance professional and ultra-marathon runner, Bill Shufelt and highly accomplished and awarded craft brewer, John Walker.
The idea for the alcohol-free craft beer company came through their shared passion for an active lifestyle and love of great craft beer. They also wanted to offer the active modern beer drinker a non-alcoholic drink that could naturally become part of their lifestyle. Most importantly, they were determined not to compromise on taste and the overall drinking experience.
Athletic Brewing Co. beers are great for craft beer drinkers looking for lighter options which don't compromise on taste. Each can contains less than 70 calories and is under 0.5% ABV. They're also vegan, non-GMO and the cans are 100% recyclable.
"We remain committed to our original goal of making great tasting alcohol-free beer that excites our customers and gives them great tasting options which fit in with their lifestyles."
Bill Shufelt, says: "For us, enjoying a healthy lifestyle has always been an important part of our lives. I used to attend a variety of sporting events, weddings and other social occasions that were filled with flavourless alcohol-free options. It was clear that there was a gap in the market when it came to an alcohol-free craft beer. So, I teamed up with John to create a drink that would give people an option to commit to their healthy lifestyle and not miss out on the refreshing craft beer experience. We embarked on an extraordinary journey to make this a reality. We started in Stratford, CT, USA as our home base and brewed over 100 batches on homebrew equipment to perfect our process. Once satisfied, we built the entire brewery around it and now we're in the UK! "
Shufelt is excited to see such a great response around the world for the low/no category. "It's really fantastic to see the growing trend of people talking about a range of great low alcohol offerings. It was only a few short years ago that John and I couldn't find anyone interested in talking about non-alcoholic products - from customers to retailers. Now it's the fastest growing category in the beverage world. In the US, the non-alcoholic craft beer category is up 439% YTD and Athletic has almost a 50% share of the market. We're continuing to push ourselves to make the most flavoursome and refreshing beers we can. So we're excited to be sharing our most popular cans in the UK."
Athletic Brewing Co are also striving to improve life outside the craft beer industry. They are committed to sponsoring the South West Coast Path project in the UK. This is an extension of the founders' work in the USA to improve the maintenance and preservation of trailways and natural spaces. They currently donate 2% of all dollar sales to their own charitable foundation Two For The Trails.
Athletic Brewing Co. is also an official partner of the IRONMAN and Spartan global events, supporting athletes and amateur competitors with their fitness goals. The beers provide an all-natural option, perfect for post-race celebrations, without the side effects of alcohol.
Run Wild IPA is the ultimate session craft beer. It's carefully brewed with organic Vienna malt and a blend of five Northwest hops. This combination results in a classic piney, citrusy aroma, followed on the palate by a subtle, yet complex malt profile with very approachable bitterness.
Upside Dawn Golden Ale is a light-bodied, refreshing and balanced golden ale. Brewed with premium organic Vienna malt, the combination of English and American hops adds earthy, spicy and citrusy notes, while the aroma is subtly floral too.
Both these beers, along with All Out Stout and Free Wave Hazy IPA, are available from the Athletic Brewing Co. web shop as 6 X 335ml cans, RRP £10.99, or online too at Dry Drinker and Wise Bartender.
