The problem isn't sitting around a table with your friends while drinking beverages.  The problem isn't sitting at a bar or counter with your family having drinks.  The problem might be marketing the idea that drinking alcohol is required or pre-destined.  The problem might be many generations who have succumbed to said marketing, spreading the "pretend reality" that, in order to enjoy life , alcohol must be involved.  The problem might be that sitting on a barstool isn't the issue; it's driving home intoxicated that is an issue.  It's domestic abuse that is an issue.  It's physical and mental addiction as a result of chronic use that is an issue.

We've seen fishing in cold mountain streams, horseback riding in the west, dancing in night clubs, riding in limos, going to Vegas, birthday parties and weddings, big pick-up trucks, sleek sports cars, sporting events, movie stars... everything with neon beer signs in the background.  

Think about older generations who didn't have the tools we have to learn about the effects of alcohol on the human body, on our behaviors, on the danger.  One may argue religion has blessed wine with impunity from this discourse.  How could something sacred be bad?  

There are so many layers once the fog has lifted.  

3/28/23

St. Patty's Day has come and gone.  Now those of us in Minnesota await the spring like my tires await asphalt for the potholes; everybody is impatient or I'm projecting.  I see so much activity swirling around the non-alcoholic beer / zero-proof mocktail / sober-curious / adaptogenic - nootropic - anthropomorphic functional beverage the whole movement is very exciting.   I cannot believe I have not made my way to Marigold still as I have some tasty NA beer to share with the lovely folks over there.   Below you will find a spreadsheet I recently posted on my socials indicating what NA beer is being served at what brewery here in Minnesota.  It is pretty amazing and is probably the greatest NA beer scene in America.


3/5/2023

In just a few days, one of alcohol's largest rookie holidays will arrive: St. Patrick's Day.  I'm grateful we can enjoy Guinness Zero here in the USA.  This makes me think about our country, our culture, nationalism, and how liquor intake has been spliced into almost every holiday.

I too have succumbed to the hoopla and shenanigans of St. Patrick's Day - 22 year ago - drinking a few cans short of a flat of Guinness tallboys in a day - and being very proud of it!  Then remember Irish Whiskey & Irish Car Bombs or maybe I don't remember.  

The trend of the movement - not the momentum - will bring in folks who are only in it to cash-in and there is nothing that can be done about them.  We just have to stick to our convictions and get that alcohol-free third space manifested for ourselves.  

I did create a Facebook page to get more visibility - Mnna Beer | Facebook  


Why have a webpage when you spend most of your energy on Instagram?  That's a question I ask myself.  I wanted to secure the web address, firstly.  

Second, it isn't a bad idea to have a place to compile all the ideas even though I don't really know how to HTML at all and the G00gle site is only going to do so much good.  Anyway, there are tentacles of discussion all stemming from "non-alcoholic craft beer."  Let's see if I can name a few:


A few new NA beers to blip my radar include the single-option Southern Grist and the How did I not know about them until now Self Care by Three Magnets 


Anyone who knows me or reads the Instagram feed will know that I am a huge fan of stouts, porters, dark beers, barrel aged, etc.

Having a tendency for these flavors and entering the world of non-alcoholic beer at the same time, it's been quite fun to search the states (and further!) for tasty dark NA brews.  

The newest dark beers to enter my orbit include

UPDATE 3/5/2023

Atmos has entered the barrel aged NA craft beer game 

Buy NEW! Special Edition Barrel-Aged NA Milk Dark Online | ATMOS BREWING CO. (atmosbrewco.com) 

OLDER

Two Roots Dark Cookies replaced with Black Out BLACK OUT- Non Alcoholic Dark Beer - 6 Pack - Two Roots Brewing Co 

Untitled Art NA S'mores Dark Brew 

Wellbeing Intrepid Traveler Stout DISCONTINUED


My Go-to readily available dark brew is Big Drop Galactic Extra Dark 




MNNABEER began as an Instagram page to share my passion for non-alcoholic beer in the Twin Cities.  

There is a demand by consumers for craft non-alcoholic beer.  Retail locations are starting to notice the trend and the menu that is shown above which depicts "N/A Beverages" will need to be amended by restaurants, night clubs, and other retail locations.  NA beer is becoming more popular for multiple reasons: 1) No more hangovers 2) ability to stay present in the moment 3) fewer poor choices 4) less sugar intake 

NA beer in the USA is experiencing a large rise in consumer awareness and a number of "core" NA breweries have become established including:

Athletic Brewing   Big Drop Brewing  Bravus   Ceria   Gruvi   Hairless Dog   Surreal   Two Roots   Wellbeing 


And a number of established breweries have started to deploy a series of non-alcoholic beers:

Atmos    Barrel Brothers   Brewdog    Untitled Art 

Newcomers to the NA Beer world including  Busty Lush  Rightside 

Of course, the OG NA beers like O'Doul's/Clausthaler/Coors Edge/Erdinger still exist; Heineken has brought a true zero point zero to the States...

One of the most exciting large-scale breweries entering the NA world, Guinness, has now made a non-alcoholic version of their traditional stout.  Guinness 0.0 - USA has not received distribution of this fine beverage however one can have it shipped here from the UK.

And one very special player has entered my consciousness and they are called ABV Technology 

Bauhaus Mpls MN  is a brewery in Minneapolis, MN working with ABV Technology to take existing beer and convert it into NA beer.  Other breweries who have worked with ABV Technology include   Badger Hill Boathouse Brothers   Copper Trail   Dangerous Man   Eastlake  Invictus  Lynlake   Ursa Minor  Waldmann  Wooden Hill .

A national force in the alcohol-free world is Sans Bar , A brick and mortar alcohol-free bar in Austin, TX that also brings alcohol-free bar events around the country.  Check out more Sans Bar links here .