The line of iOTA non-alocoholic beers from Phillips Brewing & Malting in Victoria, BC (photo provided)
By Tamara Vidito, BC Ale Trail
BRITISH COLUMBIA – Whether you’re embracing Damp January, taking your turn as the designated driver, pursuing health and fitness goals, or simply taking a mindful break from alcohol, today’s craft brewing scene ensures you won’t have to compromise on flavour or experience.
Gone are the days when “non-alcoholic beer” meant relegating yourself to a dusty bottle of O’Douls hiding at the back of a grocery store shelf. The craft brewing landscape is undergoing another transformation, driven by a growing wave of consumers embracing alcohol-free alternatives not out of necessity, but by choice. Whether motivated by health consciousness, lifestyle changes, or simply curiosity, more and more craft beer enthusiasts are discovering that cutting back on alcohol doesn’t mean compromising on beverage quality or craft brewing excellence.
BC’s craft breweries have risen to meet this growing demand, creating complex, flavourful beers that contain 0.5% ABV or less. Beyond traditional beer styles, you’ll also find a growing number of creative alternatives like hop waters, offering craft beverage experiences that maintain the artisanal spirit of craft brewing while eliminating alcohol content. Choosing not to drink no longer means missing out on the craft experience.
So why doesn’t everyone brew non-alcoholic beers?
Unlike making a mocktail where one ingredient is easily left out, the traditional processes of brewing beer are what lead to alcohol being created during fermentation. What’s a brewer to do?
Without going into too much technical detail – because let’s face it: brewing is both an art form and a highly developed skill set that depends on chemistry, math, and biology, takes years to learn, and would take even longer to type into a single blog – there are two basic ways to create a non-alcoholic brew.
One is to brew a beer as normal, and then physically remove the alcohol. The second is to use specific ingredients and/or techniques that limit the production of alcohol during fermentation.
Sounds easy enough, right? So… what’s the catch? Well, the actual production of an NA beer might not be too complicated for a talented brewer given enough time to create a recipe, but both methods require specialized equipment that isn’t exactly available at your local homebrew supply shop and certainly does not come cheap. Add in the requirement for additional physical space in the brewery for said equipment, and more often than not you run into a wall (literally, and figuratively). As the prevalence of NA beers increases, equipment suppliers are working to design equipment suitable for smaller breweries, while brewers are working to create more efficient recipes and find workable solutions to preservation methods such as small-scale water bath pasteurisation.
If you want to learn more about the process of brewing NA beers, I would highly recommend checking out this video produced by KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations. They definitely know their stuff: in 2024, a group of first-year KPU students took home a silver medal for their non-alcoholic Stout at the US Open College Beer Championships.
What it all boils down to is this: brewing a tasty non-alcoholic beer is just as complex, if not more so, than crafting the next seasonal (alcoholic) beer release. It takes time, care, dedication, and significant investment. And, as we know, all BC craft beer is nothing if not exceptionally crafted. Keep reading to discover some of the incredible non-alcoholic beers and hop waters produced at breweries around the province.
(note: See full list on blog)
Non-Alcoholic Beers
iOTA from Phillips Brewing & Malting in Victoria, BC
Launched in late 2021 by Phillips Brewing, iOTA beers are brewed for craft beer fans who are “experimental, flavour-focused, confident, and self-aware.”
The name iOTA comes from the Greek letter iota, meaning an extremely small amount. For the folks at Phillips, this was a reflection of their belief that craft beer is not defined by its alcohol content, but rather the community it builds. Even though there’s only a minute amount of alcohol (less than 0.5% ABV), iOTA is still authentically craft-brewed.
“From our Pale Ale that strikes a harmony between drinkability and flavour; to our Hazy IPA where our house malted barley lends a hand in creating a smooth sip, and helps carry a tropical hazy hop profile, when you sip an iOTA you can expect a beer that’s authentically brewed and true to style,” says Phillips Brewing.
The iOTA line-up now includes a Pilsner, Pale Ale, Hazy IPA, Blackberry Lemon Ale, and Cerveza.
Tin Whistle Brewing in Penticton, BC
Tin Whistle is committed to always having a non-alcoholic option available at their brewery, and offer a rotating selection of four NA beers on tap, from their Peach Cream Ale, to a stout, IPA and Blonde. The NA Peach Cream Ale is a take on the best-selling beer that they have been brewing since the 90s, and won Best Non-Alc Beer at Fest of Ale in 2024. These four brews are only available in the tasting room, “where we have full control over quality,” explains owner Alexis Esseltine.
Whistle Buoy Brewing Company in Victoria, BC
Joining last year’s release of the Little Viz Hazy IPA (18 IBU, hoppy, hazy, juicy) are three new brews which are non-alcoholic versions of Whistle Buoy’s Marktplatz Pilsner, Downpour Dark Beer and Coastality Pale Ale:
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NA Dark Beer – 0.5%, 24 IBU. Dark, Smooth, Malty
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NA Pilsner – 0.5%, 35 IBU. Crisp, Floral, Grassy
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NA Pale Ale – 0.5%, 25 IBU. Balanced, Fruity, Crushable
Co-owner Isaiah Archer says “Our NA beers are made the same way as our full-strength beers: in small batches with high-quality local ingredients, but with a non-alcohol producing yeast strain.”
Road Pop Sparkling Hop Water from Barnside Brewing in Delta, BC (photo provided)
Hop Waters
Road Pop from Barnside Brewing in Delta, BC
Road Pop Sparkling Hop Water celebrates Barnside’s farm-based story in a refreshing beverage that’s inclusive and enjoyed by everyone, at any time. Road Pop is brewed with Barnside’s own farm-grown hops. The unique terroir amplifies the grapefruit and citrus characteristics of their Cascade and Chinook hops, delightfully present in the refreshing taste of every flavour of Road Pop. All flavours are 100% alcohol-free, with zero calories, zero sugar, zero carbs, and zero gluten. The original Road Pop has been joined by a Cranberry & Orange version, which uses natural orange and cranberry extract for a kiss of flavour. And stay tuned for a third flavour coming soon!
Sparkling Hop Water from Farmhouse Brewing Co. in Chilliwack, BC
Take it easy with this hop-infused sparkling water, brewed fresh in-house with Citra hops giving it a peachy, citrus flavour, and a crisp hop bite. Thirst quenching, and naturally sugar-free, gluten-free, alcohol-free & calorie-free!
See full blog post here
