Will the non-alcoholic beer segment continue to grow? One leading craft brewer thinks so. Sierra Nevada Brewing, a bellwether for the industry, has released a non-alcoholic beer for the first time.
The duo Trail Pass IPA and Trail Pass Golden are made using a maltase negative yeast strain instead of removing alcohol after the brewing process. The beers retail for about $12 a six pack in cans.
Trail Pass IPA uses Amarillo, Bravo, CTZ, Magnum and Cascade hops for an IPA flavor and aroma; it comes in at 35 IBU. Trail Pass Golden has a light, crisp flavor with Centennial, Cascade and Bravo hops, the company reports, with 15 IBU.
The non-alcohol segment is growing profusely across all three categories of wine, beer and spirits. According to one outlet, total dollar sales at off-premise locations grew by 31% over the past year.