non-alcoholic beer money
Personal Finance

Can You Save Money Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer?

There’s nothing better than an ice cold beer. As Andy Dufresne says, “I think a man, working outdoors, feels more like a man, if he can have a bottle of suds.” I have no problem enjoying a pint or two and calling it an evening, but when the good times are rolling, I tend to adopt Tom Brady’s mindset: my favorite one is the next one. The regular consumption of alcohol has its costs, both physically and financially, so moderation is the key and blah blah blah. To help lessen the toll booze can take on mind, body and wallet, I’ve recently taken to making my “next one” a non-alcoholic beverage. Does it save me money? Not really. But kind of.  

Is non-alcoholic beer cheaper than alcoholic beer?

My assumption was that taking away what many would consider the key ingredient of this particular product would make the lesser version cheaper. Not exactly the case with beer.

Steady Drinker explains that the alcohol isn’t necessarily what we’re paying for. In general, the process is the same as brewing alcoholic beer, so the similar price points shouldn’t come as a surprise:

However, producing alcohol-free beer requires the same – if not more – expertise, ingredients and resources as regular beer. The lack of alcohol doesn’t make it an inferior product to alcoholic beer.

For instance, many alcohol-free beers are made by removing the alcohol after fermentation. This means the beer goes through the same brewing process as regular beer, with the added expense and effort of removing the alcohol while preserving the taste.

Other alcohol-free beers use special yeasts that produce less alcohol or a mix of premium ingredients that allow the brewer to mimic the aroma, taste and mouthfeel of regular-strength beer without the alcohol. These ingredients don’t come cheap.

The market for premium non-alcoholic beverages is still in its infancy, especially in the United States (N/A beers are more commonplace, and even on draught, in Europe). The Zero Proof argues that the reason non-alcoholic beer seems so expensive is, basically, because we’re not used to paying for it.

How am I saving money by drinking non-alcoholic beer?

So, if I’m not saving money on the purchase price, how is N/A beer still saving me money? Indirectly, in a lot of ways. I could point to some longer term health benefits that come from cutting down on alcohol and the savings on theoretical future medical expenses. But in the short term, mixing in some non-alcoholic beers simply encourages responsible behavior. And responsible behavior leads to responsible spending.

Typically, the more I drink, the more prone I am to generosity at the bar. Frugality goes out the window when there are rounds to be bought. In other words, I save money by not making regrettable drunk purchase decisions, which arguably deserved its own budget category in my 20s. My pocket book–and my waistline–can do without the 2 a.m. slice of pizza.

Non-alcoholic beer recommendations

Thanks to the emergence of the N/A market, it’s more and more common for even the diviest of dive bars to carry non-alcoholic offerings. The good times can keep rolling by ordering another ice cold beer–just hold the booze. After a couple full strength beers, you’ll hardly know the difference anyway. The grocery store, though, is where you’ll find the best selection.

Whole Foods generally earns its mock Whole Paycheck moniker, but has an incredible array of non-alcoholic beers, including offerings from The Athletic Brewing Company (which you can order online as well). My regular beer preference is for pilsners and lagers, but in the non-alcoholic realm, the hoppier the better. IPAs and Sessions are much more flavorful, and don’t come with the weird after taste that you’ll get from some of the lighter selections. From Athletic, Run Wild (IPA) and Free Wave (Hazy IPA) are the cream of the crop. Lagunitas’ IPNA and Hoppy Refresher, along Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects, are also solid options I’ve found at my local Whole Foods. Stella 0.0 is my current go to, and while I’m not a huge Heineken guy, Heineken 0.0 is drinkable among the lighter N/A crowd. Pro tip: the colder the better. I like to stick them in the freezer for 15 minutes before I imbibe for maximum enjoyment.

I’m no Beer Advocate snob, so take those recommendations with a grain of barley. The true answer to the question of my favorite N/A beer is simply: the next one!

The real cost savings from N/A beer

The biggest savings I’ve seen from opting for a few non-alcoholic beers has been time—the most valuable asset of all. In the relatively few instances that I drink a little more than I should, I’m reminded of a line from the Atmosphere song, Sunshine, which serves as somewhat of a hangover anthem: The sunlight hit me dead in the eye, like it’s mad that I gave half the day to last night.

There’s always too much to do and not enough time to do it in. Rarely is it worth the price of enjoyment to punt on a portion of the day following a boozy outing. I’ve concocted a fool-proof hangover cure: don’t drink so much. By mixing in some non-alcoholic brewskis, the sunlight hasn’t been so pissed off at me these days.

Cumulative non-alcoholic beer savings: a few hours, a few pounds, and a few bucks. I’ll take it.

Any N/A recommendations from the beer drinking crowd?

26 thoughts on “Can You Save Money Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer?

  1. I have always thought about purchasing some N/A beer but never have. I know my grandpa always used to drink O’douls as he like the taste of beer but didn’t want to have a beer. Very interesting, thanks for sharing your thoughts and is something to consider.

    1. I would say the industry has come a long way since those days, when O’Doul’s was really the only option. There are a ton of craft breweries specializing in N/A beer these days. Definitely helps cut a few calories!

  2. Is it OK for a recovering alcoholic to drink non-alcoholic beer? (It seems there is some alcohol in it – albeit a very small amount).

  3. Ahh, and strange fact: n/a beer can help if breastfeeding. It is bringing up the milk production, because of the phyto hormons inside and alc level is loke Orange Juice, so no harm for the baby…

  4. I often have a n/a beer in the office. In the morning I have tea, but after four or five Liter I crave for more taste and pull me a beer from the fridge.
    I don’t like the hoppy side and go for straight Pilsener. In Germany I recommend Becks Blue.
    Best n/a beer I ever had was in Poland – Lech free.

  5. What a wonderfully real post. That last section hit me. I don’t even drink a lot but you’ve sold me on N/A beers mixed in to my bar time. Best personal finance take I’ve read in awhile.

    1. Thanks for the kind words, Kevin. Ripping off Atmosphere lyrics is a sure fire way to write something impactful haha. With some of the higher quality N/A beers, I’d almost start recommending them to beer drinkers regardless of alcohol content.

  6. I LOVE non-alcoholic beer. It makes social functions seem much more acceptable when there’s others drinking but you’re the only one drinking water.

    I severely dislike drinking alcohol not because it’s expensive but because it makes me feel so bad not just on the day that I drink alcohol but the day after that I drink alcohol. Although non-alcoholic beer does have some alcohol in it, I like that it doesn’t affect me nearly as much as drinking alcohol.

    When you can save money and better your health while having a good time… There doesn’t seem to be a losing way!

    1. The 0.5% beer is basically impossible to get a buzz from, even if you shotgun 20 in a row. Such a small amount of alcohol makes it so much easier for your body to process. I never thought I’d be an N/A guy, but then when I used to think of non-alcoholic beer, O’Doul’s was all that came to mind. The craft beer scene has been a game changer.

  7. Interesting post and really informative. I’m on my “year without a beer” kick, but will definitely try some of these. And thanks for the Athletic recco. Nice to know there’s some good ones out there! Cheers!

    1. Year without a beer is a little more than I can sacrifice haha. But yes, Athletic is really good stuff. As has been mentioned, kombucha and sparkling water (out of a bottle) are good replacements if you feel the need to replace the habit of 12 oz curls.

  8. Love the Atmosphere reference. This is an apropos post for me; my buddy visited us in our new area this past weekend, and we hit the town for the first time post-Covid. I drank WAY too much, and was in pretty rough shape Sunday. Also had to take a $40 Uber home. Maybe I should have mixed in a couple NA beers. I also agree that Athletic is very good, they were local to me when we still lived in CT, and are doing a great job. Glad to see so much love for them across the internet.

    1. Atmosphere has a pretty good lyric for almost anything, but that one really resonates. Glad to hear you had a fun post-COVID outing, even if you did have to pay for it haha. That’s the tricky part post-pandemic–we’re all so eager to get back to “normal” that it is easy to overdo it.

  9. i don’t think i’ve ever had a NA beer. but, these days i’m down to about 6-8 beers in a year. i’m glad you nailed what i consider to be the biggest cost savings of not drinking or drinking less: the cost of poor decisions. as someone who is probably what my doctor considers a “heavy drinker” i have seen that cost escalation over the years. oh, and as a snobby wine guy that stuff can get very expensive. it was our largest line item in our spending last year. more than food or housing or transportation. i took a month off the wine in 2020 and had all this money at the end of the month.

    1. If you’re drinking 6-8 beers in a year you might as well go for the hard stuff. For me, the N/As stop me from 6-8 beers in a night haha. Being a snobby wine guy definitely adds up–I’ve tried to get into it but always default back to beer. Probably a little cheaper if not as socially acceptable. Either way, booze can eat up a budget no matter the beverage of choice.

  10. Brilliant. I split many a $70 cab/Uber ride back in the day because nobody wanted to be a DD.

    I’m not sure I’ll ever be down with non-alcoholic beer, as the relaxing effects are usually what I’m after, but substituting a casual beer on the beach or at a BBQ with non-alcoholic kombucha (not cheaper at all, but can at least still drive) would have a similar effect. I’m glad non-alcoholic beer has come a long way though!

    1. I also love kombucha! I had been subbing some in at home, but you are right–it’s actually more expensive! Uber prices are currently through the roof because of a driver shortage (presumably), so now is a great time to mix in a N/A beer.

  11. The price of my first pack of O’douls blew my mind. At first I thought it was because I was camping and maybe prices at those little stores near lakes are extra inflated. But no, NA beer is hella expensive. I’m glad you go into detail for the price difference, now it makes sense. I’ve been sober for nearly two years and have probably only drank NA beers on a handful of occasions. My go to is sparkling water when I’m socializing, I find having something in my hand, NA beer or water, instantly kills the urge to join in the drinking. Being sober is definitely cheaper and healthier, but I do think there is a trade off with carrying around a little more of life’s stresses when you live sober.

    I’ll have to head down to bevmo and check out the NA selection. I’ve only drank O’douls and the Heineken beers so far. Probably because I mostly shop at safeway. An NA IPA would be fantastic!

    1. Oh yeah, definitely check out the N/A IPA market. Whole different ballgame from O’Doul’s (though I did have their Amber out at a bar and it wasn’t terrible). There just isn’t enough to some of the lighter beers to mask the difference. Clausthaler was the first N/A beer I tried and it was borderline undrinkable due to the weird after taste, but the IPAs have been very flavorful.

      If it’s not N/A beer, it’s sparkling water for me as well–but it has to be a fancy one like Topo Chico. Maybe I just have a weird bottle fixation haha.

  12. I never thought I’d ever see an NA beer post. Hahaha. I was shocked when I saw this. Well played my friend. Well played.

    I’ve got a two-part NA beer post probably coming at some point. It’s on my list but not written yet.

    I’m coming up on almost 5 years clean/sober. I always just thought and assumed NA beer was shit, and then about a year ago I had been reading about the craft NA beer scene was starting to take off. So I grabbed a six pack for my birthday of Athletic’s Run Wild IPA. This is going to sound weird, but it almost brought tears to my eyes. I had always just assumed I’d never be able to ever taste an IPA again. But Athletic’s beer tasted just like the real thing. I couldn’t believe it.

    Anyway, your post is spot on with all of its points. Only real places to get a selection of NA beer is Bevmo or Whole Foods, or order online from the breweries themselves. My two favorite beers are the ones you mention, the Run Wild and the Free Wave from Athletic (really anything from Athletic is pretty good). I’d also mention Surreal Brewing Juicy Mavs Hazy IPA and Bravus Brewing Oatmeal Stout are worth getting. The Brooklyn and Lagunitas you mention aren’t bad either.

    The funny thing is I assumed the same as you that the cost would be less, but nope, they’re the same cost as real craft brew. Hahaha. I’ve been so used to not spending money over the years on beer, that it took me awhile to get used to that sticker shock again.

    It’s cool you even looked into NA beer. If I were still drinking I don’t think it would have ever even crossed my mind.

    1. Haha happy to provide the element of surprise! A buddy of mine who is an equally avid beer drinker got me onto them. We both genuinely just enjoy the taste of beer, but that doesn’t mean we need to be having 3-4 of them on a random Tuesday night at home.

      If I do ever give it up (there are certainly arguments to be made that I should), I’d be pretty comforted to know I can drink something that is very, very close to the real deal thanks to the craft brewery scene. I think you were 100 percent right in your initial assumption that N/A beer was shit. It was!

      I will have to look into the two that you mentioned. It’s nice to be able to mix it up and get a little variety. Athletic Brewing has knocked it out of the park with their IPAs. It’s been a revelation for me. Still probably drinking too much, but at least not as much.

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