Welcome to the World of Low, Low, Low-Alcohol Beer | InsideHook

American brewing excels at alcohol extremes. Darkly bruising imperial stouts and boozy and fruity double IPAs are brewed alongside bright nonalcoholic IPAs, on-off switches for alcohol consumption. “Low alcohol” traditionally meant lagers around 4 or 5% ABV, leaving those lesser numbers alone.

Now breweries are navigating new frontiers of low-alcohol beers that balance big flavor with wee buzzes, suited for tasteful moderation and steady consumption. “I like to have volume, but I don’t want the effects of it all the time,” says Chris Lohring, the founder of Notch Brewing, in Salem, Massachusetts.

For InsideHook, I examine the latest wave of 2 and 3% beers that are perfect for drinking darn near anytime.