Why Nonalcoholic Drinks Are the Next Frontier at Brewery Taprooms | First Key Consulting

Brewery taprooms initially spread across North America as utilitarian depots for fresh draft beer, offering pints to stay and four-packs to go. Over time, taprooms evolved into community clubhouses that attracted all ages. Not everyone wanted an IPA, much less beer, so many taprooms expanded offerings to include wine, cocktails, and hard seltzer. Now as mindful consumption and sober curiosity become no-buzz words, serving compelling nonalcoholic options is a taproom necessity.

Instead of stocking fridges with common soda drinks and seltzers, breweries are developing unique alcohol-free options. “People come to brewery to have something that’s created on site,” says LeAnn Darland, a cofounder of Talea Beer Co. Some breweries are experimenting with soda, while others are exploring hops-infused sparkling water. And nonalcoholic beer is becoming more attainable thanks to yeast strains that have a difficult time devouring sugars during fermentation, creating beers with less than 0.5 percent ABV (America’s legal threshold for classifying beer as nonalcoholic.)

For First Key Consulting, I took a deep dive into how breweries are creating compelling nonalcoholic options for their taprooms.