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This is the latest trend in the beer brewing scene. A Seattle brewery has been making it for years

caption: NA beer (non-alcoholic beer) is a notable rising trend among the brewing industry. While it's nowhere near as big has IPAs or big name brands, there is a considerable shift toward NA options as consumers seek out healthy alternatives.
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NA beer (non-alcoholic beer) is a notable rising trend among the brewing industry. While it's nowhere near as big has IPAs or big name brands, there is a considerable shift toward NA options as consumers seek out healthy alternatives.

While still a small segment of the brewery market, non-alcoholic beers, aka NA beer, have experienced considerable growth in popularity and are expected to rise further. One Seattle brewery, Figurehead Brewing, is already crafting its own NA beer that owners say not only fulfills beer-drinkers desires but also fosters community.

Six months after Figurehead Brewing opened in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, co-owner Bob Monroe had a jarring doctor appointment. In short, for medical reasons, no more alcohol. That meant no more beer, which is a challenge for a brewery owner.

"To me, beer is the greatest beverage in the world," Monroe told Seattle Now. "I'll tell people, 'I'll fight you if you disagree.' Beer has been this amazing beverage that has been brewed on every continent in the world for thousands of years, and more importantly, it's been bringing people together for that same amount of time. ... Obviously, not being able to consume it was a big blow, especially being an owner of a brewery. But I think it reemphasized with me the power of community, not just around alcohol, but just in general, and that you can build that community over NA beer or other beverages."

RELATED: Craft nonalcoholic scene is brewing in Seattle, just don't call it a 'mocktail'

Despite the news, the operation didn't go flat. Instead, Monroe starting brewing up a new direction that put it on course with the rising popularity of non-alcoholic beer. Figurehead still brews traditional, alcoholic beer, but the taproom maintains a rotating NA beer with .5% ABV (alcohol by volume), which is the number you'll find on just about any non-alcoholic option.

While it can't compare to the behemoth that is IPA or massive name brands, NA beers are a growing category in the brewing industry. Beer nerds are noting the rise of NA options, with some expecting further growth in 2025. One source pointed out that, while beer sales have declined in recent years, NA beer sales have grown. This comes alongside a rise in wellness and health-conscious trends, as well as news around alcohol raising risks of cancer and a surgeon general warning.

"[NA beer] is still a very small percentage of overall beer sales, but it is the fastest growing. So, it is gaining traction," Monroe said. "You do see people drinking less, or maybe not drinking at all, and looking for those alternatives. In our taproom, we see regulars that used to only drink beer. Now, they drink a hop water — we also make hop water — or they might actually blend their beer with hop water to cut down on ABV."

Hop water is exactly what it sounds like and has been showing up behind bars in recent years.

Alcoholic beer still dominates at Figurehead Brewing, though.

RELATED: How Rainier Beer became a Seattle icon

For Monroe, moving away from traditional, alcoholic beer ended up helped him rediscover his passion all over again.

"For me, being a former beer-drinker, I just kind of missed those flavors," he said. "You just can't get that with other non-alcoholic beverages. I couldn't just drink La Croix all the time."

Specifically, the malt flavor of beer was something Monroe sought to recreate.

"I dived into how it's made and tried every single NA beer I could find," he said. "It really re-ignited my passion for brewing, in a way. It was kind of like learning to home brew all over again. It's a very different process with very different goals. So, I really dove into the science and the process. Did lots of trials and eventually came up with a recipe that I thought was good enough to put on a tap here."

RELATED: Is one drink a day OK? Here's what to consider

"I'm an introverted person," he added. "I definitely see the social lubricant of alcohol, but not drinking since 2017, that's changed that whole dynamic. To me, it's more comfortable to have an NA beer in my hand while conversing with people who are drinking real beer."

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