Athletic Brewing: The Complete Guide To America’s Biggest Alcohol-Free Craft Beer Brand
BRAND GUIDE
Athletic Brewing has become one of the biggest names in modern alcohol-free craft beer. Unlike traditional breweries that later added a 0.0% option, Athletic was built around non-alcoholic beer from the start — and its range now covers IPAs, lagers, golden ales, dark beers and seasonal releases.
I’ve tried several Athletic beers over the years, and the quality varies more than the hype sometimes suggests. At its best, though, Athletic produces some of the most convincing alcohol-free craft beer I’ve tasted. This guide covers the beers I’ve reviewed, the wider range, and which styles are most worth trying.
Athletic Brewing beers ranked
If you’re deciding where to start, these are the Athletic beers I would look at first.
| Beer | Best for | Style | MyDryBar score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Wave IPA | Best overall from those I’ve reviewed | Hazy IPA | 75/100 |
| Athletic Brewing Lager | Easy-drinking lager fans | Lager | 65/100 |
| Run Wild IPA | Classic IPA drinkers | IPA | 63/100 |
| Upside Dawn | Everyday drinking | Golden Ale | 54/100 |
What is Athletic Brewing?
Athletic Brewing was founded in Connecticut in 2017 by Bill Shufelt and John Walker with the aim of making alcohol-free beer that craft beer drinkers would actually want to drink.
That sounds obvious now, but it was a much bigger idea at the time. Alcohol-free beer was still heavily associated with bland lager and compromise. Athletic instead focused on hops, flavour and familiar craft-beer styles.
The brand also positioned itself around active lifestyles, outdoor culture and moderation rather than abstinence. That helped it reach drinkers who still wanted to participate in beer culture without necessarily drinking alcohol every time.
Are all Athletic Brewing beers amazing?
No — and that’s worth saying.
Athletic has an excellent reputation, but I wouldn’t assume every can is automatically one of the best alcohol-free beers on the market. Some of the IPAs can feel similar, some beers retain a little of the sweetness associated with alcohol-free brewing, and my own scores have ranged from the mid-50s to the mid-70s.
What Athletic does especially well is range. If one beer doesn’t suit you, there’s a good chance another style will.
The Athletic Brewing beers I’ve reviewed
MYDRYBAR SCORE: 75/100
Free Wave IPA — Best Athletic beer I’ve reviewed
Free Wave takes the softer, juicier route. It leans towards hazy IPA territory with tropical fruit, lower bitterness and a smoother mouthfeel than Run Wild.
For me, it’s the most convincing Athletic beer I’ve reviewed so far and a strong option for anyone who normally prefers modern, fruit-forward craft IPAs.
Best for: Hazy IPA and juicy craft-beer fans.
Read the Free Wave IPA review →
MYDRYBAR SCORE: 65/100
Athletic Brewing Lager — Best easy-drinking option
Athletic’s lager is cleaner, lighter and more straightforward than the hop-heavy beers in the range.
It’s the easiest entry point if you’re normally a lager drinker and don’t particularly want a huge blast of hops. Crisp and refreshing, but less distinctive than Free Wave.
Best for: Lager drinkers and casual beer fans.
Read the Athletic Brewing Lager review →MYDRYBAR SCORE: 63/100
Run Wild IPA — The flagship
Run Wild is probably the Athletic beer most people recognise. It delivers the pine, citrus and bitterness you’d expect from an American-style IPA and has more genuine craft-beer character than many alcohol-free alternatives.
I didn’t score it as highly as Free Wave, but it remains an important part of the range and will suit drinkers who prefer a more traditional, bitter IPA profile.
Best for: Classic IPA drinkers.
Read the Run Wild IPA review →
MYDRYBAR SCORE: 54/100
Upside Dawn — Best for lighter drinking
Upside Dawn is smoother, lighter and less bitter than the IPAs. It’s designed as an approachable golden ale and is one of Athletic’s more accessible beers.
That makes it easy to drink, but I found it less compelling than Free Wave or the lager.
Best for: Drinkers who want something mild and easy-going.
Read the Upside Dawn review →
Other Athletic Brewing beers worth knowing
I haven’t personally reviewed every beer in the Athletic range, so the products below aren’t MyDryBar-scored recommendations. They are useful examples of how broad the range has become.
Athletic Lite
A lighter, lower-calorie option aimed at drinkers who want something straightforward and highly sessionable.
View Athletic Lite →Cerveza Atlética
A Mexican-style copper lager intended for warm-weather drinking, BBQs and easy refreshment.
View Cerveza Atlética →All Out
A darker beer with roasted malt, coffee and chocolate characteristics — a useful option if you’re bored of alcohol-free lager and IPA.
View All Out →Sour beers
Athletic also experiments with fruit-forward sour beers, bringing tartness and acidity into a category still dominated by lager and IPA.
Explore a sour beer →Why did Athletic Brewing become so popular?
Athletic arrived at the intersection of several trends: moderation, fitness, wellness, outdoor lifestyles and growing interest in premium craft beer.
But marketing alone wouldn’t have been enough. The beers had to feel like deliberate products rather than stripped-down versions of alcoholic beer.
The company also built a strong community around limited releases, collaborations, seasonal beers and its Athletic Club. That makes the brand feel closer to a modern craft brewery than a conventional alcohol-free sub-brand.
Best Athletic Brewing beer by style
| Style | Beer | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hazy IPA | Free Wave IPA | Juicy craft-beer drinkers |
| IPA | Run Wild IPA | Classic IPA fans |
| Lager | Athletic Brewing Lager | Easy refreshment |
| Golden Ale | Upside Dawn | Lighter everyday drinking |
| Light Beer | Athletic Lite | Lower-calorie drinking |
| Mexican-style Lager | Cerveza Atlética | Summer drinking |
| Dark Beer | All Out | Roasted malt fans |
Is Athletic Brewing healthy?
I wouldn’t call any beer automatically “healthy”. Athletic beers are, however, generally positioned as a lower-alcohol and often lower-calorie alternative to conventional beer, which is one reason they appeal to people moderating their alcohol intake or balancing drinking with fitness goals.
The important thing is to judge each product on its own nutritional information rather than assuming that “non-alcoholic” automatically means low calorie, low sugar or suitable for every diet.
How MyDryBar reviews alcohol-free beer
MyDryBar reviews alcohol-free beers based on factors including taste, aroma, body, drinkability, realism and overall value. The scores in this guide are MyDryBar scores only where I’ve personally reviewed the beer.
Frequently asked questions about Athletic Brewing
What is Athletic Brewing?
Athletic Brewing is a US brewery focused on non-alcoholic craft beer, including IPAs, lagers, golden ales, dark beers and seasonal releases.
What is the best Athletic Brewing beer?
Of the Athletic beers I’ve personally reviewed, Free Wave IPA currently scores highest on MyDryBar at 75/100. Run Wild is the better choice if you prefer a more traditional, bitter IPA.
Is Athletic Brewing alcohol-free?
Most Athletic Brewing beers are produced at 0.5% ABV or less and are sold as non-alcoholic beer in the US.
Does Athletic Brewing taste like real beer?
The better Athletic beers are much closer to conventional craft beer than many older alcohol-free alternatives, particularly in hop character and style variety. They still won’t taste identical to full-strength beer.
Is Athletic Brewing gluten-free?
Most Athletic Brewing beers are not gluten-free because they are brewed with barley. Check the individual product information if gluten is a concern.
Why is Athletic Brewing so popular?
The brand combined craft-beer styling with alcohol-free brewing, active-lifestyle marketing and a broad range of familiar beer styles at a time when interest in moderation was growing.
How does Athletic Brewing make alcohol-free beer?
Athletic Brewing uses a brewing process designed to create beer while keeping alcohol levels low, rather than simply relying on a conventional full-strength beer with the alcohol removed afterwards.
MyDryBar verdict
Athletic Brewing deserves much of the credit it gets for helping make alcohol-free beer feel like a genuine craft-beer category rather than a compromise.
That doesn’t mean every release is brilliant. My own scores vary considerably. But Free Wave IPA is a genuinely strong alcohol-free beer, while Run Wild, the lager and Upside Dawn give the range enough variety to appeal to very different drinkers.
If you’ve previously associated alcohol-free beer with bland lager, Athletic is still one of the brands worth exploring.
Images courtesy of Athletic Brewing where applicable.