The Complete Guide To Athletic Brewing Co: 13 Must-Know Facts

January 19, 2023
By: Chrystabelle

About the Author

Chrystabelle is a non-alcoholic drinks expert who has tasted and reviewed hundreds of non-alcoholic beers, non-alcoholic wines, hop water, and non-alcoholic spirits. Her journey to being sober curious and discovering non-alcoholic options began when she realized she had a tendency to binge drink. Reach her at chrystabelle@oneclubsober.com.

If you’ve been looking up non-alcoholic beers, you likely would have seen the name Athletic Brewing Company. This sports-loving non-alcoholic brewery was one of the first American non-alcoholic craft breweries to launch and has since won several beer awards.

Want to learn more about Athletic Brewing and its lineup of non-alcoholic beers? Read on for our complete guide to Athletic Brewing.

Related: Delicious AF: 8 Things To Know About BrewDog Non-Alcoholic Beer

What is Athletic Brewing Company?

Founded in 2017, Athletic Brewing is the number one non-alcoholic brewer in the United States today, holding 55% of the US non-alcoholic market share.

Athletic Brewing is known for combining an active, healthy lifestyle with a love for great beer and its wide range of non-alcoholic craft beers, ranging from IPA to sours to wit-bier to golden ale.

The essential Athletic brewing beers – Run Wild IPA, Upside Dawn Golden Ale, and Free Wave Hazy IPA – are available year round. Seasonal releases, limited edition styles, and collaboration beers are also available.

Meet some of Athletic Brewing flavors:

Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden

Upside Dawn

Classic craft Golden Ale Style

  • Aromas subtle with floral and earthy notes
  • Refreshing, clean, balanced, light-bodied
  • Vegan and crafted to remove gluten

Glass of Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA

Run Wild

The Ultimate IPA for Craft Beer Lovers

  • Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops
  • Approachable bitterness to balance the specialty malt body
  • Vegan and only 65 calories

Athletic-Brewing-All-Out-Extra-Dark

All Out

Bold And Daring Stout-Inspired Brew

  • Light but rich, smooth yet complex
  • Notes of roasted nuts and dark coffee, with a hint of semi-sweet chocolate
  • Vegan and only 90 calories

Athletic Brewing Free Wave Hazy IPA

Free Wave

Free Wave Hazy IPA for the open road

  • Loaded with Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops
  • Soft and hazy wheat body. Juicy, floral and citrusy character
  • Vegan and only 70 calories

Meet the founders: Who is Athletic Brewing owned by?

Athletic Brewing is founded and owned by Bill Shufelt, a former hedge fund manager, and John Walker, an awarded brewer formerly of Second Street Brewery.

The idea of starting a non-alcoholic brewery was born out of Bill’s need and desire to have non-alcoholic beers that tasted better than water.

After he stopped drinking in 2013, Bill struggled with the drink menus at bars, restaurants, breweries, sporting events, and socializing. He quickly realized that there weren’t any good non-alcoholic craft beers on the menus that people could drink and socialize normally.

Bill Shufelt and John Walker, the founders of Athletic Brewing
Bill Shufelt and John Walker, the founders of Athletic Brewing

This realization led to the idea of Athletic Brewing. After going to countless conferences and posting on message boards, Bill finally found a co-founder who had brewing experience. John Walker was a head brewer in Santa Fe, and they soon started home-brewing in Gatorade jugs.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Where is Athletic Brewing Company located?

Where is Athletic Brewing Company located - Athletic Brewing brewery

Athletic Brewing is located in two locations: one in Milford, Connecticut and one in San Diego, California.

Stratford, Connecticut, was where Athletic Brewing got its first start, where Bill and John first test-brewed over 100 batches to refine their process and flavors.

They then built an entire brewery around it, creating the first non-alcoholic brewery in the United States. Both locations remain the only non-alcoholic dedicated facilities in the world.

With 0.5% ABV, is Athletic Brewing actually non-alcoholic?

Athletic Brewing Athletic Lite

Yes, Athletic Brewing is non-alcoholic. Athletic Brewing beers contain less than 0.5% alcohol, which is about the same amount of alcohol in a glass of orange juice.

According to labeling laws in the United States and many parts of the EU, non-alcoholic drinks can be labeled as non-alcoholic if they have 0.5% alcohol or less. Labeling laws are a little different in the UK, where 0.05% to 0.5% alcohol are classed as ‘de-alcoholised’.

Want to learn more about the difference between 0.5% beers and why they are considered non-alcoholic? Check out our article here for the complete explanation!

Related: Can Non-Alcoholic Beer Get You Drunk? We Did The Math

The brewing process: How does Athletic Brewing remove alcohol?

Athletic Brewing does not remove alcohol from their beers. They do not use any of the existing alcohol removal technologies out there. Instead, they use an innovative, proprietary method of brewing fully fermented beers to under 0.5% alcohol.

Athletic Brewing follows a traditional brewing process where the beer undergoes a full fermentation and alcohol is produced. However, they are able to keep the alcohol level under 0.5% by closely monitoring and adjusting variables such as temperature during the brewing process.

This process helps to elevate the flavors and deliver a similar taste experience you would get from an alcoholic beer.


Athletic Brewing Nutrition Facts

Is Athletic Brewing healthy?

Matt Stevens holding Athletic Brewing healthy
Matt Stevens, an Air Force SERE specialist, trainer and athlete

Yes, Athletic Brewing is a healthy non-alcoholic beer option. Besides using local, all-natural ingredients and organic malts, Athletic Brewing beers also do not have added sugar, artificial flavorings, or addictive.

Generally, non-alcoholic drinks are known for being great for weight loss and healthier than alcoholic drinks.

For example, an average non-alcoholic beer has around a third to half the calories of an alcoholic beer. A can of Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA has 65 calories and 14 grams of carbohydrates per, while a Budweiser has 127 calories and 8.6 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Related: What is the difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks?

Common Athletic Brewing ingredients

Common Athletic Brewing ingredients - hops
Hops

Athletic Brewing uses local, all-natural ingredients whenever possible, as well as organic malts and seasonal ingredients.

Here are some of the ingredients used for their most popular beers: water, organic Vienna malt, malted barley, oats, a combo of English and traditional American hops, wheat, and yeast.

Does Athletic Brewing have sugar?

Athletic-Brewing-Run-Wild-IPA-Upside-Dawn-Golden-Ale-Athletic-Lite-and-Free-Wave-Hazy-IPA

Athletic Brewing does not add sugar to its beers. However, Athletic Brewing beers contain naturally occurring sugar from the fermentation of the grains.

Here is a breakdown of the amount of sugar in each of their popular beers:

 Carbs (Avg Quantity
Per Serving)
Sugar (Avg Quantity
Per Serving)
Run Wild IPA14g8g
Upside Dawn Golden11g4g
Cerveza Atletica14g4g
All Out Stout20.6g4.6g

 

Related: Can Diabetics Drink Alcohol-Free Beer? Learn The Facts!

Does Athletic Brewing have caffeine?

First Ride Coffee Porter

Only selected Athletic Brewing beers have caffeine, such as the limited edition First Ride Coffee Porter sold back in 2021. First Ride is a malt-heavy caffeinated non-alcoholic beer with medium and dark coffee roasts.

Is Athletic Brewing hydrating?

Sean Conway drinking Athletic Brewing
Sean Conway hydrating with Athletic Brewing during a triathlon

Yes, Athletic Brewing is hydrating! Many athletes and Olympians turn to non-alcoholic beers for hydration.

Both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beers contain phenols, which regulate the genes that control inflammation.

In a 2011 research done by Appalachian State University’s David Nieman and the University of Munich’s Johannes Scherr, marathon runners saw their risk of upper respiratory infection reduced when they drank 1.5 liters of non-alcoholic beer a day.

However, regular alcoholic beer is a diuretic that causes drinkers to urine more and dehydrates. Non-alcoholic beer, on the other hand, works to hydrate you.

Is Athletic Brewing safe for pregnancy?

Holding a can of Athletic Brewing Free Wave

Drinking non-alcoholic beverages such as Athletic Brewing NA beers during your pregnancy is a personal choice. Since there’s currently no safe level of alcohol intake during pregnancy or breastfeeding, the safest approach would be to abstain from both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

While it’s unlikely that a moderate intake of non-alcoholic beverages with less than 0.5% ABV would pose any harm, we recommend that you consult your physician before consuming any non-alcoholic drink.

Is Athletic Brewing gluten free?

Two hands holding an Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Golden

Most of Athletic Brewing beers are not gluten-free. An exception is the popular Upside Dawn Golden, which is crafted to remove gluten. However, Upside Dawn is fermented from grains containing gluten, and the gluten content cannot be verified and may contain traces of gluten.

Related: Ultimate Guide To Gluten-Free Non-Alcoholic Beer


Where is Athletic Brewing sold?

Ready to try your first Athletic Brewing beer? See where you can purchase Athletic Brewing in your country!

United States:

Purchase online from #1 non-alcoholic drinks retailer Proof No More. They offer free delivery and have a wide range of other delicious non-alcoholic beers.

Prefer to pickup locally? You can find Athletic Brewing in supermarkets such as Whole Foods and Target. You can even visit their taproom in Stratford for tastings, curbside pickup, and events.

United Kingdom:

Order online from retailer Dry Drinker (next day delivery) or pickup locally at selected Tesco stores.


Athletic Brewing Reviews

Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA review main

Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA review: Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA Review (<0.5% ABV): Worth Trying?


Athletic Lite Review

Athletic Lite Review: Athletic Lite Review (<0.5% ABV): Athletic Brewing’s Light Brew


Athletic Brewing All Out Review

Athletic Brewing All Out Review (<0.5% ABV): Non-Alcoholic Extra Dark Stout


Athletic Brewing Cerveza Athletica Review

Athletic Brewing Cerveza Athletica Review: Mexican-Style Light Copper


Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Review

Athletic Brewing Upside Dawn Review (0.5% ABV): A Juicy Golden Ale


Athletic Brewing Free Wave Review

Athletic Brewing Free Wave Review (<0.5% ABV): Hazy IPA

About the Author

Chrystabelle is a non-alcoholic drinks expert who has tasted and reviewed hundreds of non-alcoholic beers, non-alcoholic wines, hop water, and non-alcoholic spirits. Her journey to being sober curious and discovering non-alcoholic options began when she realized she had a tendency to binge drink. Reach her at chrystabelle@oneclubsober.com.

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