"I'm on a health kick."
"I'm doing Dry January."
"I'm drinking a bit less alcohol these days, but I love craft beer."
"I'm the designated driver."
"I like to mix in a non-alc drink for every full-strength drink I have."
"I don't want to feel hungover tomorrow."

We’ve all heard (or felt) these reasons, among others, which have sparked a global surge in the non-alcoholic beverage market in the past few years. We’ve been thinking about how to meet this consumer demand in a way that feels right for our business. The fact is, most of the NA beers we've tried in recent history (and we've tried a LOT) didn’t hit the marks we expect in a solid craft beer. Our brewing team saw the potential of this market but told the rest of us:

"We don’t want to make something that is good for a non-alc; we want to make great craft beers that we’re proud of, and the fact they’re non-alc is a nice side note." – WB brewers

This journey started back in 2022. (A note: you’re now reading the long version of this story. For the short beer details, scroll to the bottom and see "The Short Version.")

We approached our friends Leigh and Lane, brothers and co-founders of Nonny, a now-prominent NA craft beer brand distributing across North America. We decided to collaborate, creating two side-by-side products: Little Galaxy NA IPA and Big Galaxy Hazy IPA (the full-strength version). We learned valuable tips and tricks from these guys during our first foray into the NA space, and we’re very grateful for their friendship and willingness to collaborate.

This project gave us an opportunity to celebrate craft beer more broadly and demonstrate that full-strength and non-alc options both have a place in our industry and can be enjoyed interchangeably. We also partnered with WIRTH Hats for the launch event in spring 2023. WIRTH is a Vancouver-based hat company that donates proceeds from sales to support mental health and counseling services for those in need. The message we wanted to send through this campaign was clear:

"You are welcome here."

The craft beer community and our taproom spaces have so much to offer, and if you don’t want to drink booze, it really doesn’t matter—you are welcome here. Come hang out; we make great beverages and community spaces for everyone!

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. We ended up dumping our first batch of non-alc beer because the yeast didn’t behave as expected, resulting in flavors we weren’t looking for. Unfazed, our brewers made the right call, learned from their mistakes, and tried again until they created something they were proud of.

Later in 2023, we made our own non-alc beer called Little Vis Hazy IPA, a version of our core full-strength Hazy IPA Low Vis. We’ve been brewing this beer ever since but have only sold it in-house to maintain quality control. This beer was unpasteurized and always stored cold to keep the beer fresh and maintain the desired levels of hop character and aroma.

After doing a lot of research, attending brewing seminars, buying some fancy new technology, and having conversations with industry peers, our brewers felt confident enough to pasteurize our NA beers in-house. The issue then became: when can we make them? Our facility is small and generally maxed out during the summer and fall. For that reason (among others), January—the slowest month of the year—was the perfect time to give Little Vis NA Hazy IPA some companions.

Joining the lineup are non-alc versions of Pale Ale, Pilsner, and Dark Beer.

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About the Beers

• NA Pale Ale
  Our flagship beer Coastality reimagined. Coastality has been our number one selling beer since the day we opened, and it’s now available as a non-alcoholic option. This beer has bright, juicy flavors from Citra and Mosaic hops, a mild malty backbone, a light body, and a clean, crushable finish.

• NA Dark Beer
  Modeled after our new beer Downpour, this dark, smooth, and easy-drinking beer features the gentle roasty bitterness of a dry stout and the sweet malty touch of an amber. NA Dark Beer strikes a balance that hits every time.

• NA Pilsner
  A dryish version of our Marktplatz Pils. Crisp and clean, this German-style Pilsner pays homage to the place we call home: Victoria’s historic Market Square. Featuring a delicious balance of malty sweetness and grassy, floral hop bitterness, it’s brewed with locally grown Pilsner malt and a blend of European hops.

• Little Vis
  Our original non-alc beer is here to stay! This full-flavored Hazy IPA delivers fruity citrus flavor, aroma, and bitterness from Citra and Mosaic hops. Cloudy yellow in appearance with a soft mouthfeel, Little Vis delivers hoppy goodness that satisfies without overwhelming the senses.

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How NA Beers Are Made

Let’s break down how these beauties are brewed. Thanks to our brewer Lukas for sharing this info with the team on Slack. It’s too interesting not to share here.

1. Membrane Filtration: Similar to reverse osmosis, alcohol and water are separated to produce non-alcoholic beer. However, this method can strip away a lot of flavor along with the alcohol.

2. Vacuum Distillation: The beer is heated, and the alcohol is removed through distillation. A vacuum lowers the boiling point of the alcohol. This method produces a beer with 0.0% ABV.

3. Our Method: We prevent alcohol from forming in the first place. Using less malt, we mash in at a warmer temperature to inactivate beta-amylase (the enzyme that breaks down dextrins into maltose, a fermentable sugar). This creates a wort with lower gravity (sugar content) and mostly non-fermentable sugars (dextrins). We also use a special yeast strain that can’t ferment higher sugars.

We’re proud to use high-quality ingredients, including single-use specialty yeast and locally grown malt. We brew in very small batches and hand-pasteurize for shelf stability. This boutique, labor-intensive process results in beers we believe can compete with the best on flavor and quality.

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The Short Version

Our NA beers are <0.5% ABV, made with non-alcohol-producing yeast, and pasteurized for shelf stability. Styles include Hazy IPA, Pale Ale, Pilsner, and Dark Beer.

Available at the Taproom in Market Square and these stores:

• Cook St. Liquor
• Vessel
• Cascadia Colwood
• Small Gods
• Softer Drink Co.
• Fizz Bottle Shop
• Liquor Planet
• Tudor House
• Hillside Liquor Plus
• Cascadia Caddy Bay
• Saanich Centre Liquor Plus
• More to come!