It's almost summer in San Antonio, meaning cold beer will be ubiquitous.
It fills ice chests at backyard barbecues, it's the beverage of choice at outdoor events and we pop one when finish mowing the lawn. All well and good, unless you're trying to watch your alcohol intake or avoid it altogether.
Fortunately, the quality and quantity of zero-proof beers have increased as more consumers demand high-quality products when they're looking for a break from high octane suds. That's also created a problem: the sheer quantity of N/A options can leave novices scratching their heads.
To help the N/A curious find the right match, we sampled a handful of Texas-produced or Texas-beloved varieties, which varied greatly in flavor profile — from standard American lagers to robust craft IPAs.
Free & Easy IPA, Karbach Brewing Co. — Houston
Made with a selection of floral and delightfully funky hops — citra, mosaic, herkules, simcoe and jester — this nonalcoholic sipper certainly doesn't taste like it's booze-free. Many craft beer fans crave the stinkiest, hoppiest, dankest IPA on offer, and when it comes to low-octane options, this could well be the go-to. Free & Easy may not be as slap-you-in-the-face hoppy as some prefer, but it also doesn't include a cloying — almost cereal-like — maltiness many N/A beers have. So, chalk it up as a win. Thanks to its varied hop profile, this one offers notes of orange zest, grapefruit and citrus, which mingle nicely amid a light carbonation and attractive color. No, it's not hazy, but for the $11-per-six-pack price point, it's a solid choice.
Texas Select, Texas Select Beverage Co. — Fort Worth
This reliable and long-running N/A lager contains recognizable barley notes — if not much else. For a booze-free beer that refuses to claim a style on its packaging, it offers well balanced, smooth and refreshing flavors that put it neatly in the American lager category. Those looking for a more assertive flavor profile may want to try it with a squeeze of lime to wake up any sleeping notes. Find six-packs at grocery and liquor stores for around $9.
Rick's Hazy IPA, Rick's Near Beer — Austin
Rick's Near Beer launched its lineup of non-alcoholic beer, including Rick's Original Pilsner and Rick's Hazy IPA, in December 2022. Although it may not be the easiest to find in San Antonio, it may be worth a stop next time you're in Austin to sample some. The easy-drinking Rick's Hazy is bursting with citrus and tropical fruit flavors, and it's brewed with premium malted barley, flaked wheat and loads of Pacific Northwest hops. Even though it's technically produced in Colorado, the Austin-based mind behind the brew is doing what he can to make quality N/A brews more accessible to Texans, which is worthy of support. Fans can order six-packs of Rick's Hazy for around $12 online, but keep an eye out for Rick's Near Beer on closer beer aisles once the company kicks in a statewide expansion sometime later this year.
Dos Equis Lime & Salt ZERO, Heineken — New York City
OK, it's not made in Texas, but Dos Equis is so widely consumed in the Lone Star State, we'd be remiss not to include it. This non-alcoholic version of the company's popular Lime & Salt canned beverage offers pale yellow color, heavy carbonation and a light body. There's always a concern that lime flavoring added to a beer will prove overbearing, but this zero-proof option gets the balance right. The flavor reflects that of a beer dressed with a wedge of lime and a salted rim, rather than a beer that endured a dunk in uber-sour fake-lime essence. Even so, this brew still has a certain emptiness of flavor shared with many N/A products. But for those looking for a straightforward take on a dressed Mexican lager, Lime & Salt ZERO may be an option. It's crushable, light at only 73 calories and won't leave you with a crippling hangover the next day. A six-pack runs around $10.
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