Nonalcoholic IPA Craze: Sierra Nevada’s Trailblazing Brew

Saying Prost to Purity: The Buzz Behind Sierra Nevada‘s Trail Pass IPA

Pull up a barstool, folks, and let me pour you a tall tale of hops, barley, and a little something called the nonalcoholic IPA. Sure, the land famed for lederhosen, pretzels, and the world’s biggest Volkfest might not scream “dry beer”, but wouldn’t you know it, that’s exactly where our buddies at Sierra Nevada Brewing found their muse for zero-ABV greatness.

Ale’s Well That Begins Well: A German Inspiration

Cast your mind back about five years—no hipster craft nonalcoholic beer in sight over the American plains. But over in Germany, where folks balance their beer with biking and bureaucrats’ frown on drink-driving, NA brews were hopping into the everyday “Prost!” like it was nobody’s business. This got Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada’s fearless founder, thinking, “If germans can, why can’t we?”

Impressed by German dedication to brewing innovation, with tech more advanced than my Aunt Mabel’s casserole recipes, Ken’s curiosity was lit. Back in the States, Sierra Nevada’s gears started turning—no plan, no blueprints, just pure inquisitiveness about brewing something as sip-worthy as their boozy concoctions, but without the buzz.

The Quest for the Non-Alcoholic Holy Grail

Fast forward half a decade, and whaddya know, James Conery and Isaiah Mangold, the maestros of mash at Sierra Nevada, say their Trail Pass IPA and Golden are hitting high notes like a choir boy on Christmas morning. Keeping to their “Purest Ingredients, Finest Quality” mantra, they chose to keep it real—nixing high-tech de-alcoholization for traditional brewing that makes a beer taste like, well, beer.

As great as these guys are, their first bash at a nonalcoholic IPA had all the excitement of watching paint dry. “Underwhelming” was the polite way of saying it’d make your average IPA cry. Early yeast trials were so off-key, you’d prefer old sneakers over their fermentations. It was a rollercoaster of “heck yes!” followed by a sobering “what the heck?” with every erratic batch.

Breaking Through with Brewing Brilliance

Hope was slipping through their fingers like sand—until they chanced upon a yeast lovechild of beer and wine yeasts, cooked up by the savvy scientists at Lallemand. This yeast wasn’t just another one-trick pony—it consistently kept the grog under 0.5% ABV, waved goodbye to funky sulfur smells, and denied passage to any stale, cardboard vibe that might crash the party.

Now, there were some hopscotch to play with the recipe; you can’t just sprinkle dry hops into a nonalcoholic brew and call it a day. Nope, with no alcohol to play matchmaker with the hop oils, these brewers got creative. Taking a leaf from their own booze-free Hop Splash, they perfected the art of NA hop infusion, which, by the by, works an absolute treat.

A Golden Opportunity

The trail didn’t end with the IPA. Trial Pass Golden is like that understated friend who doesn’t need the spotlight to charm your socks off. Since alcohol’s off doing who-knows-what, the malt bill steps up to the plate, adding body, mouthfeel, and that hint of sweetness. It’s about coaxing your taste buds into thinking they’ve hit the jackpot, without the telltale signs of a boozy night.

More Than a Worthy Contender

These bevvies aren’t just about abstaining; they’re meant to shine in the limelight, sans the side-eye usually reserved for nonalcoholic brews. Trust Mangold — toss one to a mate, and you’ll be met with nods of approval. This brew ticks all the boxes: it looks the part, smells like a hop garden, and tastes like a dream.

And let’s not forget the base notes of Sierra Nevada’s hoppy reputation—at the end of the day, their nonalcoholic IPA stands shoulder to shoulder with any craft beer, sans the alcohol.

Ready to give it a whirl? The Trail Pass is just a click away online, shipping to a select few states. For those who prefer the thrill of the hunt, it’s gunning for national treasure status in your finest retail establishments come January 2024. So whether you’re into German beer culture or just curious to try something new, here’s to Trail Pass IPA—the beer that’s all about the journey, not the booze-fueled crash landing. Cheers!