Nonalcoholic (NA) drinks have become a prime choice for many over the years. Whether it be age, health conditions, or simply personal preference, more and more people are opting for NA drinks as their beverage of choice. These drinks are also available to try today with the help of local distributor Indiana Beverage. It’s time to sit back, relax, and raise a glass to the drink that has people toasting all throughout Northwest Indiana and across the nation.
“We've been trying to build a portfolio of brands centered around excitement and innovation with growing categories such as energy drinks, gourmet sodas, hydration drinks, and specialty waters,” said Indiana Beverage NA Brand Manager Jenny Ladig.
Not only are the options plentiful, but NA drinks also come with many health benefits including options with low, zero, or no sugar. There are also different types of NA drinks such as teas and waters with probiotics and vitamins. This can make NA drinks a great choice for someone who is not yet at the legal drinking age or for someone who is trying to lessen their alcohol intake while still having a good time.
“There's a shift in mindset with the new generations coming up, so some of our new legal drinking age consumers are a little more mindful of how much they consume and what they consume,” said Indiana Beverage Senior Distributor Sales Executive Stacey Sherman. “This is a good alternative for people who want to partake in maybe an alcoholic avenue but don't want to drink alcohol.”
While Indiana Beverage is based out of the northern part of the state, NA drinks can be found at breweries most anywhere in the country. Indiana Beverage Craft and Specialty Brand Manager Matt Johnson’s portfolio in particular reaches the East Coast with Connecticut based Athletic Brewery, known mostly for its Run Wild IPA, its Blonde Ale, its Hazy IPA, and other seasonal delights.
“Athletic is a purely NA beer brewery – all they make are NA beers,” Johnson said. “They've been around for about five years now, and they're one of the fastest growing breweries in the country.”
Johnson additionally works with brands such as Sierra Nevada and products such as its Trail Pass IPA series.
On a more local level, he works with Revolution Brewing located right in Chicago. Both Athletic and Revolution offer one of the hottest products right now in the NA realm – a refreshing drink with a seltzer-like taste.
“They carry a hop refresher of water called Super Zero,” Johnson said. “That is a newer segment in the NA beer world. The breweries are coming out with hop waters, or what they call hoppy refreshers, and things like that are really more like seltzer than a beer.”
In addition to working with other breweries, Indiana Beverage also distributes its own NA drinks for everyone to enjoy.
“Everything we distribute is from the Molson Coors Beverage Company,” said Sherman. “We just launched our Blue Moon NA this year. We also have Peroni 0.0 and then our NA American Light Lager Edge.”
Johnson, like Ladig and Sherman, has also seen a peaked interest in NA drinks over the years. With many refreshing and healthy options to choose from, Johnson is confident there’s sure to be something for everyone to enjoy.
“It's a good change of pace and a good way to live a little healthier lifestyle if you need to,” Johnson said. “We sell a majority of beverages that have alcohol in them, but we feel there is a place, an opportunity, and an occasion for everything. We feel the same thing about NA brands as well – there is an occasion for those and a good option to have out there.”
Many of these brands and drinks, regardless of where the home brewery is located, can be found on a national level. For more information on Indiana Beverage and its NA drinks, visitindianabev.com/non-alcohol.
