3 Minnesota makers who are changing the way we don't drink

Not long ago, there were two distinct imbibing camps: Either you did or you didn't. The did-nots were easily identifiable at the bar, catching side-eyes while cradling a soda or a Shirley Temple, its fruit-salad garnish affixed to the glass.

But much has changed in recent years. Abstaining from alcohol is a rising trend as more adults are balancing drinking with equally satisfying beverages without alcohol. A 2023 Gallup poll showed young adults are drinking less than previous generations — 62% of adults under age 35 said they drink, down from 72% two decades ago — and while alcohol use increased in 2020 and 2021, it's now on the decline.

That's evident at bars, taprooms and cideries across the Twin Cities, where it's common to find taps dedicated to N/A options that aren't soda. At odds with the reputation of the nonalcoholic beers of yore, these beverages pack in all the complexity and drinkability as the craft beers we've grown to love, but without the aftereffects.

'Nah, I'm good'

ABV Technology is the brainchild of Ben Jordan, a craft brew fan with a background in thermodynamics. He, along with Kurt Koppelman and Patrick Frimat, founded the St. Paul company that built a process that essentially takes the booze out of beer (and other beverages) while leaving the flavors largely intact.

It began in 2017, after Jordan attended the Craft Brewers Conference and came away with one simple question: "Why do N/As suck?"

It wasn't that Jordan didn't drink; to the contrary, he is a craft beer fan. The problem was that there were only so many beers one could enjoy without the inevitable consequences. And that led Jordan to one of his favorite local breweries, Bauhaus Brew Labs.

Nestled inside the craft brew district in northeast Minneapolis, Bauhaus' taproom is a riot of bright colors and tap beers with clever names. In the summer, the taproom fun spills out onto the expansive patio, where there's music, art and a steady stream of neighborhood folks coming and going. It's ground zero for good times at a company that aims to include everyone at the party.

The brewery also had a founding member who was predisposed to hearing what Jordan had to say about N/A beers.

"It started in the fall of 2019 when Ben Jordan approached me," said co-founder Matt Schwandt. "I had quit drinking alcohol two years prior; I'd been hospitalized with acute pancreatitis." The painful and potentially lethal condition occurs when enzymes attack the pancreas.

"There was good news/bad news," Schwandt said. "It was entirely within my control — I just couldn't drink alcohol. I'm a dad. The choice was clear."

So, his new mode of operation in social situations was to greet every offer of a drink with, "Nah, I'm good."

Creating an N/A beer included a bit of experimentation for both businesses.

"We didn't know if we'd have to create a custom recipe," said Schwandt. Jordan told him they'd had the best flavor results when experimenting with lighter/low-hopped beer. "We had a Munich-style light lager and it came back [dealcoholized] tasting fantastic."

ABV Technology had secured its first client, and Bauhaus' line of Nah beverages was born.

"When we launched it, it didn't exactly fly off of the taps," Schwandt said. "It wasn't a top seller, by any means. Then we started putting it in cans. We were the first Minnesota brewery to put nonalcoholic beer in cans since Prohibition."

The brand has grown steadily since then, and the market has caught up. Bauhaus Brew Labs just launched a new Nah hazy IPA, and the line includes a pink guava sour, too. The brewery also offers a line of THC beverages, with plans for more N/A drinks that use adaptogens.

"Our brand value is inclusivity. We take it seriously," Schwandt said. "The biggest challenge I faced personally when I quit drinking was, how do I socialize now? I had to not only rework my relationship with alcohol, but also with people. To have an N/A option — it empowers people in social spaces."

That includes craft breweries, ciders and other places that were built distinctly for alcohol consumption. "A lot of cool bars are developing cool N/A cocktails," he said.

N/A flavor boosters

Alex Zweber is one of the bartenders making that happen. Zweber has had a front-row seat to the way drinking — and not drinking alcohol — has changed. He had been working in some of the city's top cocktail bars when he found his passion in the humble mix of sugar, fruit and vinegar: shrubs.

"There were two defined camps — either you drank or you didn't drink," Zweber said. In his experience, as guests' interest in craft cocktails rose, both making them at home and enjoying at bars, so did interest in interspersing intoxicating beverages with those that didn't skimp on sophistication, but gave them a break from the booze.

"People said you know what? We like these flavors, but we don't have time to not feel 100% the next day," he said.

In 2016, Zweber launched Sharab Shrubs, a line of drinking vinegars that can be used in a number of ways to enhance the beverage experience. Shrubs can be used as a backbone for N/A cocktails or straight out of a can with Zweber's just-launched Shrub N' Bub line. The flavors are complex and refreshing, like an effervescent mix of pineapple and toasted coconut with an acidic structure. Zweber also has launched a line of canned THC beverages, including one flavored with Thai basil and poblano chiles.

"Whether drinking or not drinking, you're getting amazing flavor," said Zweber. "The majority of people who are trying these N/A or THC beverages — they're just looking for something delicious."

Finding those delicious beverages is getting easier by the day. Zweber's shrubs have gone national thanks to clients like Restoration Hardware, which serves them in their restaurants across the country, including the year-round rooftop location in Edina.

A toast to technology

Since securing its first client in Bauhaus Brew Labs, ABV Technology has also gone national while marketing itself as a tool for small businesses. "In 2024 we're trying to make things more accessible," said Ashley Hauf, ABV's sales and marketing manager. "It's more of a community space to have an N/A beverage on site."

ABV Technology's patented system works with reverse distillation — effectively sucking the ethanol out of the beverages. The company works with brewers to home in on the flavors and aromas they want in an N/A beverage, with an outcome everyone can be proud of.

Despite the complexity of the technology, ABV is working to lower the entry barriers for small businesses. In addition to selling the equipment and technology to process these beverages, ABV Technology also works with breweries to create service centers, where other makers can bring products in to process on a smaller scale. "They can call us up and say, we have three kegs, can you process them?" said Hauf. "We'll keep it stable and make it safe."

ABV has grown at an impressive rate, with service centers in Detroit and New York, and the company is expanding into California. Beverages are sent to them from as far away as Europe to have the alcohol removed.

But they're still committed to local companies. Hauf said she is really excited about one of the latest products to roll off the line — Milk & Honey Ciders of St. Joseph, Minn., just created its first N/A cider.

"It's phenomenal," Hauf said. "When you ferment things, there are flavors that are imparted from that. Milk and Honey's bottles are funky with that distinctive fermented flavor. They're fantastic."

Those bottles are poised to become part of a larger national trend that's putting a focus on not drinking in style.

"In 2023 we saw a 30% year-over-year N/A beer growth," Schwandt said. "How cool is it that the market catches up with us?"

Where to shop for N/A

In addition to a growing number of bars and taprooms having more N/A options, nonalcoholic bottle shops are part of a rising trend nationally and around the Twin Cities. Here are shops that specialize in a wide array of nonalcoholic beverages.

Zero Proof Beverage House

Specializing in functional beverages and elixirs, there are N/A products with adaptogens and THC available. This is a 21+ shop.

2516 Central Av. NE., Mpls., instagram.com/zeroproof_ne

Marigold

This women-led bottle shop quickly expanded from its original Minneapolis location to a second in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood. The flagship outpost often hosts happy hours and product pop-ups with a bright little bar at the center of the store.

3506 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.; 2236 Carter Av., St. Paul; shop.honeycombmpls.com

Golden Fig

St. Paul's gourmet grocery store was at the forefront of stocking sophisticated sodas and now there's a whole section devoted to N/A spirits, bitters, elixirs and more.

794 Grand Av., St. Paul, goldenfig.com