Are you seeing green yet? St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, which means it’s time to stock up on beers – and in 2024, the options are plenty for non-drinkers. First, some basics: Beers from the Emerald Isle generally fall into two main categories: dry Irish stouts (such as Guinness) and Irish red ales. Dry Irish stouts are black beers, with roasted malts and barley that create flavours reminiscent of coffee or even chocolate. The Irish red is a lighter pale ale, with a reddish-amber colour and malty sweetness. Here are a few favourites from each category.
Stouts
Sip them solo, or add whisky and whip up a cocktail.
Guinness 0 Non-Alcoholic Draught,
Guinness
Newly arrived in Canada is Guinness’s famous smooth, dark stout in alcohol-free form. It’s brewed exactly the same way as the original product, then gently de-alcoholized with a cold filtration process.
$13/4
Swoon,
Burdock Brewing
Toronto’s Burdock Brewery has just introduced their new non-alcoholic stout, a dark, toasty beer made with oats and roasted barley. It has a deep colour and pours with a perfect foamy white head.
$4.50
Stout,
Lagabière
Lagabière, a craft microbrewery in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., has introduced their take on the classic dark non-alcoholic stout. It’s balanced and creamy, with strong smells of coffee and malt.
$5
Emerald Stout,
Collective Arts
A staple of Hamilton-based Collective Arts’ non-alcoholic beer lineup, the Emerald Stout is a perfectly-balanced beer with hints of chocolate, sweet caramel and roasted coffee.
$3
Velvety Stout,
CR*FT Beer
Alberta’s CR*FT Beer makes a “Velvety” non-alcoholic stout that lives up to its name – the black beer is ultra-smooth, with bold chocolate and coffee notes and a touch of hoppy bitterness.
$12/4
Libra Stout,
Libra
Libra’s non-alcoholic stout took home a silver medal at the 2023 World Beer Awards, making an impression with its dark malt profile that features a hint of coffee flavour and just a bit of cream.
$33/12
Irish Red Ales
Lighter, but no less flavourful.
Irish Red,
Sober Carpenter
This medium-bodied non-alcoholic red ale is brewed with Windsor yeast in the classic Irish style, which gives it a fresh, sightly-fruity flavour. You’ll taste subtle notes of coffee and caramel, courtesy of the roasted barley.
$39/12
Irish Red,
Athletic Brewing Co.
Athletic Brewing launched their non-alcoholic Irish Red just before St. Patrick’s Day last year, a warm brew with notes of caramel and dark stone fruit from roasted malts. A hint of bitterness keeps everything balanced.
$4
Red,
Partake Brewing
Partake, the new non-alcoholic craft brewery based in Calgary, makes a chestnut-brown red ale with only 20 calories per can. You’d never know it from the rich notes of toasted bread, almonds and caramel.
$30/12
Red Alert,
Mash Gang
If you’re anticipating a long night of partying, reach for Mash Gang’s Red Alert non-alcoholic ale – the flavourful red beer, created in collaboration with another UK brand, Impossibrew, has caffeine added for an extra kick.
$6.50
Placebo Rousse,
La Barberie
La Barberie’s red beer has a totally distinct flavour with notes of caramel, walnut and dates. Fruity undertones are set off by a touch of bitterness in this balanced brew.
$35/6
