Meet the Brewmaster
Sarah Chen has been leading our brewing program since Clarity Brewingâs founding. We sat down with her to discuss her journey from traditional brewing to the cutting edge of non-alcoholic craft beer.
Jake Morrison (JM): Letâs start at the beginning. How did you get into brewing?
Sarah Chen (SC): Like a lot of brewers, it started with homebrewing in college. I was studying biochemistry at UC Davis, and someone gave me a Mr. Beer kit as a gift. The science of it hooked me immediately - fermentation is just applied microbiology. I switched my focus to food science and never looked back.
JM: When did you go professional?
SC: After graduating, I worked at a small brewery in San Diego. Started as a cellar worker - cleaning tanks, basically. But I was constantly asking questions, and the head brewer noticed. Within a year, I was assisting with recipe development. After three years, I was brewing my own recipes.
JM: What made you interested in non-alcoholic beer?
SC: Honestly, a personal experience. My brother got sober about eight years ago, and watching him navigate social situations where everyone was drinking made me think differently. I wanted him to be able to enjoy great beer without the alcohol. Most NA options back then were terrible - basically beer-flavored water.
JM: And that led you to Clarity Brewing?
SC: Eventually. I spent a couple of years researching dealcoholization methods, visiting breweries in Germany and Belgium that were doing interesting NA work. When Jake and Priya approached me about leading a brewery dedicated entirely to NA beer, the timing was perfect.
JM: Whatâs the biggest challenge in brewing non-alcoholic beer?
SC: Mouthfeel. Alcohol contributes body and viscosity to beer - it makes it feel substantial. Remove the alcohol, and beer can taste thin and watery. Weâve solved this in a few ways: higher proportions of specialty malts, oat additions, careful carbonation levels. Every beer requires different solutions.
JM: What about flavor loss during dealcoholization?
SC: Thatâs challenge number two. Any dealcoholization process will strip some volatile compounds - the same things that create aroma and flavor. Our approach is to compensate after the fact. We dry-hop post-dealcoholization, add back hop oils for IPAs, cold-steep coffee for our porter. Itâs essentially rebuilding what we lost.
JM: Which beer was the hardest to get right?
SC: Belgian Tripel, no question. The beauty of a tripel comes almost entirely from fermentation - those complex esters and phenols the yeast creates. I was worried they wouldnât survive dealcoholization. We went through probably 30 test batches before we got it right.
JM: Whatâs your proudest creation?
SC: The Double Dry-Hopped IPA. That beer proves NA beer can compete with the best craft beer out there. When we won gold at GABF, I cried. Not ashamed to admit it.
JM: What do you say to craft beer skeptics who dismiss NA beer?
SC: I say try it with an open mind. The NA beer of ten years ago deserved skepticism. Todayâs best NA beers are indistinguishable from their alcoholic counterparts in blind tastings. Weâve done the tests - even experienced brewers get fooled.
JM: Whatâs the future of NA beer?
SC: I think weâll see several things. First, more breweries entering the space - the market is growing 30%+ annually. Second, better technology making dealcoholization easier and cheaper. Third, more style diversity - weâre barely scratching the surface. Sour beers, barrel-aged beers, lagers from classic breweries.
JM: Any new Clarity beers you can hint at?
SC: laughs I canât say too much, but weâre working on something in the sour space. And weâre experimenting with barrel-aging techniques that work for NA beer. Keep watching our social media.
JM: Whatâs your go-to Clarity beer?
SC: It changes with my mood and the season. Right now, Classic Pilsner. Iâve been on a lager kick. In summer, Pacific Haze. When I need comfort, Breakfast Stout.
JM: Any advice for homebrewers who want to make NA beer at home?
SC: Start with styles that have a lot of flavor to begin with - stouts, IPAs, wheat beers. The more flavor going in, the more survives dealcoholization. For method, the simplest home approach is arrested fermentation with specialty yeast, but youâll get sweeter results. If you want to dealcoholize, you can gently heat finished beer in a vacuum-sealed bag in a sous vide bath around 170°F - the alcohol will evaporate faster than at sea level pressure.
JM: Finally, whatâs your non-beer drink of choice?
SC: Coffee. I probably drink too much. Which is probably why I love Dark Roast Porter so much - itâs the best of both worlds.
JM: Thanks for your time, Sarah.
SC: Anytime. Cheers!