The Art and Science of NA Beer
Making great non-alcoholic beer is actually harder than making regular beer. We start with a full-flavored craft beer, then carefully remove the alcohol while preserving everything that makes beer delicious.
Two Main Approaches
1. Dealcoholization Methods
Most NA beers, including ours at Clarity Brewing, start as regular beer and then have the alcohol removed:
Vacuum Distillation
- Beer is heated under reduced pressure (vacuum)
- Alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures (~35°C vs 78°C)
- Gentler process preserves more flavor compounds
- This is our primary method at Clarity Brewing
Reverse Osmosis
- Beer is pushed through a membrane that separates alcohol
- Very precise control over final ABV
- Can be combined with other methods
Spinning Cone Column
- Uses centrifugal force to separate alcohol
- Common in wine production, adapted for beer
- Excellent flavor preservation
2. Restricted Fermentation
Some brewers prevent alcohol from forming in the first place:
- Use special yeast strains that produce less alcohol
- Stop fermentation early before alcohol develops
- Often results in sweeter, less complex flavors
How We Do It at Clarity Brewing
Our process combines traditional brewing with gentle dealcoholization:
- Brew a full-strength beer using premium ingredients
- Complete fermentation for maximum flavor development
- Vacuum distillation at low temperature to remove alcohol
- Flavor restoration - we re-add hop oils and aromatics lost during processing
- Quality control - every batch tested for ABV, flavor, and consistency
The 0.5% Question
You might notice our beers contain up to 0.5% ABV. Why not 0.0%?
Removing 100% of alcohol often removes too much flavor. The trace amount in 0.5% beer:
- Is less than many fruit juices and breads
- Cannot cause intoxication (you’d need 10+ beers in an hour)
- Allows for a much fuller flavor profile
The Future of NA Beer
The NA beer market is the fastest-growing segment in craft brewing. New techniques are constantly emerging, and we’re committed to staying at the forefront of innovation while never compromising on flavor.