What to Order at a Brewery When You Don’t Drink Beer
Saturday brewery plans? When I stopped drinking, I figured taprooms were off the list for good. Turns out they’re one of the easiest places to be the non-drinker, as long as you know what to ask for.
Here’s my quick guide: the exact words to say, 8 easy orders, and my at-home NA shandy.
Say this to the bartender
Read it out loud or show your phone:
- “What do you have that’s non-alcoholic? Any NA beer or house sodas?”
- “Could you do a shandy with your NA beer? Half NA beer, half lemonade.”
- “Soda water with lots of lime in a pint glass, please.”
- No NA beer? “A ginger beer over ice with a squeeze of lime.”
Want more easy orders for any bar? See my full guide: What to Order at a Bar.
8 things to order at a brewery
1. Non-alcoholic beer
The closest thing to a pint. Lots of taprooms keep at least one NA beer in cans or on tap, so just ask. Heads up: many NA beers can contain up to 0.5% ABV. If you want as close to zero as possible, look for one labeled 0.0%.
2. An NA shandy
Half NA beer, half lemonade (or lemon-lime soda). It’s lighter, a little sweet and really refreshing. A radler is the same idea. My at-home version is below.
3. House root beer or craft soda
Some breweries make their own root beer, ginger ale or cream soda. Ask what they have. If you love root beer, try my Root Beer Float-ish dirty soda at home.
4. Kombucha
Tangy, fizzy and often on tap. Two notes: regular kombucha can have a trace of alcohol from fermentation, and some places also pour hard kombucha, which is alcoholic. Ask which one it is.
5. Soda water with lime
Free or cheap almost everywhere. Say “soda water with lime,” not “a seltzer,” because a lot of breweries also pour hard seltzer.
6. Ginger beer with lime
Spicy, bubbly and it looks like a real drink. Make sure it’s the soft-drink kind, not an alcoholic ginger beer.
7. Bitters and soda
A few dashes of aromatic bitters in soda water with lime is a classic bartender order. Bitters are made with alcohol, so a few dashes adds a trace. Skip this one if you avoid alcohol completely.
8. Iced tea, cold brew or lemonade
Plenty of taprooms have one of these for designated drivers. Half iced tea, half lemonade (an Arnold Palmer) is always an easy ask.
Quick checks before you sip
- NA does not always mean zero: many NA beers can contain up to 0.5% ABV. Look for 0.0% on the label if that matters to you.
- Gluten: NA beer is usually brewed with barley or wheat, so it contains gluten unless it’s labeled gluten-free.
- “Hard” versions: hard seltzer, hard kombucha, hard cider and hard root beer are all alcoholic. When in doubt, ask to see the can or label.
- Bitters: made with alcohol, so a few dashes adds a trace.
- Your call: some people who don’t drink skip NA beer because it tastes so much like the real thing. Do what feels right for you.
My brewery game plan
- Order first, before anyone hands you a sample.
- Ask for it in a pint glass. Nobody looks twice, and honestly, it just feels nicer.
- Ask if they do a soda flight. Some breweries will line up their house sodas for you to taste.
- Tip like you would on any drink. The bartender did the same work.
- Someone asks why you’re not drinking? Here are 4 simple ways to answer.
Non-Alcoholic Shandy
Ingredients
- 6 oz non-alcoholic beer well chilled; a light lager or wheat style works best; choose one labeled 0.0% for as close to zero as possible
- 6 oz lemonade well chilled, or lemon-lime soda for a sweeter, fizzier shandy
- 1 lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a pint glass in the freezer for 10 minutes if you have time.
- Pour the lemonade into the glass.
- Tilt the glass and slowly pour in the NA beer down the side so it doesn’t foam over.
- Give it one gentle stir, add the lemon wedge, and serve right away while it’s cold and fizzy.
