FRESH HOP

Fresh Hop Non-Alcoholic IPA by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

When in Portland...

One of my favorite restaurants is Deschutes Brewery. They think about their food and how it pairs with their beer. And they think a lot about their beer, which makes them one of my favorite breweries. So I expected this visit to be more awkward than it was.

Fortunately, their non-alcoholic version of Fresh Hop is close enough to the original that I don't miss the alcohol in it. Plus the food was top notch, as always. The medium-rare flank steak was perfectly prepared. The asparagus was some of the best I've ever had due to the seasoning, which was light by shifted the flavor just enough to be a delight on the tongue. The food and non-alcoholic beer worked well together, so my worries were unfounded.

BLACK BUTTE

Black Butte Non-Alcoholic Porter by Deschutes Brewery.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

The non-alcoholic version of Black Butte Porter from Deschutes is very close to its alcoholic sibling. Not exact, but similar enough to pass. I like it.

NØ MØ

NØ MØ Non-Alcoholic IPA by Crux Fermentation Project.

12 ounce can • non-alcoholic

Today finally felt like the right time to explore a couple of non-alcoholic beer options. Deschutes Brewery and Crux Fermentation Project brew some of my favorite beers, so perhaps their NA brews would follow suit.

I had Crux NØ MØ IPA with homemade tacos. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't very good, either. Perhaps non-alcoholic IPAs are just not generally good?

I'm holding out hope for the non-alcoholic version of Black Butte.