Ceria Brewing co-founder says skiing, golfing are great times to drink

By Thirst Colorado

The fall air is cool and you’ve just crushed a downhill trail that tested your bike’s shocks, and your will. Your crew wants a beer but someone has to drive and someone doesn’t want the alcohol calories. No problem.

Driven by healthy diets, Ceria Brewing is pumping out flavorful, non-alcohol beers that athletes and others are beginning to embrace.

Colorado beer wizard Keith Villa has spent his career learning about and then applying the science behind beer.

Best known for creating Blue Moon during his 32 years at MolsonCoors, Villa earned a Ph.D. from the University of Brussels, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. He and his wife, Jodi, launched Ceria Brewing in Arvada a few years back and produced THC-infused beer in Colorado.

Now, the Ceria co-founder is pushing non-alcoholic, non-THC offerings, Grainwave NA and Indiewave NA. Both brews are roughly half the calories of comparable alcoholic beers.

Ceria’s Grainwave NA is a medium-bodied Belgian-Style White Ale and is brewed with blood orange peel and coriander. With 77 calories and no alcohol, it is getting the attention of health-minded folks, especially millennials. “Mindful drinking among millennials – the sober curious movement – and today’s more active lifestyles are also encouraging growth of the segment,” he says.

Indiewave NA, is a West Coast IPA that features Cascade, Citra and Amarillo hops with light caramel malts for a smooth, citrusy character. It weighs in at 99 calories. Villa is pushing the beverages as “no limits” options for those who want to enjoy beer while skiing, golfing, or during a business lunch.

Health and wellness are driving the increasing interest, Villa told seminar attendees Oct. 5 at the 2020 National Beer Wholesalers Association’s virtual convention.

According to Intercontinental Beverage Capital research, the non-alcoholic market boasted a 13 percent annual growth rate and market value of $728 million in the U.S.

Globally, the non-alcoholic beer market, currently about $17 billion, is projected to reach a market value of $25 billion by the end of 2024, according to Global Market Insights/Statista.

During the convention, Villa discussed several studies that show plant-derived compounds such as hops and grains in beer contain important minerals and other compounds for improved health.

“According to numerous studies, these natural ingredients may promote cardiovascular health due to their polyphenol-rich nature, while the presence of essential oils known as terpenes are believed to help decrease inflammation, regulate blood pressure, and reduce stress and anxiety,” according to Villa. “Moreover, NA beer specifically is a great ‘go to’ beverage before and after exercise for rehydration and recovery due to its natural carbohydrates, sodium, and general fluid make-up. That’s one reason today's Olympians have been swept up in a new trend largely emerging from Bavaria: non-alcoholic athletic recovery beers.”