That’s easy! My favorite part is the opportunity to share the beers with people, and help them learn more about WellBeing. Being a Brand Ambassador gives me access that most people don’t have. Sometimes people are looking for information about the beers and I can find the answer and share it with them. It’s also a lot of fun showing up at a race, pulling out a cooler full of Victory Wheat to hand out, then watching people’s faces when they realize it really tastes like beer, because it is beer.
I’m pretty open on social media about my alcohol free adventure and I think people are starting to look at it for ideas, recommendations, and maybe some inspiration. Look at my Instagram. It’s mostly NA beer and cocktails, marathons and ultramarathons, and the occasional dog. Being a WellBeing Brand Ambassador allows me to highlight not only the beers, but also what the brand stands for, which is of course to #RaiseWellBeing.
But being an ambassador goes beyond Instagram posts. It lends credibility when I talk to restaurant and bar managers about adding non-alcoholic offerings, so the customers who aren’t drinking can have a craft beer. I love it when a bartender mentions inclusivity to me. I talk to event organizers about having at least one nonalcoholic beer at their concert, festival, or race so that non-drinking participants can have an option beyond just water or soft drinks. It’s all part of raising the tide for everyone. It’s all part of Raising WellBeing.
On the outside, I’m sure I looked like I had my act together. I had a great career at a company I’d been with for over thirty years. I had a great wife and two great kids who were excelling in college and grad school. I was physically fit, had run twenty-six marathons, and eight ultramarathons including two 100 milers. Everything was great, right?
What most people didn’t see was that I also drank almost every night. You know how it goes, one drink makes you feel good, two will make you feel better, three must be great. Yeh, not really. I’d have a drink while cooking dinner, another with dinner, and usually, one after that. I often say, drinking is a slippery slope, and it gets steeper the longer you stay on it. I realized I needed to get off the slope rather than keep trying to claw my way back up. So, I had a talk with my wife and kids, and committed to them and to myself that I would stop. That talk was on April 5, 2020, and I haven’t had an alcoholic drink since.
As for my point of entry into the nonalcoholic world, my gateway was a PBR NA. For my first alcohol free month, I drank water, kombucha, and seltzer with tart cherry juice. I avoided going down the beer aisle at the grocery store for obvious reasons. One day, though, I peeked around the corner at the NA section with O’Doul’s, Heineken 0.0, and a couple of others, and a white 12-pack of PBR NA peeked back. Why not give it a try? I’ll taste one and if it’s terrible or makes me want regular beer, I’ll throw the rest of the 12-pack away.
Under the dubious observation of my wife, I opened a can, took a sip and it was like magic. Scary magic at first because it tasted good and felt even better. As I finished the can, it hit me. In the past, at this point my brain would be saying, “One beer made you feel this good, two will make you feel better.” But not this time! It did feel really good, but I had absolutely no desire for another. That’s when I realized it was the beer that I liked and the alcohol in beer was the drawback.
From there I learned about craft NA beer. I joined the NA Beer Facebook Group, which led to more NA beers, more Facebook groups, NA spirits, cocktails, and wine. A whole new world opened up to me.
WellBeing Heavenly Body was the first nonalcoholic craft beer I tasted. That came a little over a month after I began my alcohol free adventure and I was blown away. Hellraiser came right on the heels of that, and I knew I was onto something amazing. I knew that WellBeing beers were going to be key to me remaining alcohol free.
You could say that I’ve been an ambassador for WellBeing beers even before the ambassador program. I’m not shy about telling people how good they are, and I couldn’t begin to guess how many I’ve given away for people to try. I always have at least one style of WellBeing beer in my fridge; usually three or four so it’s easy to hand a few out from time to time. Victory Wheat is my go-to, post run rehydration beer. It’s delicious and goes down so easy, it’s like it was brewed specifically for me. Intentional IPA is my favorite “sit back and relax” beer. I love the hops balanced with the medium bodied malty backbone. And that beautiful clear light amber color is perfect.
Two things… The Beer and the Brand. I love how WellBeing has just four year-round beers. They’re four very different styles that are done well and they’re consistent. It’s usually easy to find one of them that fits anyone’s tastes. Victory Wheat is a perfect entry point for anyone wanting to try NA beer, but there’s Intentional IPA, and Hellraiser for people looking for a bolder character, and Heavenly Body for anyone who leans more toward the golden ale end of the spectrum. Then you add in the seasonals, and special releases and you’ve got a good dose of excitement throughout the year.
I also love the fact that, as a brand, Wellbeing is very socially minded and promotes the wellbeing of the community. It’s not just about selling beer or offering nonalcoholic alternatives. Just read the label of this year’s special release, Wandering Islands. It’s all about extending a helping hand to workers in the food and beverage service sector. It’s literally all over the label, right down to the QR code that will take you to a website with links to all sorts of resources.
Thank you! The Vermont 100 is an experience of a lifetime. So much so that I’ve done it three times and yes, I’ll probably do it a few more times. I think it’s the only ultramarathon around where runners and horses race at the same time on pretty much the same course. It’s something you have to experience to appreciate.
Although I ran track from the time I was eleven until I graduated from high school, I was a sprinter and hated anything longer than 400 meters. It wasn’t until I was 44 when someone 14 years younger challenged me to run a half marathon with him that I started running like I do now. That was in 2009 and I’m still going.
My personal fitness goal is to always be fit enough to run a marathon tomorrow. That means I’m almost always training. I do take some downtime after long and hard races, but I also always have my next race on the calendar, even if it’s six months away. It’s important for me mentally, to have a goal to train for.
The physical part of training is pretty obvious, but the mental part is all about showing up and following the plan. Even when I’m tired, or sore, or just don’t feel like it, I show up and do the workout. If the distances are further than I want to run, even though I may entertain the thought of going shorter, I go the distance. Maybe life gets in the way sometimes, but I adjust and get back on the plan. It’s important to have that discipline during every workout because that’s what gets you to the finish line of every race. If I get in the habit of stopping at mile seven of a ten-mile run because seven is “good enough,” what do you think I’ll do at mile 70 of a 100? Do I want to sit there and say, “Well, 70 is good enough?” No. I want to stand up and say, “Ok, only 30 more miles to go.”
The most difficult by far was the 2019 Vermont 100. The temperatures were in the upper 90s and with the humidity, the heat index was over 105 degrees. I can tell you it was the only race in my life where I considered quitting. Luckily, my crew saw things differently than my partner and I. At 70 miles in, they convinced us to go just six more miles knowing that if we got that far, we’d go all the way. The finisher rate was less than 50% but we were two of the few to cross the line and get a 100 mile buckle. After that race, I knew there was nothing I couldn't do.
My favorite run is much harder to pick. Most people will expect me to say something like Boston, New York, or the race where I ran my personal best. While those are all very special, they’re not my favorite. My favorite races are the ones where I get to run with someone else and help them reach their goal and fulfill their dream. Sometimes I run with a friend, sometimes I run as an official pacer, and sometimes I just meet someone along the way and run with them to the finish. When someone comes to you at the finish with tears in their eyes and says, “Thank you so much! I can’t believe I did it! It hurt so bad. I was ready to walk but you kept me going. Thank you!” It's an amazing, rewarding, and humbling experience. I’ll take that over a PR any day.
Oh my gosh, there’s so much! I’m very excited about the way the nonalcoholic products and community are growing. One of my favorite things is to go into a restaurant, bar, or store, strike up a conversation about the NA products they offer, and then guide them down the path to offer more. It’s the best feeling to look at a bar menu, see that they added a Zero Proof section, and it has beer you recommended and cocktails using spirits that you brought in for them to taste. To be able to look at the menu and say, “I did that” is an amazing feeling. I love it and I’m going to keep doing it.
I’m approaching the age where I could retire. Not too long ago I was worried I’d be bored if I didn’t have to go to work. Now I’m excited and on the lookout for new adventures.
As for a bucket list, I’ve never really had one. For the most part, when I decide I want to do something, I just do it. I do have some running goals though. I’d like to complete all of the World Marathon Majors. That means running Boston, New York City, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. I already have the US ones done, as well as Berlin, so I will only have London and Tokyo to finish. I’d also like to run a marathon in all 50 states. I’ve got 17 states completed so I’m on my way. Beyond that, I’d really like to run the World Marathon Challenge. That’s 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days. It’s got a hefty price tag so it will probably be on my bucket list for a long time unless I can figure out a way to get sponsorship or donations to defray the cost. If anyone has any ideas, I’m ready to talk.
]]>We are constantly hearing from all kinds of drinkers from all kinds of places who have discovered our beers, the above is what a Modern Drinking Session looks like.
Tip one: The first beer always goes down the easiest, so start out with our delicious IPA. This elongates the drinking session in the smoothest possible way.
Tip two: Make sure the last beer is one that helps prevent a hangover. Our WellBeing Victory Wheat has more electrolytes than Gatorade and is scientifically designed to hydrate you. And hydration is the key to not being hungover.
So not only is WellBeing delicious, but it's incredibly functional by extending your night and preventing hangovers!
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It dances and strains and scans and makes up stories and reacts and SQUIRREL!
Needless to say, the monkey mind does not lead to a sense of contentment.
It leads to restlessness, irritability, and discontentment.
It’s a reason why people want some weed at 4:20 or a drink at 5.
To slow the mind. To shut the inner critic up. To have an official line of demarcation between work and living.
Have you seen Severance? The line of demarcation taken to an extreme.
We posit that Non-Alcoholic beer can do the same thing, all-natural like, without weed, alcohol or heaven forbid, Lumen.
We believe that just like it’s alcoholic cousins, our beer is brewed to be truly savored. The aroma, the taste, the deliciousness of craft beer stops you and brings you into the present moment.
The mind relaxes because after all, it’s beer and the mind naturally release’s endorphins, which relaxes you even more.
Add to that the moment itself. If you are cracking a Non-Alcoholic beer, there is certainly some intentionality - you are ready, joining a friend or having a lunch, wanting to shift gears.
Sprinkle on top of all that, possibly the most naturally healthy beverage (polyphenols, all natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory, low calorie, no alcohol) and boom – we become mindful.
We’re not the only way to go from the monkey mind of our days to actually living our lives, but we certainly are the healthiest!
]]>The takeaway? People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
I worked in big time marketing for a lot of years, and we were always trying to help brands with their why’s – why the hell are you here? What is your purpose? Some were easier than others.
When we started WellBeing, we had purpose. In addition to making great Non-Alcoholic beer, we were driven to help people feel included. We wanted a really clear understanding of our “Why”.
We knew one thing to be true…at its simplest, helping people drink less alcohol, raises wellbeing.
Helping people feel included, raises wellbeing.
That became our why – wherever we are, we want to #raisewellbeing.
So how are we doing?
Consider this…. according the “Science of WellBeing” – a very popular and free online course from Yale University– here are 3 major behaviors that if you practice will result in raising your WellBeing.
These were behaviors proven again and again using science to raise wellbeing. They also confirm the wisdom of the ancient and the modern gurus.
And what better way to help you start these things, like savoring a moment, or contemplating gratitude or spreading a little kindness than cracking open a beer that improves your mind, body and spirit?
So just adding all this up…drinking less, feeling included, savoring the present, practicing gratitude and being kind?
Damn, does WellBeing Non-Alcoholic Beer bring you closer to the divine?
Is our beer a true spiritual hack? A short cut to your best self?
Well, it’s certainly worth contemplating over a cold WellBeing beer.
]]>We knew this beer was delicious the moment we tasted it off the line, and we weren't alone!
WellBeing's Wandering Island Tropical Pale Ale won a gold medal in the Non-Alcoholic Fruit & Spices category at the U.S. Open Beer Championships this year!
We made this beer to make a difference for Restaurant and Bar workers.
Wandering Islands is a partnership with Giving Kitchen (GK), a James Beard Humanitarian of the Year recipient. GK has supported over 9000 bar/restaurant and food service workers and awarded nearly $6 million in direct financial aid to folks in crisis. By sharing this brew, you will help to provide food service workers with access to financial assistance, as well as mental and physical health resources.
Each can has a QR code the links to Giving Kitchen and the many resources they offer. They've asked us to help spread the word about those services and so we put them on our can!
If you own, manage or work at a restaurant or bar, this is the beer to serve!
]]>We’ve always known that Non Alcoholic beer is a isotonic wonder drink that wins Gold Medals and contains wellraising magic…
New Research takes it even further, by showing how a NA beer a day improves your gut health!
The participants in the study drank NA beer for 30 days and saw increased gut microbiota diversity – or Gut Health - which is associated with many positive health benefits.
In other words, NA beer helps your gut fight off diseases, infections and boost overall digestion! That’s the beer gut you are looking for!
The reason? The hops, malt and yeast of beer are loaded with polyphenols, the plant-based compounds that are great for your overall health.
So it’s not just the decrease in alcohol that is good for you, it’s the delicious beer itself.
Here’s to your health!
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ST. LOUIS, MO—With sales of its non-alcoholic craft beers soaring, the WellBeing Brewing Company® has announced plans to expand its production capacity in collaboration with New Realm Brewing in Virginia Beach, VA.
“Our biggest opportunity has been keeping up with consumer demand,” said WellBeing co-founder Jeff Stevens. “We have been actively looking for a second location on the East Coast as we continue to increase distribution in new states. We are enthusiastic to have found a partnership with a world-class, award-winning team such as New Realm Brewing. This partnership allows us to increase capacity as well as launch new styles in 2021 and beyond.”
After posting gains of 6.6% in 2019, the low- and no-alcohol beer category continued to grow rapidly in 2020, spurred by consumers’ decisions to limit calorie intake or cut back on alcohol for health reasons. Trends like Sober October and Dry January—which led one-fifth of U.S. consumers to give up alcohol in January 2019—add to the acceptance of NA beers.
WellBeing expects to start brewing at the new location in March, using its unique vacuum distillation method to de-alcoholize the beer after it’s brewed and fermented—a process that retains more of the body, mouthfeel, aroma, flavor and smoothness than other methods of producing NA beers.
Brewers of all sizes, from local craft beermakers to international behemoths, are targeting NA beers, recognizing that about 30% of adults don’t drink alcohol at all—and seeing that the global NA market grew by 38% in the 12 months ending in November 2020.
“Since we started in 2018, our mission at WellBeing has always been to foster inclusion and social connection, and to reframe the stigma associated with not drinking alcohol to one of positivity and being ‘Proudly Non-Alcoholic’—a tagline we have on all our labels,” said co-founder Genevieve Barlow.
Stevens and Barlow understand the many motivations beer-lovers have for choosing NA beverages, and WellBeing Brewing is leading the way in promoting mindful drinking for adults in all social occasions.
WellBeing plans to brew several of its beers at both facilities and continue to produce its full line in Missouri. They’re excited to work with New Realm Brewing’s CEO Carey Falcone, CSMO Bob Powers and Brewmaster Mitch Steele, whose collective experience in the brewing industry exceeds 100 years. The trio founded New Realm in early 2017 in Atlanta and, after running out of capacity, opened the Virginia Beach production facility in late 2018.
Due to the steady growth of its national distribution and sales, WellBeing was looking for a partner whose beers were widely respected but who still had extra capacity and room to grow with them. Both companies are ready to hit the ground running this spring.
“The entire New Realm Team is excited about our long-term partnership with WellBeing,” said Falcone. “Since we are both focused on quality, core values and slow, disciplined growth, there is complete alignment in our professional and personal approach that will ensure our partnership is successful.”
In addition to WellBeing’s non-alcoholic craft beers—Hellraiser Dark Amber, Heavenly Body Golden Wheat, Intentional IPA, Victory Wheat and Intrepid Traveler Coffee Cream Stout—the company offers a line of sparkling craft waters infused with CBD.
Craft beer lovers can find WellBeing products at major retailers throughout the U.S., including Total Wine, BevMo, Spec’s and Hy-Vee. Consumers can also order all five styles to be shipped directly to their door at wellbeingbrewing.com.
]]>We wanted to let you know that we’ve just launched our CBD sparkling waters and are now shipping far and wide. A good thing to drink during these very strange times.
Our wonderful team has put in a considerable amount of time to curate two distinct botanical flavors and then sourced the finest broad spectrum CBD hemp extract to blend in them.
The flavors? Watermelon Lemongrass and Yuzu Bloom. Both are delicious and complex. They are “Unsweet” if you will. Dry, botanical, refreshing and very adult. Please let us know what you think.
The Stats: Zero Sugar, Zero Calories, Gluten Free, Vegan.
10 MG per 12oz serving of Organic, All Natural Broad Spectrum Hemp.
WellBeing MelonGrass
MelonGrass is blended using the sweetness of watermelon
with the herbal citrus hints of lemongrass, to create a refreshing and clean taste.
WellBeing YuzuBloom
YuzuBloom is blended using the tart lemon-grapefruit taste of yuzu and the floral notes of rose and hibiscus, to create a nostalgic “candy like” experience.
Thank you again for your tremendous support, please stay safe and #raisewellbeing.
]]>When we brewed this Intentional IPA to facilitate setting good intentions for the new year, we felt we needed to do more than simply make an amazing Non Alcoholic Hoppy and Citrus IPA.
We wanted the label to be a guide. So we dug deep, consulted science and our own backgrounds, and came up with this:
Design by ArtFarm STL
1) We included The Third Eye – This symbol is a gentle reminder of being mindful. The first part of finding what your good intentions are. Hello Ajna Chakra!
2) Our NA Swoosh features prominently on all our beers. It is an ancient Celtic rune that means “connect the Mind, Body, Spirit” for good living. We believe our beer can make that connection:
For the Mind– Alcohol impairs your thinking. Our beer helps you be your best self.
For the Body – As we are all rapidly learning, Non Alcoholic Craft beer is functionally healthy for you. It’s full of anti-oxidants that tremendously boost your body’s power to heal after a workout and suppress colds. It’s low calorie, all natural, no sugar, no caffeine, vegan and frankly whups up on Gatorade nine ways to Sunday.
For the Spirit – Beer is the ultimate social drink. It’s what you toast with and what you bond over and it’s been around for 1000 years. It raises your spirits. It connects you to humanity.
3) The Mad Hops Dancer. Who doesn’t like to dance? It raises wellbeing!
4) The Open Heart. A reminder to approach 2020 and beyond with a heart full of Love.
5) This Class – ‘The Real Science behind Wellbeing.’ Summed up on the Label. “Intentionally brewed to savor the moment, acknowledge the things that bring us gratitude and inspire kindness to #raisewellbeing.
So have a taste, set some good intentions, and let’s raise a little wellbeing together.
Enjoy!
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Our very own Genevieve Barlow and Tom Halaska joined St. Louis on the Air to talk about the growing Mindful Drinking scene that is popping up around St. Louis. In addition to the Monocle and Pops, which have led the way in promoting great non-alcoholic options at their respective bars, Synergy Elixir and Smoothie Bar has recently opened and Sans Bar STL is getting ready for their next pop up event.
Is St. Louis at the forefront of giving the people great NA options in social situations? Why not! Have a listen and Raise Your WellBeing!
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It’s June of 2014 and my good friend and sober bro Chris Aguirre and I have just witnessed another good friend go out on a massive relapse and blow up his life. Again. For the second time in two years. For me, it was both harrowing and completely typical. The power of this disease and all that.
Chris, who doesn’t go to AA and thus doesn’t understand the mantra of “there is nothing you can do for an addict on a run until they are ready”, responded by inviting me and starting a recovery podcast, because he felt he had to do something, anything for those who still suffer.
Our friend Matt, the one who blew up his life, got sober and joined us within 6 months and we ended up doing 5 years of recovery podcasts with each other most Wednesday nights.
In 2014, there were a few OG’s online like Joe C and Anna David that had built something in digital recovery, but even then, for us, it felt like recovery was having a “Moment”. In fact we said this in most of the early episodes.
That moment can best be described as Recovering Out Loud. People with addiction problems were using the digital space to get sober publicly beyond just going to traditional places like AA. For years people in recovery kept that fact anonymous, for good reasons. There was a stigma attached to being sober. You obviously had done something wrong if you can’t drink normally. But finally, in 2014, with the exploding opiate crisis on top of a society awash in alcohol it seemed time to start talking very publicly about recovery.
And yet, that stigma was still prevalent. Most of my recovery life up to that point was having to explain to whatever crowd I was with why I didn’t drink alcohol. That stigma was forced upon you in almost every social situation by the incredibly sad choices of drinks you were offered.
During our first year on the cast, we met, were inspired by and inspired others in the digital recovery world. We started having guests each week, which in hindsight were a who’s who of the modern recovery movement in the US.
The March for addiction on Washington DC in October of 2015 was the place where many of us met for the first time and really felt the Progressive Recovery Culture happening. It was having a moment and we knew it was a real movement.
We started exploring what modern recovery and sobriety looked like:
We went to a Smart Meeting.
We went to a Refuge Meeting
We went to AA Founders Day (We sat at Dr. Bob’s Table!)
We went to the Atheists in Recovery Convention.
We were all over Dry January
We tried Seedlip
We tried Curious Elixors
We supported and had fun with it all.
We tried and questioned everything.
(One of the questions that started to piss me off was this: Why is it every bar, restaurant and social situation I go to believe it’s ok to have thousands of choices of alcohol drinks and 3 shitty choices of non alcoholic drinks? This never pissed me off for 25 years of not drinking. I, like every non-drinker, just took it for granted that I had the problem and deserved diet soda out of bar gun. But the more I started to look at this, the more I asked, why? This was a big reason behind WellBeing.)
On our journey we have seen Progressive Recovery Culture explode.
So this last weekend, The New York Times encapsulates this is more than a moment, more than a movement, it’s a societal change. And there’s a wave of ideas, bars, people, products, energy out there making it normal to not drink and/or drink mindfully. NPR Followed with something today! And our Hellraiser got a little blurb of shopping love from the NYT as well.
Has there ever been a better time to be sober?
It’s 5 years from starting this journey of recovering out loud if you will and when I step back and put things in perspective, it feels so natural that not drinking alcohol is as acceptable as drinking alcohol. It’s cool to be sober, which is a massive shift from most of my adult life.
I know for our part, we are going to continue to make great craft NA beer and support anything and everything that helps define a culture where not drinking is completely stigma free and dare we say totally normal social behavior!
Washington DC, October 2015, Unite to Face Addiction
From the Left
Chris Aguirre Founder Since Right Now
Holly Whitaker of Hip Sobriety
Laura Silverman of Sobriety Collective
Laura McKowen, Recovery Author
Me
Matt Glarner, Co-host of Since Right Now
Others we love:
Tammi Salas, Kristi Coulter, Sarah Heppola, Matt Mendoza, DJ FM, Nancy Carr, Scott Stevens and so many more.
]]>Written by Guest Blogger – Eddie Zelenak, Buoy Hydration
Ever wonder why endurance athletic events like Tough Mudder or your local 10K road race pass out beers at the finish line? They’re onto something–well, partly. A better question is why does the German Olympic team train with non-alcoholic beer and why did they ship 1000’s of cases into Olympic Village during the last games? Answer – NA beer is ultra-healthy! (oh, and by the way – they won more gold medals last Olympics than any other time in history). So, it was a time for a game changer and this is where WellBeing and Buoy became the perfect partners in hydration heaven with WellBeing Victory Wheat – the first non-alcoholic craft beer with electrolytes ever.
Most people don’t drink enough water. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated according to a study by the Center for Disease Control. And, even if you’re getting in the recommended half-gallon each day, your workouts, coffee, energy drinks like Red Bull, and after work happy hours are sucking your zesty electrolytes dry. Losing as little as 2% of your body’s water content can significantly impair physical and mental performance. During an average workout, you lose 6%!
Beer, however, has a thing called polyphenols – naturally occurring micronutrients packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A beer is one the best recovery drinks you can find – except its alcohol counteracts most of those micronutrient health benefits. WellBeing Victory Wheat and its electrolytes, vitamins, protein, and antioxidants easily top protein shakes or Gatorade on our list of workout recovery solutions. Michelob Ultra markets itself as a great post activity beer, yet the alcohol in it adds to your dehydration, and considering your already dehydrated from your workout…that also doesn’t make sense.
WellBeing Victory Wheat boasts a 0.19% alcohol by volume (ABV), less alcohol then a glass of orange juice and retains the polyphenols since they “vacuum out” the alcohol during the brewing process. “WellBeing Victory Wheat is a far tastier Michelob Ultra meets Gatorade, without the stuff athletes don’t want,” says Jeff Stevens, WellBeing’s founder and esteemed non-drinker who told the Buoy team after we brewed the first barrel. He continued by telling us, “In an age where Gatorade has more sugar than a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s and Americans are drinking less alcohol year over year, we’re priming our “I told you so” pump up to those not taking advantage of the health and wellness movement.”
Learning that WellBeing Victory Wheat non-alcoholic craft beer was on their product innovation radar for almost a year, Jeff said “We partnered with Buoy because of the flavorless electrolyte formula, which works well with the flavor profile and brew process of our NA beers.” Every WellBeing Victory Wheat 16oz can has three servings of Buoy in it–nearly as many electrolytes as a bottle of Gatorade. “Alcohol is so dehydrating and the added sugars and artificial junk in sports drinks just don’t make sense.” So, whenever you think it’s time to hydrate at work, working in the yard, during fitness time, or relaxing at home – WellBeing Victory Wheat gives you all the taste of beer, alcohol out…electrolytes in.
]]>Here at WellBeing Brewing the team realizes it’s the feedback, comments, and suggestions that help us improve but also gauge our level of customer satisfaction. We were very excited when Certified Google and Shopify Business Partner Trustpilotcontacted us to coordinate a consumer feedback program to truly get real-time input on how our performance ratings where according to you – our valued customers.
WellBeing Brewing Company has always strived to give our customers a world-class experience from the time they discover our NA Craft Beers to interacting with our website and finally when they purchase their first order or come back to re-order again and again. Over the last 15 months we’ve been on the phone, answering e-mails, and instant messages to make sure we live up to your and our standards. Our goal has always been to be transparent and listen…then execute. A lot of planning and effort goes into shipping beer online – the packaging, the calculation of shipping weights, inventory, and ultimately getting our delicious WellBeing brews delivered directly to your front door!
200+ reviews for service and our products in the first 30 days of the program were amazing and it showed WellBeing listened to our consumers, activated great logistics for delivery, and personalize customer service. It also showed we are producing the best NA craft beers available today. Since reviews and comments are at the core of best practices for any company and because we work very hard to continue to improve all facets of our business – we wanted to share some of the verified feedback Trustpilotcompiled for us. We’re not bragging, we’re proud of our efforts (we work 7 days a week to make sure all is well in WellBeing world) and equally excited YOU are saying we’re doing a great, 5-star job!
]]>This Dry January thing, where did it come from and why are we seeing it all of the sudden?
It’s a pretty recent phenomenon actually.
It was an idea baked up and as it turns out, brought back, by the government of the UK in 2014 when they realized everybody was drinking too much and they were spending too much money in health care costs. After careful consideration, it was deemed that the best time to catch people in the mood to cut down a little is the month of January.
Let’s face it, in addition to alcohol, the end of the year is pretty intense on several fronts.
There are the Holidays of course.
Alcohol-drinking occasions are everywhere. Not to mention the entire alcohol industry that spends well over half it’s annual budget from Halloween to New Years.
Add to that the holiday food and the sugar and the cheese balls and everywhere you turn it’s just so easy to eat and drink your way through the whole festive season.
Then there’s the social/family obligations – most of us get together and hang out with family and friends and regardless of how well we get along, at the very least there is serious planning of gifts and activities, meals, and travel to figure out.
Oh and do you work? You have to close those books, get in the last invoices, finish overdue employee reviews. Whether you’re shutting down for a few days or speeding up for the holidays, it’s an endless series of checklists to hurriedly finish under a year end deadline.
And now, finally, it’s January. We can breathe again. While it’s supposedly the bleakest of months, it actually comes in Peace. It’s here and it’s chill and it’s time to eat and drink a little less, work out a little more, and take care a little deeper.
It’s the perfect month to reflect and reset – from alcohol or anything else we’ve over indulged in. And Dry January offers us the opportunity to just that. And some of the health benefits of Dry January – better sleep, lost weight, more energy, better concentration – may have lasting results.
Which is why Dry January has now taken off in the US. If you’re curious and looking for other travelers on the 30 days alcohol-free journey, join our WellBeing Dry January Facebook group here.
And as we head in to the new year, lets raise a glass of our delicious NA craft beer and simply say, January, here’s to your WellBeing.
We always felt that this category was going to go somewhere – there were just too many people who weren’t drinking for whatever reason that were being massively underserved by big alcohol – but we think it’s starting to get a little momentum. In the past six months, there have been a spate of stories about the category and about our little endeavor. Here are some of the highlights!
“When I got sober at 24, my biggest fear was that I’m never going to have fun again,” Stevens told me in a phone call. Stevens started drinking nonalcoholic beer early in his sobriety, mainly as a way to fit in at work functions. “Everyone orders an alcoholic drink and you order a Diet Coke, and there’s this moment where everyone looks at you and wonders, ‘Is it okay for me to drink in front of this person?’ Ultimately, I hope we can give people in these kinds of social situations a choice that they’re excited about drinking, and that signals to everyone [that they are] there to fully participate in the night.”
Stevens, who founded WellBeing in St. Louis in 2016, uses the vacuum boil method to make his Heavenly Body Golden Wheat and Hellraiser Dark Amber, available in limited retail locations and by mail order.
The WellBeing Heavenly Body Golden Wheat arrived first, and it immediately became my favorite NA beer, by far the best I’d ever had.”
While most people see nonalcoholic beer as a responsible replacement for regular beer, Germans often drink it in place of sports drinks after exercise. Beer or Gatorade? No contest.
The Team conducted a double-blind study, financed by a brewing company, in which he gave runners in the 2009 Munich Marathon nonalcoholic NA beer every day for three weeks before and two weeks after the race. These runners suffered significantly less inflammation and fewer upper respiratory infections after the race than runners who had been given a placebo.
“The thing about not drinking is that you are worried you are killing somebody’s buzz and feel bad,” he says. “But then they feel bad because they are worried they shouldn’t be drinking in front of you. Hellraiser says, ‘Hey, I’m not drinking, but I am still ready to party. We can go pool-hopping or whatever. I’m ready to blow off some steam, and if you want to get silly, I am here to get silly. I can just drive you home.'”
“The world drinks a lot of beer. Like, 185-billion-liters a lot (which was the worldwide consumption stat for 2016). But the way we booze is changing. In the past year, beer consumption fell by 3.2 percent per adult, according to research institute IWSR—thanks to education on the health concerns of drinking, tighter DUI law enforcement, and people just plain choosing to spend their time on stuff other than happy hour and morning after.
Enter non-alcoholic craft beers, a surprisingly attractive option for people choosing to forego booze. Here us out, okay? According to a report published by Research and Research, the global non-alcoholic beer market is expected to provide sustainable growth opportunities during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. That’s right, the next big thing in beer is booze-free.
“Consumer trends are showing that people want to pursue a more healthy lifestyle, and this is a great solution for people who think, ‘I should drink less alcohol but I like the taste the beer,” says Jeff Stevens, Founder of…Wellbeing Brewing Company in St. Louis, Missouri and is a dedicated non-alcoholic brewery.
“If you’re drinking, you have an infinite amount of things you can drink,” Stevens says. Shelves are full of craft IPAs, stouts and bitters. “Whereas only about half the bars I’ve been to have a non-alcoholic beer. And if they do, it’s usually just one choice.”
Usually, it didn’t taste very good, which was especially disappointing for Stevens — a beer buff who did marketing for booze companies. “There’s this craft beer explosion happening all over the U.S., but no one is making non-alcoholic versions,” Stevens says.
Stevens is a bit ahead of the curve in the U.S. — where most non-alcoholic beer on offer is the same limp, tinny stuff that first came out in the ’80s, their only real selling point being the fact that they had less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume. But alcohol-free beers are catching on in the UK, Europe and Canada, and specialty brewers and big brands alike are using new techniques to create new varieties of flavorsome booze-free brews.”
]]>Before he founded WellBeing Brewing Company ( wellbeingbrewing.com ), Jeff Stevens spent most of his career working in advertising for national liquor brands, a gig that placed him squarely in the club scene. He traveled the world working with beer-and-spirits clients and was always in bars, whether entertaining clients or just being social.
There was one huge problem, however. Stevens doesn’t drink.
“I quit drinking when I was 24, but I was always in a position where I was around people drinking,” Stevens explains. “I drank a lot of non-alcoholic beer because it doesn’t have caffeine and a lot of sugar — and it was OK. But as the craft beer industry began to really take off, I asked myself why there wasn’t any craft non-alcoholic beer. I finally said, ‘I’m going to do this. I’m going to figure this out.”
For a non-drinker like Stevens, craft non-alcoholic beer seemed like a no-brainer considering the skyrocketing popularity of the alcohol-filled version. However, as Stevens began to research the void in the market, he came to an obvious realization: People who brew beer like drinking beer that contains alcohol. N/A beer was an afterthought — something they brewed because they felt they had to, not because their hearts were in it. As a consequence, only the big brands did it, not the passionate craft brewers working for the sheer love of it.
Stevens, however, loved beer and lamented that his non-drinker status prevented him from enjoying it to its fullest capacity. He quickly found that he was not alone. Not only was the N/A category growing overseas, it was becoming apparent that, even in a beer-obsessed place like St. Louis, there was a need for such a product.
“There are so many people who are not drinking — not necessarily all the time, but for a particular moment,” Stevens explains. “Maybe they don’t want one for this lunch, or even this round. Maybe they want two beers but not four. These people are finding us and telling us how happy they are that we are here.”
The people Stevens describes are the consumers of WellBeing, the brand he launched in January as a way for people to enjoy the taste of craft beer without the booze. Unlike other methods that remove alcohol from beer by stopping fermentation and boiling it off, WellBeing employs a high-tech method using equipment from Munich that eliminates the alcohol at room temperature after the beer is fully fermented. This results in non-alcoholic beer that tastes fully brewed — because it is.
“If you taste a traditional non-alcoholic beer, it tastes like a watered-down lager or super sweet because the sugar doesn’t ferment. It just tastes off,” Stevens explains. “Ours starts out as full-alcohol beer that could be packaged as such, but instead, we remove the alcohol at the very end. It has the right body and tastes fully brewed.”
Though WellBeing is Stevens’ brainchild, he relies on the people at O’Fallon Brewery, in particular owner Jim Gorczyca and head brewer Brian Owens, to bring his vision to life. Currently, they are producing two beers for WellBeing: the Heavenly Body golden wheat and the dark amber Hellraiser, a beer whose name embodies what Stevens wants to do with his brand.
“The thing about not drinking is that you are worried you are killing somebody’s buzz and feel bad,” he says. “But then they feel bad because they are worried they shouldn’t be drinking in front of you. Hellraiser says, ‘Hey, I’m not drinking, but I am still ready to party. We can go pool-hopping or whatever. I’m ready to blow off some steam, and if you want to get silly, I am here to get silly. I can just drive you home.'”
Stevens took a break from the beer business to share his thoughts on the St. Louis food-and-beverage scene, his passion for green and red chiles, and the places you will see him cutting loose after work — with an N/A beer in hand, of course.
Published with permission from the Riverfront Times
]]>We love the fact that the Green Bay Packers are owned by the fans of the Green Bay Packers. It’s the ultimate engaged consumer base! So when a new equity crowdfunding portal came to us and said we could officially sell equity to folks who drink our NA craft beer, we decided to give it a shot. It’s new, it’s different, but then again, so are we. If every brands’ mantra is something like “keep the customer close”, this is the perfect way to do it.
WellBeing Brewing was proud to be the first St. Louis based company to be invited onto the NVSTED crowdfunding platform. With local and national support we hit our funding goals (actually exceeded them) in record time. With WellBeing as one of the very first Non-Alcoholic Craft Breweries in the country, so many investors came together to help support of NA revolution.
Here’s of NVSTED page: https://nvstedwithus.com/companies/wellbeingbrewing
Thanks to the team at NVSTED and even bigger thanks to all our valued investors!
]]>People ask us, what’s up with this symbol?
From the beginning, we knew that well-crafted Non-Alcoholic beer was a bigger idea than just not drinking alcohol. We knew that our product had a chance to connect to our wholeness as humans. We needed a visual representation that stood for this idea of total wellbeing.
It’s what we found in this ancient Celtic symbol showing the connection between Mind, Body and Spirit.
For the Mind– Besides taking away all the health effects mentioned above, alcohol impairs your thinking. It’s dulls you, slurs your speech, slows your reaction time and is a natural depressant. It’s hard to be your best self with too much alcohol.
For the Body – As we are all rapidly learning, Non Alcoholic beer is functionally healthy for you. It’s full of anti-oxidents that tremendously boost your body’s power to heal after a workout and suppress colds. The German Olympic team uses it as a sports recovery drink and just won more Gold Medals than ever before at the Olympics. It’s low calorie, all natural, no sugar, no caffeine, vegan and frankly whups up on Gatorade nine ways to Sunday. That doesn’t even touch how alcohol itself effects the body.
For the Spirit – Beer is the ultimate social drink. It’s what you toast with and what you bond over and it’s been around for 1000 years. Ben Franklin once said that “Beer is proof that God loves us”. It raises your spirits. It connects you to humanity. To that we add, “NA beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to go to yoga in the morning.”
There are very few drinks that touch on all three of these pillars of humanity and we believe strongly that our NA craft beer is good for your entire wellbeing.
]]>Nothing like coming home from a long day at work and cracking open an ice cold……non-alcoholic malt beverage. While this thought in particular might not be one that crosses your mind often, it’s the one running through mine tonight as I end my day sampling a Heavenly Body Golden Wheat beer by WellBeing Brewing Co, a whole 12 ounces of beer with less than .5% alcohol per bottle. For me, this is all the taste I dislike in beer without the added pleasure of getting buzzed. For someone else, a beverage like this could be a godsend. We all know alcohol is bad for you. Overexposure will leave your liver looking like a mess to your doctor, nobody feels great the morning after a drink too many, and some people have negative experiences with any amount of alcohol all together. But it’s hard to go out with friends and walk around with a water, so for some, the Golden Wheat Beer could be the perfect alternative to their normal bud light on a night out. It looks like beer, it’s bottled like beer, it’s labeled like beer, but does it taste like beer? Lucky for you, Gaslight hired the most unqualified alcohol consumer in the business to help you find out.
First thing’s first, you have to open this drink with a bottle opener (or a lighter, if you’re like me and lost your bottle opener last summer during a day drinking session on your friend’s front porch). I admire the attention to detail, even if it forced me to to MacGyver mine open. First sniff smelled like the sticky floors of the bars I know so well, which is an excellent sign, considering those floors are more often than not splashed with the finest craft beers this side of the Missouri river. I’ll admit there is something comforting about holding a bottle of something that tastes like alcohol knowing it will have absolutely no effect on the rest of my evening or morning after. The beer without the bad…it’s clear WellBeing Brewing Co. should have hired me to create their marketing slogan.
Heavenly Body tastes like beer, and it tastes good. I’m frazzled knowing that my favorite beer on the great ‘Girl Who Hates Beer Tries Beer’ tour of 2018 has been the one that contains less alcohol than the Kombucha I chug from Whole Foods when I’m hungover, but in this blog, we’re a family based on honesty, and I’m honestly telling you that I did not pour the majority of this beverage down the sink after taking a few sips. It’s a big breakthrough moment on my part.
A non-alcoholic beer may seem absurd to anyone used to drinking regularly, but when you really think about it, there is probably a huge number of consumers waiting for something like this. Some people don’t like the negative effects of drinking but, unlike me, love the taste of beer. Some people can’t drink and need an alternative. Some people might need a break in between beverages but don’t want it to feel like one. The options vary here, but they seem pretty extensive. In my opinion, there is no true negative to carrying a great tasting non-alcoholic beer in a bar, because it gives people the chance to have that beer drinking experience without compromising anything. You’re not going to feel left out with Heavenly Body in your hand. It looks like beer, it’s bottled like beer, it’s labeled like beer, and yes, it even tastes like a beer. Don’t believe me? Pick one up at Gaslight next time you’re in and let me know if you can taste the difference.
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About the author: Rebecca Davis is a current content producer for Gaslight. She graduated from Illinois State University in 2017 with a degree in journalism. Rebecca loves dive bars, singing ‘Linger’ by The Cranberries at karaoke, and pineapple on her pizza. Her dislikes include the Trader Joe’s parking lot, accidentally falling asleep with socks on, and summing up her personality in third person self-written author bios.
Let’s face it, brewing a better NA beer than the ones that are out there isn’t the long-term trick. The biggest complaint about NA beer has always been it doesn’t “taste like real beer.”
So from the first day we started this adventure, we set out to brew incredible craft beer first. Without alcohol.
We did our research. We talked to brewers and scientists in Germany, the UK, and the US and sampled the best of the current offerings from around the world. We learned that Spain and Germany have some great NA beers and the UK has some talented craft brewers in the NA space. But we are taking it a step further.
We decided to partner with a great craft brewer to start. The O’Fallon Brewery has been around for 17 years and is one of the OG’s of the craft brewing revolution before anyone even knew what it was. They also make award-winning craft beers and have for a long time.
Next, we imported the “Mercedes Benz” of brewing technology straight from the Brewing University in Munich, Germany. Most brewers have to boil off the alcohol, which also boils off the flavor and kills the beer. This machine gently removes the alcohol from our fully finished beer, so our craft NA beers are more flavorful.
With this advanced technology, the end result is a full-bodied, fully brewed NA beer with an amazing mouthfeel, with all the flavors and aromatics coming through. It’s what we set out to make at WellBeing Brewing – great tasting Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer! All with about 1/2 the calories of a regular beer.
In addition to our crisp, smooth, and dry Heavenly Body Golden Wheat and our hop-forward and flavorful Hellraiser Dark Amber, we plan to add a few more distinguished non-alcoholic craft beer styles and tastes in 2018.
Please let us know what you would like to try!
Cheers and NA Beers!
The WellBeing Brewing Team
]]>This easy to make NA beer cheese spread can be served warm or cold and is a great party appetizer for the Big Game or anytime!
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bottle WellBeing Brewing Heavenly Body Golden Wheat NA Craft Beer
8 ounces grated cheese
1 teaspoon Sriracha Granada Hot Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
WHAT YOU DO:
Why would anyone take the alcohol out of beer? Good question! We sat down with pencils to paper and identified 14 types who (will) love non-alcoholic craft beer and think it’s a good idea:
1) The Never Drinkers — There are quite a few people who have NEVER had a drink of alcohol before. Seriously. Some understandably based on religious beliefs, some based on a life of athletic training and some just never wanted to feel out of control. Fortunately, we’re brewing up what you’re laying down!
2) The Non-Drinkers — Whether you, like us, are in long-term recovery or have just stopped through many of the other various roads and journey’s, non-alcoholic craft beer lets you fully participate in the times ahead.
3) The Moderators — All good things in moderation. We’ve heard this somewhere before.
4) The Round Offers — You’ve had two rounds of a new delicious 7% IPA and are taking the third round off with an icy cold non-alcoholic craft beer. Solid choice friend.
5) The Best-Selfers — Check this out: Our friend Joy Manning quit drinking because it was preventing her from being her Best Self. She started a happy hour with no alcohol and thought no one would come. Instead, she has hundreds attend every month! Also, check out this guy. We admire his insight that alcohol was holding him back. And he’s with Jennifer Aniston at his bottom! Plus, he’s Australian where they drink like fish. After quitting drinking, he’s kind of a guru.
6) The Spicy Lunchers — Tacos or Thai, Italian or BBQ, there is just something about having an ice cold non-alcoholic craft beer that goes with all things spicy. Pass the Sriracha, please!
7) The Drivers — Now you can party like the yahoos you’re driving home! Match them round for round. In fact, drink those chuckleheads under the table!
8) The Preggers — Our favorites: Mamas2be.
9) The Ultra-Trainers — We have several friends who train for 100-mile runs. Why? Why do they do this? We don’t know. They do drink non-alcoholic craft beer cause it goes with their savage training routine.
10) The Night Offers — Check this out: getting wasted two nights in a row is bad. This makes sense. So if you get called upon for a round two, have a few of our delicious NA’s instead and wake up happier.
11) The Pot Smokers — Why waste that perfectly curated high by killing it with the depressant that alcohol can be? And, nothing refreshes that cotton-mouth like an ice cold NA craft beer. Bongs Away!
12) The Medically Constrained — We know several people with Crohn’s or patients taking certain medications — none of which go well with alcohol.
13) The Participants — From a Moonlight Rambles, Naked Bike Ride, Fun Runs, Ultimate Frisbee Tourney, Frisbee Golf — really any athletic type thing where actual balance or semi-competitiveness will make the experience more rewarding. NA while you play. NA goes all the way!
14) People at these Special Occasions:
a) First Dates — NA goes all the way! Just kidding. Unless you want too!? In all seriousness, it’s generally a good practice to remain reasonably sober on a first date.
b) Office Parties — New to the company? Getting blasted at first party = frowny face emoji from the boss.
c) Trivia Nights — We are already embarrassed enough by the things we don’t know that are basically rubbed in our faces as we sit and stuff our faces with cheese dip. Need All Brain Cells.
Bonus:
15) Retail Buyers Encouraging Less Drinking:
a) Military
b) College
c) Stadium/Venue
Are you a person in a position of buying beverages for one of the above? NA craft beer is by far a healthier option for your consumers. What else are you going to sell after the 7th inning?
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