Athletic Brewing broadens its UK reach
US-based non-alcoholic brewer Athletic Brewing Company has introduced its beer to a broader audience of consumers in the UK after securing listings with both online and high street retailers.
The deal will see Athletic’s Free Wave Hazy IPA become available with premium grocery retailer Whole Foods as well as specialist non-alcoholic online drinks store Wise Bartender.
Aromatics of tangerine and grapefruit
The beer, has been brewed at Athletic’s production site in California, features a trio of Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops and offers up “bright aromatics of tangerine and grapefruit — offering full flavour without the alcohol,” said the brewer.
Launching on the heels of its Dry Athletic January campaign, Free Wave’s debut at Whole Foods and Wise Bartender is a move that brings the company’s US brews to UK shelves for the first time.
Speaking to the drinks business, Athletic Brewing Company senior communications manager Chris Furnari said: “We are excited to bring our popular Free Wave Hazy IPA to UK beer lovers. Free Wave was developed by our co-founder, John Walker, in 2018 after fellow co-founder Bill Shufelt issued a challenge to create a non-alcoholic IPA bursting with citrus and pine, truly mirroring the bold flavour and body of the full-strength double IPAs Bill loved before leaving alcohol behind in 2013.”
A beer that sells out within minutes
Furnari told db: “First released in small batches and available exclusively on our website, Free Wave sold out within minutes. It quickly became a fan favourite, and today, it’s one of our most beloved and highly-awarded year-round brews. In fact, through the first four weeks of 2026, it’s our second-best-selling product at US off-premise retailers. We can’t wait for UK drinkers to experience it for themselves.”
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The brewery, which has gone from strength-to-strength of late as the rise in no and low alcohol beers continues, has revealed that it has “developed a revolutionary method” to make its alcohol-free beer following “hundreds of small-batch trials” to get things just right.
Highly awarded
Speaking about the achievement, Furnari noted that “by re-engineering nearly every step of the brewing process and pioneering a proprietary approach, that includes 10-12 changes across all brewing stages, Athletic has become the most highly awarded alcohol-free brewer of the past decade”.
Furnari added: “This carefully developed method allows the brewery to create alcohol-free beers with the body, aroma, and flavour of full-strength beer, a process that has earned Athletic 185 major taste awards since 2018.”
Retail promotions
Free Wave Hazy IPA will offer a launch promotion price of £6.79 per four-pack in Whole Foods before retailing for £8.49 per four-pack thereafter.
The launch builds on Athletic Brewing Company’s growing UK presence, with its alcohol-free beers now available in more than 2,500 locations nationwide. Free Wave joins the brand’s year-round range of award-winning brews, including Run Wild IPA, Upside Dawn Golden, and Athletic Alcohol-Free Lager.
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