{"id":7058076,"date":"2026-09-06T02:16:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T02:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/can-we-please-stop-calling-non-alcoholic-beer-n-a\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T02:16:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T02:16:26","slug":"can-we-please-stop-calling-non-alcoholic-beer-n-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7058076","title":{"rendered":"Can We Please Stop Calling Non-Alcoholic Beer \u201cN\/A\u201d?"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

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I think we should start discussing a subtle language debate about something happening in bars, restaurants, bottle shops, and beer menus everywhere.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about two little letters.<\/p>\n

When describing non-alcoholic beer, many places write \u201cN\/A.\u201d But here at NA Beer Club<\/a>, we have a small request:<\/p>\n

Can we just call it \u201cNA\u201d?<\/p>\n

It might seem like a minor detail. And, to be fair, it is<\/em> a minor detail. Nobody\u2019s night is going to be ruined because a menu uses a slash.<\/p>\n

But \u201cN\/A\u201d already means something.<\/p>\n

It usually means \u201cnot applicable.\u201d Sometimes it means \u201cnot available.\u201d It\u2019s what you see in a spreadsheet when a piece of information is missing, irrelevant, or hasn\u2019t been entered yet.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t exactly make you think, \u201cThere\u2019s a delicious new beer here waiting to be discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n

It makes you think someone forgot to fill out the form.<\/p>\n

NA says what it is<\/h2>\n

\u201cNA\u201d is simpler, cleaner, and easier to understand.<\/p>\n

It stands for non-alcoholic, just like \u201cNA beer\u201d or \u201cNA beverage.\u201d There\u2019s no slash to create confusion and no suggestion that something is missing.<\/p>\n

Because non-alcoholic beer isn\u2019t missing anything.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t an incomplete version of beer. It isn\u2019t a placeholder. It isn\u2019t an empty space on the menu where the \u201creal\u201d beer should be.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s beer made for people who want to enjoy the flavor, ritual, and social experience of beer without the alcohol.<\/p>\n

That distinction matters.<\/p>\n

The non-alcoholic beer industry has grown tremendously, and the products have gotten better right alongside it. Brewers are making thoughtful, complex, genuinely enjoyable beers in styles ranging from IPAs and pilsners to stouts, sours, and everything in between.<\/p>\n

So when a menu labels the category \u201cN\/A,\u201d it can unintentionally make the whole thing feel like an afterthought.<\/p>\n

And non-alcoholic beer deserves better than afterthought status.<\/p>\n

NA beer belongs on the beer menu<\/h2>\n

This brings up another question: Why do NA beers need to be separated from the rest of the beer menu in the first place?<\/p>\n

Most beer menus already follow a pretty straightforward format. They list the name of the beer, the brewery, the style, and the ABV.<\/p>\n

So why not simply include NA beers right alongside the other beers?<\/p>\n

A menu might list a pilsner at 5.0% ABV, an IPA at 6.5%, and an NA IPA at\n<\/p>\n

After all, NA beer is still beer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s brewed mostly the same way and de-alcoholized later, made in many of the same styles, and enjoyed in many of the same settings. It isn\u2019t a completely different type of drink that needs to be tucked away in its own corner.<\/p>\n

At the same time, there\u2019s a good argument for grouping NA options together. Having a clearly labeled \u201cNA\u201d section makes it easier for people to quickly find all the alcohol-free choices available. It also makes it obvious that a bar or restaurant takes those options seriously.<\/p>\n

So perhaps the ideal approach is a little bit of both: include NA beers in the main beer menu, while also making them easy to identify with a clear \u201cNA\u201d label, icon, or subsection.<\/p>\n

The important thing is that they\u2019re visible, clearly described, and treated like actual beer, not an afterthought.<\/p>\n

The slash creates unnecessary confusion<\/h2>\n

Imagine scanning a menu and seeing:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Draft Beer<\/li>\n
  • Wine<\/li>\n
  • Cocktails<\/li>\n
  • N\/A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    What does \u201cN\/A\u201d mean?<\/p>\n

    Non-alcoholic beer? Non-alcoholic cocktails? Drinks that aren\u2019t currently available? A section that doesn\u2019t apply to you?<\/p>\n

    The goal isn\u2019t to criticize every bar, restaurant, or retailer that uses \u201cN\/A.\u201d Most are probably just trying to be helpful and follow terminology they\u2019ve seen elsewhere.<\/p>\n

    But that\u2019s exactly how language becomes standard: people see a term repeated often enough and assume it\u2019s the right one.<\/p>\n

    So maybe it\u2019s time for the industry to settle on something more consistent.<\/p>\n

    A small change for a growing category<\/h2>\n

    Using \u201cNA\u201d instead of \u201cN\/A\u201d won\u2019t solve every challenge facing the non-alcoholic beverage industry. It won\u2019t automatically make someone love a particular lager or convince a skeptical beer drinker to try an IPA.<\/p>\n

    But it does send a small, important message:<\/p>\n

    This is a real category with real products and real customers.<\/p>\n

    \u201cNA\u201d feels like a category.<\/p>\n

    \u201cN\/A\u201d feels like something is missing.<\/p>\n

    And if we\u2019re going to keep introducing more people to the world of non-alcoholic beer, the language we use should make that world feel clear, welcoming, and worth exploring.<\/p>\n

    So, bars, restaurants, breweries, retailers, and fellow beer enthusiasts: consider this our friendly plea.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s leave the slash behind.<\/p>\n

    Call it NA.<\/p>\n

    And while we\u2019re at it, let\u2019s give NA beer a proper place on the beer menu.<\/p>\n

    What do you think? Should NA beers be listed right alongside traditional beers, grouped together in their own section, or both?<\/p>\n

    \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n