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Last month, Tom Holland, the Hollywood star known for his role as Spider-Man, launched a line of non-alcoholic beer called Bero, which is now available in 43 states, including West Virginia. Bero enters the competitive non-alcoholic (NA) beer market, which is largely dominated by Athletic Brewing Company, a brand that has established itself as the 20th largest beer brewer in the U.S. through NA beer sales.

Bero offers three varieties: Edge Hill Hazy IPA, Kingston Golden Pils, and Noon Wheat. To assess the flavor of these new brews, a local brewery, Big Timber Brewing Company, was visited. Employees tasted Bero alongside Athletic Brewing’s offerings and their own Big Timber beers.

Edge Hill Hazy IPA

The team sampled three Hazy IPAs in the following order:

Athletic Free Wave Hazy IPA (NA)
Big Timber Mon Hazy IPA
Bero Edge Hill Hazy IPA (NA)

The consensus among the Big Timber employees was that they preferred Athletic’s Free Wave Hazy IPA over Bero’s Edge Hill. They noted that the Bero version had an unusual spiced aroma that did not match their expectations for a classic hazy IPA, which typically offers a juicy, citrusy flavor.

Noon Wheat

Next, they tried Bero’s Noon Wheat, a style characterized by light and citrusy flavors similar to popular wheat beers.

Feedback was generally positive, indicating that it met the light and refreshing expectations for a wheat beer. While some preferred it, the overall consensus was still that they would reach for Athletic’s offerings before Bero.

Kingston Golden Pils

Finally, they sampled the Kingston Golden Pils, which is crafted to deliver a more hop-forward flavor.

This beer was well-received, with many noting it came close to tasting like a traditional pilsner, though it lacked the defined hop bitterness they expected. Remarkably, one Big Timber employee described it as possibly the best NA beer he’s ever had, highlighting its beer-like qualities.

Conclusion

While the Athletic Free Wave Hazy IPA was the favorite among the tasters, Bero’s Noon Wheat and Kingston Pils showed potential in the growing NA beer market. As non-alcoholic beers continue to rise in popularity, it’s predicted that the brewing quality will only improve, giving more competition to established brands like Athletic.

For those curious to try it, Bero is available for purchase here.