I am not opposed to alcohol, but I am curious to see whether near-beers are catching up with craft brewing and starting to be a decent drink. These beers are less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), so it would be a real challenge to get drunk by consuming them!
I was quite disappointed by Guinness 0. The Red and Blonde brews from Sober Carpenter were watery and bland, although their IPA was not too bad. All of the Sober Carpenter cans without exception were explosively pressurized no matter what I tried to do.
Based on these experiences, I decided to try another IPA, since the only one of these prior near-beers I was willing to try again was the Sober Carpenter. I ran across the Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA at my local grocery store and decided to buy it on a whim. It appears their headquarters are in Stratford, Connecticut, but they have either another brewery, or at least a west coast distribution hub, in San Diego, California.
I like an IPA with a good balance between hops bitterness and malt sweetness. I do not have the beer snob vocabulary to describe what that balance is, but this is pretty close to the mark. It is herbal without being harsh, and everything seems proportionate. It was neither watery nor overly carbonated. It also was not too sweet or dry for my palate. The only thing missing in this brew is the booze. Honestly, unless you really want that alcohol buzz, this is not lacking anywhere. And did I mention they also brag about having only 65 calories in a 12 ounce (355 mL) can? Considering its competition I have sampled so far, that is a win across the board.
If you want a drinkable non-alcoholic offering, I can suggest this one without reservation, and I definitely would consider trying their other products if I run across them.
I remembered to participate in LEO Power Up Day! I am taking some time to consolidate my Hive Engine tokens. At the moment, my main interest is in COM and LEO. I am also currently HODLing most of what I have in WAIV, LIST, and POB. I am not very good at remembering to distribute PIZZA and BEER, but I have enough stake to cover what I do remember to distribute through tags.
I hope to see LGN and DIY tokens add some layer of utility, but the buyback support for the former especially makes it seem worthwhile to stake. I like the folks behind these projects, so I will be maintaining my delegations to both.
I am also still on track for HIVE Power Up Month. Two weeks down, two to go.
I ate baked beans for lunch, so expect a lot of politics. I am full of hot air and talking out my ass! But seriously, it will probably be a few more days before my next installment in the Knowledge, Certainty, and Current Events series. I have been distracted from writing and curating by some offline projects.
