When I read this headline — Forget Craft Beer: The Next Craze is Non-Alcoholic Brews — my defenses went up.  To be more specific, I believe I uttered the word, “bulls#%&.”

But take a look at the reasoning behind making beer sans the buzz — and it makes a little bit of sense:

• More people are giving up alcohol for health reasons, but still want that sensation of the “after work beer.”
• This may be hard to believe — but some people just like the taste of a well-crafted beer and want to skip the associated buzz.
• The audience is growing — 33% of Spaniards and 22% of Germans are now customers of low/non-alcoholic brew.

Here’s the other reason why the biggest producers of beer — the MACRObrewers, if you will — seem to be on board:  they make more profit.  A non-buzzing beer doesn’t have to pay alcohol tax.  So much so that experts estimate that THIS will make up to about 20% of their entire production.

(I’m crying a little on the inside.)

So, this is an actual thing.  Not so sure its a thing that *I* want to be a part of.  Instead of “unleaded,” I’ll continue enjoying the full octane version, thank you very much.  — [eric]