10 Nonalcoholic Dark Beers, Ranked

For me, this is the time of year for a dark brew. It's a comforting, soothing, and peaceful repast from the long winter days. And even though I no longer drink alcohol, I still have cravings for dark festive brews — pumpkin-spiced ale to fill my autumn fancies and spicy Christmas blends for the holidays. And just as spring begins to poke its head around the corner, I look for one last, good, dark stout to see me through St. Patrick's Day and the end of March. Lucky for me, and many others out there, this search is no longer that difficult.

Nearly half of Americans are actively trying to drink less. From 2022 to 2024, the U.S. market saw a consumer growth of 37 million NA drinkers. Thankfully, the market has been great at adapting and giving consumers what they want. Every year, NA (less than 0.5% ABV) breweries are bringing more quality and variety to the masses, and I, for one, am thankful.

So, I went out looking for a few dark brews to finish out the season. Not only did I want the great depth of classic flavor I have always had from mainstream dark brews, but I also wanted the same heavy body I'm accustomed to holding onto in the last cold days of winter. While the flavors were aplenty, the bodies were found slightly lacking. In the end, this is how they ranked.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Gruvi's Mocha Moment Nitro Stout was the first NA nitro to make it to market in North America, beating out Guinness 0 and the new nitro stout from Athletic. And having already tried those other two nitro stouts, I was very interested in how this one would compare. The aroma gave away no secrets. I honestly could not garner even a small note of chocolate or coffee from the freshly poured brew. Sadly, the first drink did not give me much more.

When the first taste hit my tongue, it wasn't the flavor that my mind captured. Instead, I immediately noticed the thinness of the brew. There was very little weight to it at all, and it slid quickly across my palate like silk. There was only a very slim burn that I attributed to the nitro that pulled my attention back to taste. And as hard as I went looking for it, I could not derive any hint of chocolate or coffee on my tongue.

I went back again and again, which I will say was easy to do, but I could not find much flavor at all. While this brew was smooth and slipped cleanly from my palate, it just didn't give me what I was looking for at any level and easily placed last among its competitors.

Lodge Life is a stout-inspired brew by Athletic Brewing Co. that is meant to carry notes of cinnamon, cacao nibs, and smoky malt. And as soon as I poured this brew, I was enticed by an aroma that was rich and spicy. (I also put it immediately above the Mocha Moment stout.) The scent had almost a savory essence to it that I quickly discovered translated over to the palate. Even after taking multiple sips of the brew, I couldn't pinpoint exactly what the savory flavor was. It had tart undertones and a meaty complexity. Perhaps the taste was that of the smoked malts.

I didn't catch much of the cinnamon that was in the description. Although, while slight, I feel like it was more present than the cacao. The cinnamon added layers of flavor, which I appreciated. And while the profile seemed rather robust in savoriness, the weight of the brew on my tongue was thin and watery, which was a bit of a disappointment. While the flavor of an intriguing stout was there, the heavy thickness of the brew itself was not. However, both of these attributes were far better in this selection than with the Gruvi.

If you know Guinness, you will probably find Guinness 0 very familiar. Guinness 0 starts as traditional Guinness, and then the alcohol is filtered out using a special cold filtration process. The company says this is done in order to remove the alcohol but allow the flavor integrity of the original Guinness to stay the same. And as far as I can tell, it seems to keep the flavor very true!

Also keeping with Guinness fashion was the silky foam that appeared after the pour and created the perfect creamy drink. This was also something none of the other beers on this list accomplished quite so expertly. And I really appreciated Guinness for that. There was a sweet flavor of chocolate that was skillfully balanced against a slightly harsh bluntness of coffee. As far as mainstream NA beers go, Guinness really stands out. But when compared to some of the craft dark brews here, it has to take a bit of a backseat.

The weight of the Guinness is lacking. While the flavor is superior to the lower-ranked options, the heaviness of the stout on the palate is obviously missing. This will be even more true for those who really know Guinness. While not completely watery, it's thinner than the original and for those ranked higher.

Athletic Brewing Co. just debuted its first-ever nitro last month with Nitro Emerald Cliffs. And in a head-to-head competition with Guinness 0, it came out on top for its unique flavor profile. I do have to admit that doing a hard pour on this NA nitro is so much fun and beautiful to watch settle. But I wasn't sure how the intriguing profile of sweet chocolate, fresh-cut wood, coffee, and bitterness was going to compete with the equally interesting profiles of the other NA dark brews on this list.

When the flavor hit my tongue, I found it reminiscent of other mainstream stouts I've had in the past. It had a dark depth of flavor where I could taste unsweetened chocolate. There was a bitterness to it that I found just a touch high. Although there were so many robust notes mingling together, they were incredibly well balanced. The brew was soft to the palate and smooth to drink. And that execution of flavor alone puts this one above the ones ranked lower.

But much like the Guinness, which competes very well with this nitro, the weight was not as heavy as the ones ranked higher, and that knocks it down on the list. I don't think this would completely disappoint a dark brew drinker, as the taste has a lot to offer. But there are other dark brews on this list that mimic the flavor and the weight of an alcoholic beer better than this one.

Go Brewing suggests letting the coffee speak for itself with its Chester's Coffee Stout. And as soon as the scent of the brew hit my nose, I knew it was telling me something special. Instead of a stout, my nose told me I had just lifted a dark cup of coffee to my mouth. And my tongue agreed. This was indeed what a coffee stout was supposed to taste like.

The coloring was perfectly black, like fresh-brewed java. And it went to just as great heights of dark-roasted coffee in both scent and taste. There was a slight sweetness that mingled in the murkiness that softened the brew into an easy-to-sip state. On the back end of the drink, I did pick up on some tartness that I feel originated as a cocoa flavor. It was sharp and gave my palate the same reaction I would have to bittersweet chocolate. However, the more I drank, the less cutting the flavor became, and I started to enjoy a fuller aspect of chocolate flavor mixing with the coffee.

This dark brew had an interesting flavor that I would unquestionably have again. The taste was much more intriguing than those ranked lower and easier to drink because of it. However, the weight, while not as thin as those ranked lower, still wasn't where I wanted it to be.

As I was pouring this chocolate dark brew by Untitled Art, I noticed it had a similar ruby hue to that of Guinness in the right light. It was something that didn't stand out among the other brews, and I found it to be very pleasing to the eye. The aroma that wafted off the glass was that of chocolate — like milk chocolate, sweet and rich. I have enjoyed many an alcoholic chocolate brew, but had not come across an NA one that had ever measured up before. And then a thick, sweet, velvety chocolate flavor slid across my tongue, and I heard myself make a yummy sound. Holy cow! I had found an NA chocolate brew, and it blew the lower-ranked options out of the water with one sip.

This brew had a sweetness level that I had not tasted before in a beer, and it leaned almost into soda territory. But the weight on my palate and the denseness of the dark malt kept it from slipping too far off track. The taste was so smooth, I couldn't help continuing to go back for more. But it's definitely not a classic flavor, and that is what I was looking for. However, this beer will be kept in stock at my house. And if it's being served at a bar, this will be one I order. It's not your typical dark brew, but it is so good.

This brew from Athletic Brewing Co. is a stout-inspired, extra-dark beer. And by all appearances, it did its name justice. The flavor profile is supposed to be one carried by roasted nuts, coffee, and a finish of semi-sweet chocolate. While I didn't get any of these aromas from the pour, with the overall scent leaning into hoppy territory, I kept my mind open for the flavors that were about to hit my palate.

What did hit my palate was not that of one flavor, or even two. This brew seemed to be offering more of a broad selection right up front. There was a sweet spiciness that had immense depth and sharpness, but a sugary aesthetic that kept every note identifiable. I felt like I was possibly tasting cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate, something I would normally reserve for the holidays. The complexity reminded me of a red wine with its flavorful bouquet and clean finish.

This brew was incredibly easy to drink, even with its hefty weight and myriad flavors. But just like the one above, the yuletide profile pulls it away from the more classic taste that the higher-ranked options have. That should not, however, allow it to drop from your list of NAs to try.

With a vanilla and chocolate profile, Go Brewing's Street Cred After Hours Porter is one that I have had before and enjoyed. Although so many new dark brews have hit the market lately, I wasn't sure how this one would stand up in ranking. The pour delivered a thick foam that stayed around while drinking, clinging to the glass and adding a slight creaminess to the first few sips. The aroma was toasty and slightly sweet with just a hint of vanilla. It was lovely and subtle.

The smooth flavor of vanilla was the first to meet my taste buds as I took a drink of this porter. The vanilla had both weight and depth that created something rich and slightly sweet. Cocoa soon joined the party, and the flavor of s'mores was brought to mind. It wasn't as obvious as the lower-ranked chocolate dark brew, but it was there in the background along with just a slight tinge of hops to add a tartness to the finish, which was clean in all other respects.

The weight of this porter still wasn't as heavy as the drinks ranked higher, but it far surpassed the lower brews. The flavor profile of a sweet treat that I had not expected stayed so subtle that I also felt it hit closer to the classic dark brew flavor I was looking for. It is a fine line that this porter is toeing. And I enjoyed it very much.

The Sober Carpenter Black IPA is the first of its kind that I have seen. Combining a dark malt with sharp hops, this brew seemed to have the potential to fulfill many beer cravings. But honestly, I didn't know what to expect due to the name and description.

While the coloring should have prepared me, I was shocked when the first taste to hit my tongue was that of a very dark cacao. It was quickly followed by a sweetness that I also didn't expect, which elevated the chocolate flavor and expanded the profile. Soon, my tongue was met with the sharp hops I had been waiting for. They seemed to mingle just above the cacao and right below the sweetness. And as I took the glass away, I noticed for the first time the aroma of the brew was a soft caramel, which enhanced the drink even more sip after sip.

The weight wasn't precisely what I was hoping for, but in this regard, it wasn't due to the lack of alcohol. The gentler touch to the tongue seemed to be from the style. It made sense and didn't detract from the enjoyment of the beer. This brew took two classic approaches and made one excellent mash-up. Had the next one not hit the mark so precisely, this easily would have been number one.

Deschutes Black Butte non-alcoholic porter was created to reflect all the glory of the original brew without the alcohol. And from the attention it has received, it seems to be doing rather well. In fact, this brew has won over eight international awards, making it the most awarded NA craft beer.

Being a dark brew with the classic flavor notes of malt, chocolate, and coffee, I was caught off guard when I went in for a taste, and the sharp scent of tart hops hit my nose. Thankfully, once the brew flooded my palate, I was completely captivated by the fullness of what I was experiencing. This porter was heavy on my palate, dark, and coffee-forward. (That's what I'm talking about.) There were hints of cocoa just beyond the coffee, blunt but elevating. The flavor I had picked up on from the aroma appeared just at the end, slightly tart, but only there for a moment as the aftertaste of the heavy porter settled back in place.

Had I not known that this was an NA, I never would have guessed. It gave me everything I wanted in a dark brew with a heaviness on my palate and the classic flavors that remained checked and balanced. This was a sipper, and I'd be happy to do so anytime.

I'm constantly on the lookout for a good NA brew and have tried well over 100 in search of those that really hit the mark. When it came to looking for a dark brew, I knew what I had been disappointed about in the past — the weight and the classic flavor — and that's where I set my bar for ranking. Wow me, please! I didn't want another watery imposter of something I had once really enjoyed. I'd rather go without.

So, I researched, I asked around, and I gathered from local stores and PR reps. Once I had my selections in hand, I chilled them for two days. I poured each one into the same style pint glass. And between tastings, I brushed my teeth thoroughly and nibbled on crackers. Every selection was given a clean slate and the opportunity to deliver a robust heft and classic alcohol-fueled dark brew flavor. And I found so much more than I had hoped.

When I want a mainstream, classic, NA dark brew, I will go straight for the Deschutes. It's fantastic. However, if I want something a little different, I'll reach for Sober Carpenter. When September rolls around, I'll stock up on some Athletic All Out for the holiday months. And this summer will be the perfect time to enjoy a sweet FLVR! chocolate brew. Just because a brew ranks lower on this list doesn't mean it should be avoided. While they may not all hold the classic flavors, they do contain a lot of satisfaction. So, I suggest going over this list with your own preferences in mind and finding the dark brew for you.