If there’s any indicator that the non-alcoholic market is quietly buzzing, this might be it. Longtime NA standout Athletic Brewing was recently recognized by Inc. Magazine for its rapid jump in popularity this year.
This week, the Connecticut-based brand ranked no. 26 on the 2022 Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 list of rapidly-growing private companies in the United States. The NA craft brewer grew by over 13,000 percent in three-year revenue growth, racking in a whopping $37 million in sales last year.
Inc. Magazine shared the list on Tuesday, with companies such as Crumbl Cookies also appearing alongside Athletic Brewing. Several other breweries and beverage companies appeared lower in the list, including Drake’s Organic Spirits and Scout & Cellar.
The annual list has appeared on the business magazine’s website since 2007. Previously, Inc. published a Top 500 every year since 1982.
Athletic Brewing’s zero-ABV brews haven’t been around for long. The company was started in 2017 by co-founders Bill Shufelt and John Walker. As Shufelt tells Inc. Magazine, the former hedge fund trader grew tired of the negative effects of drinking and felt unsatisfied with the options in the NA beer field at the time.
In the article accompanying the list, Inc. Magazine identifies non-alcoholic beer as the fastest-growing category in the craft beer scene. Expanding beyond the brand’s initial craft beer offerings, Athletic Brewing also produces hop-infused sparkling waters in a variety of fruit flavors.