Brewmaster Rob Doyle Recalls the Question that Led to a Challenge

It started with a conversation, or rather a question. “Have you ever had an excellent non-alcoholic beer?” And back in January 2020, the answer was “no”. That simple ‘no’ became a challenge: create flavourful craft beer that happens to be non-alcoholic. Back then, we didn’t know it was possible; we just knew it was needed.

I’ve been brewing craft beer for most of my professional life, and it’s more than just a job. So, when I accepted this challenge, there was never any question that I would approach it the same way I’ve set about making every beer I’ve created: no shortcuts. We were going to brew our beer the same way other Canadian craft brewers approach their beer: hard work, integrity, and creativity.

Every craft beer drinker will tell you that full flavour is critical. However, developing that depth of flavour meant focusing on a few specific elements: balance, organic ingredients, and traditional methods. Balance is the key to full flavour and creating that balance with a shorter fermentation process took experimentation and more than a few late nights.

There is an overused adage that great things come from great ingredients. This is particularly true when it comes to brewing beer. It’s why we only use the highest quality organic ingredients. Why organic? Because in our opinion, organic farming practices are best for brewing ingredients & we want to showcase the best of those ingredients. But at Harmon’s, it goes beyond just the taste - it’s what’s best for the health of the soil. Sustainability is a core value for the company. The reason is simple: we want to minimize the impact we have on our local community, town, city, and planet. Using organic ingredients and being organically certified is just the start.

As for methods, we use the same approach and techniques that we’ve been using for years. That means getting up early, staying late, mashing, lautering, boiling & even cleaning the floors! We take pride in brewing a non-alcoholic beer & not taking shortcuts by using any of the fancy de-alcoholizing technology that exists with our larger macro friends!

After two years of hard work, we think we’ve answered that question from January 2020, but we want to know how you feel. Is Harmon’s a non-alcoholic beer that quenches your thirst for authentic craft beer flavour? Order some today and let us know!

- Rob Doyle

Brewmaster & Co-Founder

Harmon's Craft Brewing