"Will I like it?"

Will I like it? Is it really beer? These are the kinds of questions I’ve been fielding at the grand opening of Lakeview Cheese Galore  in Mississauga. I have a trough full of ice-cold Harmon’s non-alcoholic beer chilling on my sampling table and a steady stream of people milling past. I’m in my element because selling beer on the Internet will never replace the magic of the “liquid to lips” experience. You’ve got to try it before you buy it. 

But some people are genuinely confused by the whole beer-without-alcohol thing.  One woman seems particularly puzzled. “Will I like your beer?” she asks. It’s a potentially loaded question, but one I’m asked many times. Although I hate answering a question with a question, my reply is always the same:

“Well, do you like beer?”

“Not really,” the woman responds, a slight tinge of embarrassment in her voice.  I appreciate her honesty, and she’s made my job a lot easier.

“Ahh, in that case, I doubt you’ll like Harmon’s since it’s actually craft beer.”

She smiles. I think she appreciates my honesty too. She gives the sample of Harmon’s a hard pass.

Will you like our non-alcoholic craft beer?  If you’re not a beer fan to start with, odds are you won’t. Sure, we want you to love it, but we also won’t be offended if you give it a miss.  

In fact, we consider it a compliment. It means we’re doing our job as brewers to make our non-alcoholic recipes as flavourful as higher-octane beer. But if you appreciate the citrus and pine hop flavour of a beautifully balanced pale ale, we’re confident you’re not just going to like Harmon’s Jack Pine Non-Alcoholic Pale Ale; you’re going to love it. 

We’re brewers. We’re not making hop-infused sparkling water or a functional beverage that will help your post-workout recovery. Instead, we simply brew delicious craft beer that stops fermenting at .5% alcohol. It’s not easy to do, and we hope you enjoy all the time and effort we’ve put into developing our recipes.

So, will you like Harmon’s? Ask yourself if you like beer, and there’s your answer.

-Steve Abrams

Co-founder

Harmon's Craft Brewing