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Athletic Brewing Company

Athletic Run Wild IPA

The best-known American alcohol-free IPA, from a brewery that makes nothing else.

Strength
0.4–0.5% ABV

Also called Run Wild, Athletic Brewing Run Wild.

Brewed to finish below the threshold rather than de-alcoholised afterwards, which is the harder of the two routes for a hop-forward beer and the one that keeps more aroma. The difficulty moves elsewhere: a beer that never had much alcohol never had much body either, so the problem to solve is thinness rather than lost aroma.

It is the reference point for the argument that alcohol-free beer improved because somebody built a brewery around the constraint instead of adapting a recipe to it.

What it tastes like

Inherited from Alcohol-free IPA, because this beer sits within the normal range for it. BeerHQ’s comparative scale, not a measurement.

Sweetness
Bitterness
Body
Carbonation
Dryness
Alcohol warmth
Hop aroma
Citrus
Tropical fruit
Resin & pine

Why BeerHQ carries this beer

ReasonCarried as a reference example of its style
Strength0.4–0.5% ABV — checked 2026-08-19. Strengths differ by market and change without announcement, so this is dated rather than absolute.
Record stabilityVolatile — production, strength or availability are actively changing. Treat specifics as needing verification.

BeerHQ records no recipe, hop bill, malt bill, yeast strain, IBU or calorie figure for any commercial beer unless it is sourced. Nothing on this page is inferred from what the beer tastes like.

What is distinctive about it

  • Brewed to finish below the threshold rather than having alcohol removed, which preserves hop aroma at the cost of body
  • From a brewery that produces alcohol-free beer exclusively rather than as a line extension

If you like Athletic Run Wild IPA

Worked out from what this beer actually tastes like rather than from what its style typically does. Three kinds of move, because “what should I try next” is three different questions.

Closest to it

Very similar in structure and flavour. Safe ground rather than discovery.

  • Alcohol-free pale lager — try Lucky Saint Unfiltered Lager or Adnams Ghost Ship 0.5%

    A close structural match for Athletic Run Wild IPA — a likely fit if you want more of the same.

    Different: noticeably less citrus (moderate → none–trace).

    May not suit: Noticeably less citrus than Athletic Run Wild IPA.

  • Low-alcohol bitter

    A close structural match for Athletic Run Wild IPA — a likely fit if you want more of the same.

    Different: noticeably less citrus (moderate → none–trace).

    May not suit: Noticeably less citrus than Athletic Run Wild IPA.

  • Alcohol-free stout — try Guinness 0.0 or Big Drop Galactic Milk Stout

    A close structural match for Athletic Run Wild IPA — a likely fit if you want more of the same.

    Different: noticeably more roast (none–trace → moderate–high).

    May not suit: Noticeably more roast than Athletic Run Wild IPA.

Similar, but different

Keeps what you probably like about it and changes one or two things. Usually the most useful answer.

A bigger jump

Genuinely different, but connected by something specific — the shared trait is named so you can judge whether the bridge holds.

  • India pale lager — try Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union

    Both carry real hop aroma, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Athletic Run Wild IPA.

    Different: slightly more bitterness (moderate → high).

    May not suit: Very close to Athletic Run Wild IPA; if you wanted a change, this is not it.

  • American IPA — try Sierra Nevada Torpedo or BrewDog Punk IPA

    Both carry real hop aroma, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Athletic Run Wild IPA.

    Different: slightly more bitterness (moderate → high–very high).

    May not suit: Very close to Athletic Run Wild IPA; if you wanted a change, this is not it.

  • Cold IPA

    Both carry real hop aroma, which is the thread to follow if that is what you like about Athletic Run Wild IPA.

    Different: slightly less sweetness (low → trace).

    May not suit: Very close to Athletic Run Wild IPA; if you wanted a change, this is not it.

Likely fits rather than promises. Taste varies, and a recommendation engine that claims certainty is claiming something it cannot know.

What to eat with it

Inherited from Alcohol-free IPA. BeerHQ does not duplicate pairings onto individual products unless the product genuinely differs from its style.

Keeping it

Alcohol-free IPA shows best within 1–3 months of packaging. After that it declines in quality rather than becoming unsafe.

Drink fresh. Buy it as young as you can and drink it soon. What makes this beer worth drinking is the first thing to leave it.

Derived from Alcohol-free IPA. See storage and freshness for the full model.

BeerHQ carries a small set of reference beers to anchor styles, not a catalogue. There is no rating here and there will not be one. Last reviewed 2026-08-19.