Brewing a Better Future: The Rise of Athletic Brewing Company
In 2017, ultramarathon runner Bill Shufelt had a problem. He had given up alcohol four years earlier, yet every “non-alcoholic” beer he tried left him underwhelmed. For someone who thrived on discipline and quality, the lack of great-tasting, alcohol-free options was unacceptable. Enter John Walker, an award-winning brewmaster.
Together, they embarked on a brewing odyssey—hundreds of home-brew batches later, they perfected a process that fully ferments beer to just under 0.5% ABV without stripping flavor or adding fillers. The result was a new standard for NA beer..
A year later, Athletic Brewing Company had opened its first dedicated NA brewery in Stratford, Connecticut. San Diego followed soon after, and in 2022, they unveiled what’s believed to be the largest non-alcoholic beer facility in the world in Milford, CT.
From Zero to Awesome
The craft beer world took notice quickly. Athletic’s sales exploded—from $2.5 million in 2019 to $15 million in 2020, a 500% leap. By 2021, they were producing over 100,000 barrels annually, capturing nearly half of the U.S. non-alcoholic craft beer market.
Their trajectory through the Brewers Association rankings has been nothing short of meteoric: #27 in 2022, #13 in 2023, and #8 in 2024. Early this year, they passed Heineken and Bud Zero to become the top-selling NA beer brand in U.S. grocery stores.
The accolades came fast: Time’s “100 Most Influential Companies” in 2022, Inc.’s second fastest-growing food & beverage brand, and a groundbreaking win at the 2020 International Beer Challenge, where their Free Wave IPA became the first NA beer to take home the title of Supreme Champion Beer!
Ethics on Tap
Athletic Brewing’s success is built on more than sales—it’s a business model steeped in purpose.
In 2022, they became a Certified B Corporation, holding themselves to rigorous standards for social and environmental impact. Their Two for the Trails program, launched in 2018, commits 2% of sales to trail conservation projects. That modest $6,000 in its first year has since grown to $2 million annually, funding over 170 projects across the U.S., UK, and Canada.
Employees are given 12 paid volunteer days a year to work on restoration projects. Sustainability runs through every facet of operations—think 60,000 square feet of solar panels in San Diego, renewable energy credits in Connecticut, upcycled malt bags, plastic-free packaging, and diverting 112 tons of spent grain weekly to local farms for feed.
Culture with a Conscience, and that radical idea of ‘Inclusion’
Inside the company, five core values guide every decision: Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation, Community, and Quality. Athletic invests in scholarships, diversity hiring, and professional development, ensuring voices from all backgrounds will help shape its future.
The benefits package reads like a wish list: comprehensive health coverage, 401(k) matching, and generous volunteer time off. In an industry known for high turnover, Athletic is proving that investing in people pays off—in loyalty and creativity.
Why They’re Different
The non-alcoholic beer market has long been a graveyard of compromises—weak flavor, watery body, forgettable experiences. Athletic Brewing flipped the script. Their beers don’t taste like “alternatives”; they taste like beer, full stop.
They scaled fast, but without losing sight of their values: sustainable packaging, renewable energy, community engagement, and unwavering product quality. They’ve become a lifestyle brand as much as a brewery—aligning with outdoor recreation, wellness, and environmental stewardship.
Athletic brews beer, and they also prove that business growth and positive impact can go hand in hand. They offer a beer that can be enjoyed on the summit, at the finish line, or on a Tuesday night before an early morning run.
Athletic is brewing a better, more sustainable future. Enjoy!
