NA pumpkin beer in Westford, MA

If you are looking for an NA pumpkin beer, start with Athletic's Dark & Gourdy Pumpkin & Spice, which CBC Liquors in Westford has on the shelf. It sits in our pumpkin beer section next to the full-strength pumpkin ales, and you can pick it up at 142 Littleton Rd or order it for pickup or delivery.

What does NA pumpkin beer mean?

NA stands for non-alcoholic. An NA pumpkin beer is brewed like a seasonal pumpkin ale, with the same pumpkin and baking-spice flavors, but finished with little or no alcohol. In the US, a beer sold as non-alcoholic has to stay under 0.5 percent alcohol by volume, so always read the label for the exact figure.

People search for this for plenty of reasons: driving home, a night off, a guest who is not drinking, or simply wanting the fall flavor without the alcohol. All of those are good reasons to ask for it.

Our full pumpkin beer section is the place to browse, and the NA bottle is part of it.

Which NA pumpkin beer does CBC Liquors carry?

The one to look for is ATHLETIC DARK & GOURDY PUMPKIN & SPICE. It is the product page Google already sends this search to, and it is the closest match to what you are after.

The name tells you the direction: a darker beer with pumpkin and spice. If you are used to pale, thin NA beers, a darker base is a welcome change, because roast and malt help carry the spice.

Stock moves through the season, so if you are making a special trip, call the shop before you drive over and we will confirm it is on the shelf.

How is non-alcoholic beer made?

There are two broad routes. Some brewers make the beer normally and then remove the alcohol, usually with gentle heat under vacuum or with filtration. Others brew in a way that limits how much alcohol forms in the first place, using special yeast or a shortened fermentation.

Either way, the aim is to keep the malt body and hop character so the beer does not taste like flavored water. Pumpkin and spice are added the same way they are in regular seasonal beers, with the spice usually leaning on cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove.

Because there is no alcohol to add weight, NA beers can taste lighter. That is why a darker, spiced style like pumpkin ale suits the category well.

What does an NA pumpkin ale taste like?

Expect the flavors you associate with pumpkin pie more than the vegetable itself. Pumpkin in beer usually adds a soft, slightly sweet, squash-like note, and the spices do most of the talking. Toasted malt gives a bread-crust or caramel background.

If you want something sweeter, look for the word spice on the label. If you prefer a drier finish, a darker malt-driven beer will read less sugary. The Athletic bottle is described as dark, so expect roast alongside the spice.

Serve it cold but not frozen. Very cold temperatures mute spice, and a few minutes out of the fridge lets the flavor open up. A glass beats a bottle here because you get the aroma.

What full-strength pumpkin beers are on the shelf too?

If you are shopping for a mixed group, it helps to know the rest of the section. We carry SHIPYARD Pumpkin Head, SHIPYARD SMASHED PUMPKIN, SOUTHERN TIER PUMKING, MIGHTY SQUIRREL GOURDGEOUS PUMPKIN and TWO ROADS ROADMARY'S BABY.

Check each label for its alcohol content before you buy, especially if you are picking for someone who avoids alcohol. Pumpkin ales and imperial pumpkin beers range widely in strength, and they look alike in the cooler.

If you want to keep exploring seasonal styles, our speciality beer section and Oktoberfest beers sit alongside the pumpkin ones.

How do you serve NA pumpkin beer at a gathering?

Put it in the same cooler as everything else and label it, so nobody grabs the wrong bottle. Pour it into a proper glass so it looks like the other beers on the table.

It pairs the way a regular pumpkin ale does: roast chicken, squash soup, sharp cheddar, pork, or anything with sage and browned butter. For dessert, think apple pie or a ginger cookie rather than something already heavy with pumpkin.

If you are planning a larger event, our party planner page is a good place to start, and you can ask us in the shop about what else to stock for guests who are not drinking.

Can I pick it up or have it delivered?

Yes. CBC Liquors does pickup, delivery and shipping besides walking in. Pickup hours match store hours: Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Delivery runs a little shorter: Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. Besides Westford, we serve Chelmsford, Carlisle, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsborough, Lowell, Billerica, Boxborough and Dunstable. Check your town on the delivery areas page, or see Chelmsford and Acton for example.

Our shipping terms are on the shipping policy page.

What if the bottle you want is hard to find?

Seasonal beers come and go, and a particular NA or pumpkin beer may not be around for long. The best habit is to ask early in the season rather than in November.

The shop carries 4,588 products from 1,883 brands, so there is often a close alternative if one name is out. Tell us the style you are after, whether that is darker and spiced, lighter and sweeter, or simply non-alcoholic, and we will point you to what fits.

For limited releases, have a look at our allocated items page, and for anything you cannot find, use the kegs request page or stop by 142 Littleton Rd and ask at the counter.