Sam Adams Non Alcoholic Golden Ale

Sam Adams Non-Alcoholic Golden Ale is a Massachusetts-brewed alternative to a classic craft golden ale, listed at 0.5% ABV. The brewery describes it as light-bodied and crisp, with a clean finish. That puts it in the easygoing end of the golden ale range. It isn't a hop-forward or heavily malted style. Non-alcoholic beers in this category tend to carry a soft grainy sweetness up front, a little bready or honeyed malt in the middle, and a gentle, restrained bitterness at the end. No IBU figure is published for this one, so treat any bitterness as mild rather than assertive. Because the body is light, this beer works best with food that is simple and not too rich. Grilled chicken, fish tacos, pan-seared white fish, and shrimp are good matches. So are salads with a citrus vinaigrette and soft cheeses such as fresh mozzarella or young goat cheese. Golden ales usually handle mild spice well, so lightly seasoned Thai or Vietnamese dishes and pretzels with mustard are also reasonable choices. Skip very heavy, smoky, or intensely spicy food, which would overwhelm a beer this delicate. Serve it cold, around 38 to 42°F (3 to 6°C), which is standard refrigerator temperature. Very light beers show their crispness best when chilled, and they tend to taste thin or slightly sweet as they warm. Pour it into a pint glass, a tulip, or a tall pilsner glass, whichever you have. A glass with a little taper will hold the foam and the faint malt aroma better than drinking straight from the bottle. Pouring at an angle, then straightening the glass as it fills, gives a modest white head without much loss of carbonation.