In recent months, Crux Fermentation Project has been testing a non-alcoholic IPA on draft at its tasting room: NØ MØ. It’s gone through several iterations of research and recipe development, as the brewers worked to create a non-alcoholic brew that doesn’t use methods like arrested fermentation or post-fermentation alcohol removal. Instead, they brew NØ MØ in the same way that BrewDog purports to brew it’s AF lineup: by brewing a very low-alcohol beer, then diluting with water as needed to get the final ABV to 0.5% or below (the legal limit for non-alcoholic beers).

I’ve tasted NØ MØ and can confirm, there are none of the usual off-flavors you can find in an NA beer. No worty, unfermented taste, no chlorophenolic-like byproducts, and the balance of the light body against the hops works well.

And it’s now more widely available in cans. Here’s the press release:

Finally, a non-alcoholic beer that tastes like the real thing! Crux Fermentation Project is excited to announce the release of its first non-alcoholic IPA, currently available at its Bend tasting room and throughout Crux’s Oregon distribution footprint. NØ MØ is a refreshingly hoppy alternative IPA sitting at just 30 calories and coming in at under 0.5% ABV. Created with traditional brewing methods so craft beer fanatics will find a familiar flavor and mouthfeel, NØ MØ features Flaked Oats, Honey and Crystal Malts, and Pacific Northwest grown Citra and Mosaic hops.

“Crafting a non-alcoholic beer is no easy task, and to produce something that feels similar to drinking the real thing is even more of a challenge,” said Larry Sidor, Founder and Master Brewer at Crux Fermentation Project. “Most non-alcoholic beer on the market has simply had the alcohol removed, but this was not the approach we wanted to take. NØ MØ was developed from the ground up, with a formulation built specifically for this “near beer”. Our goal was to produce a non-alcoholic IPA that fans would truly want to drink – and so far, we’ve found that to be the case with NØ MØ.”

Sidor worked closely with Cam O’Connor, Head Brewer for Crux Fermentation Project, and the rest of Crux’s brewing team on the development of NØ MØ. After extensive testing and experimentation, the team collectively settled on an IPA that is full of flavor and has a medium body. The NØ MØ name pays tribute to Crux’s fan-favorite Gimme Mo IPA, also brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops.

As of June 1, 12-ounce six-pack cans of this new non-alcoholic IPA are available at grocery stores and markets throughout Oregon and will roll out to the rest of Crux’s distribution territory in the near future. Six-packs of NØ MØ can be purchased at Crux’s Bend tasting room, where fans will also find the beer on tap. Residents of Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona and Nevada can purchase NØ MØ online and have it shipped directly to their doorstep from the brewery.

To learn more about NØ MØ IPA, visit: www.cruxfermentation.com/beer/no-mo.

Since I’ve been exploring NA beers a bit over this past year, I’ll be doing a deeper dive on NØ MØ soon (along with Deschutes Brewery’s Irish Style Dark, the only other locally-brewed NA beer that I’m aware of).