MISSOULA — With the New Year comes resolutions and many choose to take part in Dry January — where they don't drink alcohol during the first month of the year.
For others, living without alcohol spans beyond January.
“We don’t want alcohol to be a barrier for people to come in here and feel welcomed here,” Imagine Nation Brewing Company brewer Toby Benjamin shared.
Benjamin was home brewing for over a decade and is super passionate about the process of making beer.
He moved to Missoula from New York specifically to work at Imagine Nation because the brewery places a high value on togetherness.
“I think one of the magic things about Imagine Nation is that we are built on community and inclusivity,” Benjamin detailed.
The brewery's belief is that a night out with friends, seeing a live show, or simply living day-to-day doesn't need to include alcohol.
“I have alcoholism that runs through my family and I have members of my family who no longer drink," Owner of Imagine Nation, Tim Graham explained.
Graham stated that making a varied non-alcoholic menu is important to the culture of the brewery.
“It’s not focused on the beer necessarily, it’s focused on the community and coming together. When we do have events, I think people feel pretty comfortable coming here and not feeling that they have to have alcohol or the alcohol is pushed on them.”
So, for those staying sober, Imagine Nation offers soda and kombucha options and they created a non-alcoholic beer in late August 2023.
Head brewer Sean Nevins said that a lot of research and experimenting went into making Lupujus ZERO.
He believes that people focused on the health benefits from cutting out alcohol should have a drink choice in a brewery too.
“It’s really good to have the option to participate and not get intoxicated," Nevins said. "It’s really just an awesome way for people to kind of choose their own adventure and feel like they’re being included.”
The brewers told MTN News that Lupujus Zero is the first non-alcoholic beer brewed in Montana.
It is like a fruity IPA for those wanting a beer taste in a brewery setting without alcohol’s side effects.
If you’d like to try Lupujus ZERO, you can stop in to Imagine Nation. Or purchase one of their limited can growlers releasing around the end of January 2024.
