The Dusty Fields of Elysian

Wotcha!

Thanks to all of you who clicked on the ‘Nope, that’s too expensive’ wine poll last week. I’m a little short on time this week, but I promise to bring you the results in the next issue.

For any of you who missed last week’s issue, here’s one more opportunity to take part in this one-question poll.

Enjoy some great drinks this week.

Cheers,

Myles

In last week’s issue (MODSUB148), How Much is Too Much?, this link got the most attention.

In this week’s edition:

NAN
New NA Drink News

BEER
Elysian Brewing - Easy Dust IPA

BEER
2026 Oktoberfest beer round-up

Read time: 6 minutes 04 seconds

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NORTH AMERICA

COCKTAIL: Next month, Mingle Mocktails release a 75mg-caffeine Non-Alcoholic Espresso Martini. (Link)

WINE: Brand new from Ariel Vineyards is their 2025 Sauvignon Blanc. (Link)

WORLDWIDE

BEER: Up in the NE of England, Schmaltz Brew Co., debut their first non-alc beer with Tropic‘ull - Dead Fruity IPA. (Link)

COCKTAIL: Batched Premium Cocktails in New Zealand have launched a non-alcoholic version of their cocktails under Batched 0%. (Link)

SPIRIT: Here’s one I definitely want to pick up when I’m back in the UK! Everleaf team up with JD’s Hot Honey for a limited edition Forest Chipotle Hot Honey. (Link)

BEER

ModSub thoughts: When I reached the counter to pay for the six-pack of Elysian Easy Dust IPA, the elderly cashier looked at me and exclaimed, “Good to see the Halloween soda is coming in.” I shot a quick glance at Mrs ModSub waiting at the end of the counter, her eyelids flickering with the slightest of squints but betraying her shared confusion. I looked back at the person behind the counter not really knowing how to answer. “Yeah, I guess so”.

To be fair, given the ludicrous amount of Halloween decorations displayed around the store, she could be forgiven for the misunderstanding. Equally, while it is fairly hard to mistake the cheerfully faced, wide-eyed hop flower on the front for anything remotely leaning towards spooky horror art, it was late in the day.

None of this tempers my excitement at coming across this IPA, though. Elysian Brewery has been a well-respected member of the Seattle craft brewing scene for three decades. I have frequented Elysian Fields, their downtown Seattle restaurant, a number of times before sporting and music events, and I’ve had my fair share of Space Dust IPA in the before times.

Easy Dust came out at the beginning of this year, introducing the first non-alcoholic “Dust” to their ever-growing line of beers.

The pour is the colour of a gorgeous golden late-afternoon sun, and the head is as impressive as I’ve seen on any NA beer to date. If that doesn’t set the stage for this fabulous West Coast IPA, then wait until you taste it. Smooth and medium-bodied, with strong notes of grapefruit and pine, the malts linger on the tongue alongside a balanced hoppiness from start to finish. It’s often said, “You’d never know there wasn’t alcohol in this,” but seriously, you know where I’m going with this.

Honestly, I would expect nothing less from Elysian, and I’d have been highly disappointed if this wasn’t a hit, but wowza, this is really very impressive. Bring on the Halloween sodas!

Elysian does not sell its products through its website, but you can use the Find button to locate where they are stocked. Brought into the Anheuser-Busch fold in 2015, Elysian’s distribution now goes far beyond the PNW, so hopefully you can locate some near you!

BUY: Elysian does not sell its products through its website, but you can use the Find button to locate where they are stocked. Brought into the Anheuser-Busch fold in 2015, Elysian’s distribution now goes far beyond the PNW, so hopefully you can locate some near you!

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Taste It Fresh

BEER

Guten Tag! Munich’s Oktoberfest officially kicks off today!

Time for my annual round-up of NA Oktoberfest beers from around the U.S.

This year, I found 13 beers, including a couple of new ones from Best Day and Sam Adams. I’ve only tried a handful of them, so I’m not going to chime in with my thoughts, but I have added the breweries’ tasting notes.

Let me know if you’ve had any of these and what you think of them, or if I’ve missed any.

PROST!

🍺 Athletic Brewing - Oktoberfest Fest Brew
Crafted for fall celebration, supremely refreshing Oktoberfest boasts a clean malt backbone from Vienna and Munich malts. Hallertau Mittelfruh hops add light bitterness to complement the bready aromatics and slightly sweet body. More Info.

🍺 Atmos Brewing Co. - Oktoberfest Non-Alcoholic Marzen
A traditional Marzen Lager for fall! A solid body with noticeable malt and lingering caramel sweetness brewed in the traditional Oktoberfest style. More info.

🍺 Barbarian Brewing - Non Alcoholic Märzen
Bavarian style Märzen Lager with no alcohol! More info.

🍺 Best Day Brewing - Oktoberfest
Introducing Oktoberfest, a seasonal Amber Festbier brewed in the traditional Bavarian Märzen style, inspired by the beers first poured at Oktoberfest in Munich. Rich in color with a malty aroma, it delivers delicate hop character and a subtly sweet body that finishes crisp, clean, and exceptionally smooth. With notes of toasted bread, light caramel, and a balanced lager finish, it's everything to love about Oktoberfest without the alcohol. Available for a limited time. More info.

🍺 Founders Brewery Co. - Nonetheless Oktoberfest
Nonetheless Oktoberfest is as traditional as they come, minus the alcohol. This German-style beer is rich, malty, slightly sweet and pours a gorgeous copper hue. Every sip features all the classic, flavorful malt character you love. Prost! More info.

🍺 Go Brewing - Damn Good Oktoberfest
Celebrate the season with Damn Good Oktoberfest, a non-alcoholic Märzen lager crafted with rich toasted malt, notes of caramel and fresh-baked bread, and a smooth crisp finish. Brewed with premium grains, hops and yeast, it delivers all the classic Oktoberfest character, you love so you can raise a stein and celebrate without compromise. More info.

🍺 One For The Road - No Regrets Marzen
Rich, Malty, Toasty. A rich beer driven by malt with a balance of clean, hop bitterness. Our award-winning Marzen’s amber colour with copper highlights is a full-bodied, rich and toasty beer with an enticing aroma. More info.

🍺 Partake Brewing - Oktoberfest
Partake Oktoberfest is crafted with Munich and Vienna malts providing a semi-sweet, toasted malt flavor perfectly balanced by German hops. Smooth and easy drinking, it's reminiscent of changing leaves and autumn crisp air. More info.

🍺 Sierra Nevada - Trail Pass Fest Brew
The steins are shined, the tents are ready, and—thanks to Trail Pass—your glass is full of non-alcoholic Fest Brew. It’s packed with the rich flavor and smooth drinkability of a classic Festbier, but without the alcohol, so you can keep the party going strong. Prost! Trail Pass uses traditional brewing methods, not alcohol removal, to create full craft flavor below the 0.5% ABV non-alcoholic threshold. More info.

🍺 Sober Carpenter - Oktoberfest
This seems to be advertised on their website but the link appears to be broken. Anyone seen this out in the wild?

🍺 FLVR! - NA Oktoberfest
Prost! Fill your stein and celebrate the world’s favorite fall beer holiday with this non-alcoholic version of the beloved German festbier featuring rich caramel and Vienna malts for body and a crisp finish courtesy of Cascade hops. More info.

🍺 Stephen’s Point Brewery - Oktoberfest NA
All the fest, none of the fuss. Point Oktoberfest NA delivers the same rich, toasty warmth of our classic Marzen, crafted with roasted Vienna and caramel Munich malts. You can raise a stein with friends anytime. Full flavored, fun, and always festival ready. Prost! More info.

🍺 Woodland Farms Brewery - FEST
Brewed to exacting specification, FEST is the first launch of our "Lager-Like" line of N/A beers. Munich malts, bread and biscuit notes with high carbonation and a crisp finish, this is the fall beer of an N/A drinkers dreams! More info.

EXTRA READS

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