Sunbeam Pils

I covered Go Brewing's Double IPA, The Story, earlier this year, so you know the backstory: Illinois' first NA craft brewery, out of Naperville since 2022. The Sunbeam Pils is their flagship lager, taking its name from Carl Sagan's "pale blue dot" passage, where he described Earth as "a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."

The Sunbeam is brewed with barley malt and German Tettnang hops using Go Brewing's proprietary process, which keeps ABV naturally under 0.5% without dealcoholization. It comes in at 0.46% ABV, 43 calories, and 10 IBU per 12oz can, and has picked up gold at the Best of Craft Beer Awards.

This one drinks light and crushable, with more carbonation than you'd expect from the style. The Tettnang hops come through with an earthy, herbal bite that works well here, and there's just a faint NA aftertaste if you go looking for it. A solid, easy-drinking pils, and a fair pick-up if you spot it.