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Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA Review
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Welcome to our Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA review!
We know, we know—first it was cookie dough, and now it’s beer.
But just like then, we at least have an excuse as to why we would be interested in Athletic Brewing’s Run Wild IPA as nutrition reviewers.
Namely, this beer has shone a light in a dim place: the underwhelming world of non-alcoholic beer.
That’s right, aside from being delicious and almost indiscernible from “standard” IPAs, the Run Wild IPA offers a fraction of the calories with (virtually) no alcohol and an organic/non-GMO ingredient list to boot.
Run Wild earns an A+ from our review team, who recommends this delicious, non-alcoholic IPA to any of our fellow hop-heads looking to ixnay the alcohol while preserving that trademark tingle only a well-crafted IPA can provide.
Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA
Ingredient and Nutritional Quality
Summary:
Grade: A+
Athletic Brewing unapologetically shows up the competition with an all-natural, non-GMO, and partially organic ingredient list completely lacking in artificial additives or fillers.
Here is the ingredient list for Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA:
Water, Organic Vienna Malt, Malted Barley, Oats, Hops, Wheat, Yeast.
While you can only go so far nutritionally with even a (much) healthier beer alternative, we take context into account to an extent when reviewing products.
In other words, Run Wild doesn’t necessarily have to compete with a 28-ingredient super-supplement to score well, but they better outperform the majority of non-alcoholic beers on the market.
And outperform they have, thanks to these key differentiators we found in the Run Wild IPA ingredient list:
- Organic Vienna malt
- Non-GMO ingredients
- 65 calories
The lack of alcohol is mostly responsible for the diminished calorie content, which throws a little extra shade on “big beer.”
And while they aren’t packed with nutrients per se, hops aren’t completely irredeemable, providing respectable amounts of vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin C, antioxidants, and xanthohumol (which fittingly demonstrates pro-liver effects).
The malt, barley, and oats also kick in plenty of fiber, potassium, more antioxidants, and several other key nutrients.
There are no artificial ingredients or low-quality grains to speak of in the Run Wild IPA ingredient list.
Within the context of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer markets, this IPA is certainly worthy of an A+ for ingredient and nutritional quality in our Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA review, thanks to its organic, non-GMO, and all-natural ingredient list.
User Experience
Summary:
Grade: A+
This moderately hoppy and refreshing NA beer was so delicious, even our IPA-phobic reviewers had a change of taste buds (finally).
Except for the universal sign of the IPA enthusiast—the man-bun/flannel shirt combo—it’s very hard to tell who will enjoy the taste of an IPA and who will vehemently refuse, but again, context is key here.
If you don’t like IPAs already, then sorry, you won’t like this one, but that doesn’t mean Athletic Brewing takes a demerit.
Thankfully, our review team consists of a couple of IPA fans, one opposer, and one person in more neutral territory, providing a nice and diverse sample to work with.
Simply put, our review team agreed that this beer was delicious.
Insert buzzy beer lingo here: The Run Wild IPA is full-bodied, perfectly hoppy, and smooth enough to tantalize even the unconverted.
Indeed, even our anti-IPA reviewer has professed his newfound faith in IPAs because of his experience with Run Wild, which we attribute to the right amount of restraint on the hops.
A seasoned craft beer enthusiast will probably be able to discern the lack of alcohol content, but even our IPA drinkers had a difficult time catching (or rather, not catching) it.
As for the other aspects of our experience, there were no hitches in the ordering/purchasing processes, nor do we have any complaints about the packaging, labeling, or customer service related to our orders.
Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA is without a doubt the best non-alcoholic IPA we’ve ever had, earning a solid A+ for user experience in our Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA review.
Brand Experience
Summary:
Grade: A
Shopping the website, ordering products, and interacting with customer support are all made easy by Athletic Brewing’s pro-consumer approach to business, though the return policy could use some clarification.
Regardless of which product(s) you’re trying, if a brand can’t support it with informative content, an easy shopping experience, and customer support, your overall experience suffers.
Athletic Brewing Company makes a convincing effort in this regard, starting with their succinct and well-designed product pages and filters for quick navigating.
The checkout process is hitchless; there were no pop-ups or excessive splash pages to disrupt the smooth shopping experience.
You won’t find any lengthy essays on their (proprietary) brewing process or NA beer in general, but given that it’s not a new or highly complex product, the brand story and general breakdown of the brewing process feel sufficient.
On that note, we appreciated the simple, but helpful “hops/malt/body” scale on each product page that shows where the beer lands on these important attributes.
As for customer service, we had no reason to contact them for this Run Wild IPA review, but we describe in our Athletic Brewing Brand Review how the email system furnished a response within two hours of our inquiry.
The phone service was also highly responsive, and though the first agent we spoke to was unsure of the answer to our question, they had another person call back the same day and provide a helpful answer.
The return policy is not clearly delineated on the website—two different sources on the site give somewhat contradictory descriptions—but Founder Bill Shufelt explained to us that Athletic Brewing “Usually just refund[s] the customer, since returns aren’t possible with perishable and opened foods.”
This and the lack of a satisfaction guarantee were our two gripes for the brand experience category, but considering all the wins, it’s an A for brand experience in our Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA review.
Value
Summary:
Grade: A+
The price tag may seem steep at first glance, but taking into account the ingredient quality, taste, and subscription savings for this NA beer, it’s a stellar value (prices accurate as of time of publication).
Note: prices are accurate up to time of publication.
Like the vast majority of Athletic Brewing Company’s non-alcoholic beers, a six-pack of the Run Wild IPA (12oz cans) retails on their site for $13.99.
Athletic Club subscribers can pay $11.89 per six-pack, in addition to receiving free shipping, which adds some approachability.
Of course, it almost goes without saying that $13.99 or even $11.89 for a six-pack of 12oz cans is a moderate bump in price from many craft IPAs (usually between $9-12), which means Athletic Brewing Company has to justify their premium on the quality end.
Here’s their case in a nutshell:
- Excellent taste
- About half the calories of most IPAs
- No alcohol
- Organic and non-GMO ingredients
Considering the lack of compromise on taste and quality, the NA aspect, and the subscription especially, we can’t deny it’s an A+ for value in our Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA review.
FAQ
What does athletic brewing Run Wild IPA taste like?
Moderately bitter, malty, clean (no citrus/clove), and straight-up delicious.
Is Athletic Brewing really alcohol-free?
All of Athletic Brewing’s beers are officially classified as “non-alcoholic,” which, unlike the “alcohol free” classification, denotes a product that contains 0.5% alcohol or less.
How many calories are in Athletic Brewing IPA?
Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA contains 65 calories, and the Free Wave Hazy IPA contains 70 calories.
How many carbs are in Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA beer?
A 12oz serving of Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA contains 16 grams of carbs.
Who owns Athletic Brewing?
Athletic Brewing was founded and is currently owned by Bill Shufelt.
Our Verdict
Even when removed from the forgiving context that the Run Wild IPA lives in—a stagnant market awash with watery selections—this organic, non-GMO, low-calorie beer makes a case for nutritional value.
Our testers thoroughly enjoyed the moderately hoppy, full-bodied taste, which is likely to fool everyone who doesn’t use words like “gravity” and “IBUs” when it comes to the lack of alcohol.
Athletic Brewing stands behind this beer and the rest of their selection with above-par customer support, site content, and return policies, though the latter could use a clarification.
Finally, you’re paying a couple of bucks extra for a six-pack of Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA, but for those completely restricting alcohol and the so many others (like us) who are just over the hype, this delicious NA beer just may open up new opportunities.
It’s a hard (well, not hard) A+ for Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA from our team, and we recommend this beer to anyone looking for that blissfully hoppy taste without the hangover.
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