Firestone Walker Expands its 805 Beer Brand with 8ZERO5 Non-Alcoholic Beer

There seems to be no slow down in new non-alcoholic offerings. The latest brewery to dive into this growing market segment is Firestone Walker Brewing Company with the judiciously named 8ZERO5. A take on the brewery’s largest selling beer, 805 Blonde Ale, Firestone Walker’s brew team has re-imagined this popular blonde ale as one that is non-alcoholic at under the normal threshold of 0.5% ABV and 60 calories.

8ZERO5 arrives at a time where beer drinkers are looking at a bit more healthier options. This NA option sets itself apart from many others with its full flavor and vibes of an established beer line. Just as both 805 Blonde Ale and 805 Cerveza have found a strong connection to outdoor activities and along with it, extreme athletes, 8ZERO5 will further solidify this brand connection to this market segment.

“We believe that just because a beer is non-alcoholic, it doesn’t mean it should be any less satisfying. With 8ZERO5, we’re thrilled to offer our fans, drinkers, and athletes an 805 Beer for the non-alcohol occasion,” said Dustin Hinz, Chief Marketing Officer for Firestone Walker Brewing Company. “Whether it’s from the paddle out to the podium, the flow state to the zen den, when the moment calls for zero limits, drinkers can now reach for an 8ZERO5.”

After sampling a few cans of 8ZERO5, we can attest to its flavor profile that is eerily similar to the full on alcohol induced 805 Blonde Ale as it lives up to its brewery’s name. 8ZERO5 is nicely balanced with full flavor that’s accented with a touch of fruity hop notes that leaves a nice crisp finish. Enough so that we truly looked forward to cracking open a second can. Plus, at just 60 calories, it’s a great option when looking at cutting back while enjoying a flavorful beverage.

For the past two years, 8ZERO5 has been in development under the guidance of Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. His goal was to produce a non-alcoholic beer that mirrored everything drinkers know and love in the bestselling 805 Blonde Ale. 

“We’ve tasted and analyzed 805 Blonde Ale’s appeal exhaustively over the past ten years, and we know all of the key elements that customers love in that beer, and we wanted to capture these elements in the non-alcoholic version closely,” Brynildson said. “We worked hard, nailed it, and now we’re off to the races. We’ve got something here that can compete with anything in the non-alcoholic space, and I’m pretty stoked about it.”

As previously mentioned 8ZERO5 joins the 805 Beer’s line of extreme athletes and creative artists that are also known as Authenticos. This list of Authenticos includes World Surf League professional surfer Lakey Peterson, nine-time X-Games medalist Tyler Bereman, MMA champion Tabatha Ricci, and singer-songwriters such as The White Buffalo and Jade Jackson. The 8ZERO5 campaign is the latest chapter in Firestone Walker’s signature marketing effort with substantial media investments, brand partnerships, trade efforts, and experiential programming.

Currently 8ZERO5 is packaged in 6-pack, 12 ounce cans and is currently only available in three states, California, Arizona, and Nevada. Firestone Walker chose to launch this new NA offering to its three largest selling states. Hopefully we will see 8ZERO5 here in the Pacific Northwest in the coming months!

To learn more, visit 805beer.com/beer/8zero5/.