Why Do NAs Cost the Same as Alcoholic Beverages?

The Surprising Science Behind Your NA Beer and Wine

The $15 Mocktail Question

It’s the most common question we’ve heard since launching MockTale into the world — and honestly, fair enough. You head out for a night with friends, order a few nonalcoholic drinks, and then the bill hits the table. Cue the confusion: Why are my NA cocktails or beers the same price as the boozy ones?

Let’s take the red pill for a minute.

[Morpheus voice]: What if I told you your favorite nonalcoholic beer, wine, or cider was born with alcohol? Brewed and fermented in the same vats, aged in the same barrels, as its full-strength siblings?

“NA” Isn’t Just a Label — It’s a Process

With the exception of NA spirits, nearly every nonalcoholic drink you sip began life as a regular alcoholic beverage. It’s basically impossible to brew a true NA beer or ferment a wine without alcohol forming as part of the process.

So instead, breweries and wineries remove the alcohol after fermentation. The big players like Guinness, Corona, Stella Artois, or Sierra Nevada all follow this route. These drinks are brewed the same way as their original versions, because nothing else can replicate the complex chemistry and flavor created during fermentation.

But how do they actually remove the alcohol? Two main methods dominate the NA industry: vacuum distillation and reverse osmosis. Let’s break them down.

Method One: Vacuum Distillation (a.k.a. It Sucks — Literally)

If you’ve ever lived at high altitude, you know things boil differently. Water boils at 212°F at sea level, but as atmospheric pressure drops, so does the boiling point. That’s why boxed mac ’n’ cheese cooks slower in Denver — science, baby.

Vacuum distillation flips that concept on its head. In this process, the pressure around a liquid is reduced so much that alcohol can boil off at much lower temperatures — in the low 90s°F, instead of the heat that would normally destroy flavor compounds.

Why does that matter? Because in this case, the alcohol is the byproduct, not the prize.

For whiskey or vodka, distillers want the alcohol and toss the spent mash. For NA beer, brewers want to keep the beer intact while gently removing the booze. The vacuum environment allows alcohol to evaporate while preserving the delicate chemistry that gives beer its taste and aroma.

In other words, we literally mimic outer space to make NA beer on Earth.

Method Two: Reverse Osmosis (a.k.a. Squeezing Wine Through a Molecular Sieve)

Vacuum distillation works wonders for beer — it’s hearty and can handle a little heat. The chemistry of wine, on the other hand, is more delicate and sensitive to higher temperatures. Instead, NA winemakers turn to reverse osmosis.

Imagine a mesh so fine it separates molecules. Under intense pressure, wine is forced through these microscopic filters that let only tiny water and alcohol molecules pass. What’s left behind? All the flavor compounds, tannins, and complexity that make wine taste like, well, wine.

After filtering, winemakers can choose how to rebuild the liquid. Some boil off the alcohol from the separated portion and recombine the remaining water with the flavor base, arguing it still carries essential character. Others replace the lost volume with pure water or a blend of water and grape concentrate. Either way, the goal is the same: restore the wine’s body and flavor without the alcohol.

The result? A beautifully balanced nonalcoholic wine that never sees temperatures high enough to ruin its structure. It’s energy-intensive, water-hungry, and frankly, expensive — but the payoff is a product that tastes authentic, not like grape juice in a tuxedo.

Why Nonalcoholic Drinks Cost the Same (or More)

So the next time someone balks at paying $10 for an NA beer or $12 for a glass of “alcohol removed” wine, you’ll know the truth:

• It’s not a cheap imitation. It’s the same drink, passed through an expensive and intricate process to remove the alcohol while preserving the flavor.

• It involves extra equipment, steps, and often extra water and electricity — to deliver a quality product that stands up to its boozy equivalent.

When you think about it, these drinks aren’t overpriced. They’re a steal, considering what it takes to make them taste so good without the alcohol.

Raise Your Glass (Whatever’s In It)

So go ahead — enjoy that craft NA beer, sip that zero-proof wine, or order that meticulously mixed mocktail. You’re not just skipping the hangover; you’re sipping the result of advanced chemistry, creative engineering, and a little bit of rebellion against drinking culture itself.

Cheers to drinking differently.