E-Malt.com News article: USA, IL: Illinois’ first nonalcoholic brewery Go Brewing eyeing January launch

A Naperville entrepreneur is turning his business skills from the automotive world to what he says is the untapped market of nonalcoholic craft beer, the Chicago Tribune reported on October 4.

Joe Chura wants to open Illinois’ first nonalcoholic brewery to give consumers an alternative to its alcoholic counterpart.

Go Brewing would open in January at the 1665 Quincy Ave. site currently occupied by 2 Fools Cidery, according to documents submitted to the city of Naperville. A tasting room would follow in March, the same time at which full production and distribution should be underway, its liquor license application said.

The facility already has the setup needed for their operations, documents said. Only aesthetic renovations will be required.

2 Fools will be moving to a new, larger site because it needs more space for production, a company Facebook post said. No location has been announced but it will have enough square footage for them to add more tanks and taps, the post said.

Go Brewing’s taproom would offer five to six nonalcoholic beers, similar to the taprooms in traditional breweries, as well as food trucks and live music. Its location is in the same industrial area as Solemn Oath Brewery.

Because they will be touting the healthier qualities of nonalcoholic beer, the brewery also plans to host fitness-based events and activities, such as yoga and stretching.

Another goal, according to the license documents, is to sell nonalcoholic draft beer to area restaurants and distribute cans for sale at grocery stores and restaurants. Because their products contain no alcohol, they can ship directly to consumers, documents said.

However, Go Brewing must still abide the federal guidelines that regulate malt beverages, regardless of their alcohol content. A liquor license also would be required by Naperville.

Demand for nonalcoholic alternatives has been on the uptick in recent years.

Market research firm IRI found that nonalcoholic beer sales rose 38% in the U.S. to $181 million in the year ending on Nov. 1, 2020, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Global Marketing Insights projects the worldwide market for nonalcoholic beer to increase 8% through 2026 because of multiple trends, including people adopting a healthier lifestyle, an increasing awareness of the negative health effects of alcohol consumption and an increasing population of nondrinkers.

A Morning Consult poll from 2019 shows 40% adults were drinking less than they did five years ago and 43% of the public doesn’t drink at all.

Of those who were drinking less, 67% cited a desire for a healthier lifestyle, 55% wanted to save money and 44% were looking to lose weight.

Go Brewing is looking to capitalize on those trends.

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Besides Chura, the Go Wide team includes his wife, Heather Chura; James Bigler, former head brewer at Alter Brewing; and Bruce Etzcorn, former operations leader at Dealer Inspire.

A self-made man, Chura began working on the Ford assembly line at age 20. He worked his way up the corporate ladder, including jobs on Ford’s regional sales team and general manager of two dealerships, where he where he grew internet sales by 300%, according to documents given to the city.

His experience led him to found two tech startups in Naperville, Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Inspire, both of which were acquired by Cars.com in 2018 in a deal worth $165 million.


06 October, 2021