Stride Pale Ale

Stride Brands Ltd are a company founded during the 2020 UK lockdown by couple Dave and Hannah Ace. In a story that echoes that of many nolo brewers, Dave had become disheartened with the lack of decent alcohol-free beers available at the time, as he had personally experienced the health benefits that can come about from reducing alcohol intake. Deciding to take the plunge and come up with their own non-alcoholic brews, the couple needed a twist on what was available out there, and opted to create a sports-focussed brand and imbue their beers with isotonic properties.

We’ve seen nolo beers aimed at the sports and fitness markets before, with brands such as Erdinger basing their marketing on their isotonic beers, and even Nirvana Brewery initially following that approach with their Fit Beer. The term isotonic generally relates to the sugar and salt content of a beverage. The levels of salt and sugar will be similar to what is found in the human body naturally, which means that the body can process it quickly to replace lost fluids. Such drinks also tend to have additional vitamins and minerals added to help fluid intake, and indeed Stride Pale Ale contains vitamin B12.

A beer aimed at post-exercise recuperation is by default going to be one that should be easy to drink and refreshing, but does that mean that taste is a secondary consideration? Let’s crack this Stride Pale Ale open and see if it can satisfy both points.

Pouring the beer from the can (Stride have opted for a Redbull-style thinner and taller 330ml here) we get a slightly hazy golden coloured liquid which produces a dense soapy head as it fills the glass. On the nose we get malt and caramel, dried mango, and some slight lemon citrus. It’s not the most fragrant of pale ales, but if it’s aimed at being sunk quickly then I guess maybe there’s no time for inhaling aromas!

There’s an initial bitterness when we taste, resinous pine and citrus lemon rind, but already there’s a wateriness to the drink. We get some slight sweetness building in the form of caramel, some mineral flavour, and by the end of the drink the hops have also come out of hiding. The carbonation levels are high but the mouthfeel remains watery. We get a bitter finish to the drink.

Stride Pale Ale succeeds in what it has aimed to do – produce a non-alcoholic beer with low calories and that is easy to drink and quenches your thirst. But as a beer the flavours and aromas are pretty washed-out, and as a drinking experience it’s similar in mouthfeel to soda water. Did it help me recover from vigorous exercise? I’m afraid I can’t answer that, I conducted this review sat in front of my computer. Oh well!

Buy Stride Pale Ale

Stride Beer’s offerings are mainly available direct from the brewer, though you may find them in some sports outlets. I bought my Pale Ale online – try the following places:

Nutritional Information (per 100ml, taken from the side of the can)
ABV	0.5%
Energy	13 kcal
Fat	<0.1g
Carbohydrates	1.22g
Sugar	0.22g
Protein	0.49g
Ingredients
Not given
Additional Information
Country of Production	United Kingdom
Brewer	Stride Brands Ltd – https://www.stridebeer.com/
Gluten Free?	No
Vegan Friendly?	Yes