Lagunitas Non-Alcoholic Beer Review
Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher is less like NA beer and more like aggressively hopped sparkling water with a bright, citrusy snap.
Lagunitas is a useful brand to understand because the non-alcoholic offering is not really trying to be beer in the usual sense. Hoppy Refresher is sparkling water built with the brewery’s hop instincts still fully on. Lagunitas describes it as crisp, zingy, and dry-hopped, with Citra, Equinox, and Centennial pulling out fruity aromas and a little pine.
That matters because some people buy this expecting an NA IPA and then wonder why it feels so bare. Hoppy Refresher is not giving you malt, bitterness, or beer body. It is giving you bubbles, hop aroma, a dry finish, and almost none of the heaviness that can come with beer or even with many canned mocktails.
Where to shop
Use ProofNoMore if you want to browse Lagunitas directly. Amazon is there as a backup if the usual beer channels look thin.
What it actually drinks like
Lagunitas says the biotransformed hop profile pulls bubblegum, lime, lemon, tangerine, and a bit of pine, and that is the right way to picture it. This is aromatic and lively, with more hop perfume than flavor depth. The carbonation is part of the appeal. It gives the drink a nervy, almost palate-clearing feel that is especially good in warm weather.
Because there is no malt frame underneath, everything happens fast. You get the citrus and tropical lift up front, some resin and pine in the edges, and then it is gone. That makes it refreshing. It also means it will not scratch the itch for someone who wants an actual NA beer with weight and bitterness.
Who should buy it
If you already like hop water, this is one of the more recognizable versions. If you want something for the afternoon, after a workout, at your desk, or in a cooler where beer feels too filling, Hoppy Refresher has a real place. If what you want is a convincing alcohol-free IPA, reach for Athletic or BrewDog instead.
Bottom line
Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher is better thought of as a hop drink than a beer substitute. When you meet it on those terms, it is bright, dry, and very easy to keep cold in the fridge for hot days and low-effort drinking.