Free Beer: Athletic Will Buy Your First Brew on May 16

NA craft beer pioneer Athletic Brewing wants to make a splash to mark the first-ever "Ask for Athletic" day.

Photo byAthletic Brewing

If you’ve never dabbled in nonalcoholic beer, Athletic Brewing wants you try one on the house. Hey, even if you only drink NA beer, Athletic still wants to buy you a beer — its beer, of course.

This week welcomes the inaugural “Ask for Athletic Day,” a marketing-driven beer holiday that Athletic Brewing says could be the first of more such events to come.

To encourage folks to give the alcohol-free brews a try — and promote the brand’s presence at bars and restaurants — the Connecticut-based brewer will reimburse customers who order an Athletic beer on Thursday, May 16, and upload their receipt (up to $7).

“A growing number of Americans are moderating how much alcohol they consume, but that doesn’t mean they should have to skip the party,” Athletic CMO Andrew Katz said in a press release. “We created Ask For Athletic Day as a way for people to discover the refreshing taste of Athletic Brewing’s award-winning non-alcoholic beer by visiting their local bar or restaurant for a brew on us.”

Free Athletic Beer: How It Works

Photo byAthletic Brewing

If all goes according to plan, cashing in on your free beer should be simple. Go to any bar or restaurant that carries Athletic beer and order a pint or can. Then pay your bill, take a photo of your receipt, and upload it to itsathletic.com. Once complete, you will receive your rebate (up to $7) via PayPal or Venmo.

Of course, everything comes with a catch — the Ask for Athletic Day promotion is not valid in 11 states due to regulations. Purchases made in Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas are not eligible.

But for everyone else who’s NA-curious, consider taking Athletic up on the offer. The brand earned three of GearJunkie’s 9 Top NA Beers this year, and it almost single-handedly ushered in the era of alcohol-free libations. Don’t believe it? Listen to the GearJunkie Podcast interview with Athletic CEO, Bill Shufelt, and hear for yourself!