I think we should start discussing a subtle language debate about something happening in bars, restaurants, bottle shops, and beer menus everywhere.
It’s about two little letters.
When describing non-alcoholic beer, many places write “N/A.” But here at NA Beer Club, we have a small request:
Can we just call it “NA”?
It might seem like a minor detail. And, to be fair, it is a minor detail. Nobody’s night is going to be ruined because a menu uses a slash.
But “N/A” already means something.
It usually means “not applicable.” Sometimes it means “not available.” It’s what you see in a spreadsheet when a piece of information is missing, irrelevant, or hasn’t been entered yet.
It doesn’t exactly make you think, “There’s a delicious new beer here waiting to be discovered.”
It makes you think someone forgot to fill out the form.
NA says what it is
“NA” is simpler, cleaner, and easier to understand.
It stands for non-alcoholic, just like “NA beer” or “NA beverage.” There’s no slash to create confusion and no suggestion that something is missing.
Because non-alcoholic beer isn’t missing anything.
It isn’t an incomplete version of beer. It isn’t a placeholder. It isn’t an empty space on the menu where the “real” beer should be.
It’s beer made for people who want to enjoy the flavor, ritual, and social experience of beer without the alcohol.
That distinction matters.
The non-alcoholic beer industry has grown tremendously, and the products have gotten better right alongside it. Brewers are making thoughtful, complex, genuinely enjoyable beers in styles ranging from IPAs and pilsners to stouts, sours, and everything in between.
So when a menu labels the category “N/A,” it can unintentionally make the whole thing feel like an afterthought.
And non-alcoholic beer deserves better than afterthought status.
NA beer belongs on the beer menu
This brings up another question: Why do NA beers need to be separated from the rest of the beer menu in the first place?
Most beer menus already follow a pretty straightforward format. They list the name of the beer, the brewery, the style, and the ABV.
So why not simply include NA beers right alongside the other beers?
A menu might list a pilsner at 5.0% ABV, an IPA at 6.5%, and an NA IPA at <0.5% ABV. The information is right there. Customers can make their own choices.
After all, NA beer is still beer.
It’s brewed mostly the same way and de-alcoholized later, made in many of the same styles, and enjoyed in many of the same settings. It isn’t a completely different type of drink that needs to be tucked away in its own corner.
At the same time, there’s a good argument for grouping NA options together. Having a clearly labeled “NA” section makes it easier for people to quickly find all the alcohol-free choices available. It also makes it obvious that a bar or restaurant takes those options seriously.
So perhaps the ideal approach is a little bit of both: include NA beers in the main beer menu, while also making them easy to identify with a clear “NA” label, icon, or subsection.
The important thing is that they’re visible, clearly described, and treated like actual beer, not an afterthought.
The slash creates unnecessary confusion
Imagine scanning a menu and seeing:
- Draft Beer
- Wine
- Cocktails
- N/A
What does “N/A” mean?
Non-alcoholic beer? Non-alcoholic cocktails? Drinks that aren’t currently available? A section that doesn’t apply to you?
The goal isn’t to criticize every bar, restaurant, or retailer that uses “N/A.” Most are probably just trying to be helpful and follow terminology they’ve seen elsewhere.
But that’s exactly how language becomes standard: people see a term repeated often enough and assume it’s the right one.
So maybe it’s time for the industry to settle on something more consistent.
A small change for a growing category
Using “NA” instead of “N/A” won’t solve every challenge facing the non-alcoholic beverage industry. It won’t automatically make someone love a particular lager or convince a skeptical beer drinker to try an IPA.
But it does send a small, important message:
This is a real category with real products and real customers.
“NA” feels like a category.
“N/A” feels like something is missing.
And if we’re going to keep introducing more people to the world of non-alcoholic beer, the language we use should make that world feel clear, welcoming, and worth exploring.
So, bars, restaurants, breweries, retailers, and fellow beer enthusiasts: consider this our friendly plea.
Let’s leave the slash behind.
Call it NA.
And while we’re at it, let’s give NA beer a proper place on the beer menu.
What do you think? Should NA beers be listed right alongside traditional beers, grouped together in their own section, or both?
