Rick’s Near Beer successfully expanded its footprint in 2023 following the December 2022 launch of its non-alcoholic craft beer lineup. Led by sales of its flagship Rick’s Original and continued investments in the brand, Rick’s has expanded distribution of its growing product lineup of NA beverages and lifestyle products to on- and off-premise retailers, scaled its online nationwide retail sales month over month, and opened a trend-setting no-alcohol taproom in East Austin.
Rick’s, founded by Certified Cicerone® Josh Hare, the entrepreneur behind Texas-based beverage brands Hops & Grain Brewing and Pint & Plow Brewing, flagship offering and ongoing best selling brand is Rick’s Original, a crisp, clean, and refreshing low-strength Pilsner. In January 2023, Rick’s expanded its near beer lineup to include Rick’s Hazy, an NA IPA full of citrus and tropical fruit flavor and aroma.
With continued investments to innovate the NA brand, Rick’s ventured beyond beer this June, releasing Rick’s Crispy Hop Water and Rick’s Provisions, a line up of two spice blends and a locally roasted coffee dubbed Rick’s Rubs and Rick’s Roast. The Rick’s family, including near beers, hop water, and tasty provisions, are available online nationwide to keep the good times rolling mornin’, noon, and night.
“We all have that legendary personality in our lives that makes every story better to tell. That’s Rick. Rick is a personality, a vibe. Rick never shows up empty handed, is the first to offer a helping hand, and the last to leave the party,” said Hare. “The Rick’s brand has a nostalgic feel but takes a modern approach to producing incredibly high quality non-alcoholic brews. We are excited to continue expanding our lineup with offerings like Rick’s Provisions.”
Seeing that around 30% of online sales were repeat customers, Rick’s expanded distribution and now has its full lineup widely available in retail stores across Southern Texas. Rick’s continues to set industry standards, especially when Hare opened the first non-alcoholic craft beer hangout in East Austin. With an Americana vibe that is true to the brand, Rick’s Place offers both on-site consumption and to-go beer. Leading the way for other non-alcoholic breweries, Rick’s is developing a cult following among craft beer consumers.
“Since we only produce non-alcoholic products, we get to stay laser focused on growing our core brand of NA beers,” said Hare. “This approach allows us to really focus our resources on delivering what our customers want and establishing our brand as a leader in the beverage category.“
Rick’s is now available at retail stores across Southern Texas. Find the nearest store with Rick’s Locator or order Rick’s Roast ($12) and Rick’s Rub ($8) online. Six-packs of Rick’s Crispy Hop Water ($8), Rick’s Hazy ($12) and Rick’s Original ($10) are also available at drinkricks.com.
Terry Bunch
