How Libra Non-Alcoholic Was Born 🍺

February 17, 2023

We’ve got a lot of new faces around here recently so we wanted to properly introduce ourselves and let you know what Libra is all about, and how we got here. 

Libra was born out of a need to slow down, and a need for balance. Upstreet Craft Brewing was founded in 2015 by Mitch Cobb and Mike Hogan in Prince Edward Island out of a love for craft beer, community and music. After many years of being a leader in the PEI brewing industry, Mitch and Hogie knew something needed to change within their own lives. 

Working in the beverage industry had required constant beer sampling, and came with endless opportunities to drink beer, go to something like a beer festival or a bar. There were never any options besides calorie heavy, high percentage craft brews at these events. And our health was starting to pay for it. 

We started looking at what it would take to brew a delicious non-alcoholic option. What we found was that there weren’t really any leaders in the non-alc space that felt true to taste. We also noticed that the people around us were starting to drink less. 

So, we went for it. 

After two years of research and development, we created Libra Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer. Our very first product launched was the Libra Pale Ale- a light, refreshing, effervescent with a tropical aroma and a fragrant finish. It has the feeling of drinking a craft beer with none of the alcohol and only 30 calories. It looks and tastes like a craft beer, because we make it just like our others- with some small tweaks along the way.

Libra is brewed following the same process brewers have been using for centuries. We steep grain, extract sugars, boil, add hops, then cool it down and pitch yeast. The yeast ferments those sugars and produces a tiny amount of alcohol. What’s special about NA beers is that a lot of the processes fall on the fringe or out of bounds of conventional brewing, but we took the process and broke it down, made some modifications and stitch it all back together. This is why we were able to create such a great tasting product.

Now, we’re on a mission to help Canadians find their balance just like we did. Between being social, and taking care of their health and wellness. 

“I think socializing without alcohol is something to completely normalize because it just makes your life better. You don’t have to miss out on the party, and Libra allows for that,” said our friend Serena Ryder. 

Thanks for joining us on this journey!

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