The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

Athletic Brewing Company has collaborated with olive oil producer Graza to launch a limited-edition non-alcoholic brew, named Cold Off The Press.

Packaged in six-packs of 12-ounce (approx. 355ml) cans, the limited release debuted on 23 September and is being sold directly through Athletic Brewing’s e-commerce platform while production volumes last.

The co-branded project pairs two independent US food and beverage companies, bridging the non-alcoholic craft beer sector with speciality pantry oils to create a table beer profile formulated for meal pairings.

"We love collaborations that push us outside the traditional boundaries of brewing," said John Walker, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Athletic Brewing Company.

Lipid Integration and Yeast Nutrition in Brewing

Rather than formulating an olive-oil-flavoured beverage, the brewers utilised Graza Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a functional processing input during the brewing cycle.

In brewing science, unsaturated fatty acids found in vegetable lipids can serve as supplementary nutrients for brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Yeast cells require unsaturated lipids and sterols to build and maintain healthy cell membrane structures, particularly during cell propagation and the initial phases of fermentation.

By introducing controlled amounts of extra virgin olive oil into the brewhouse process, Athletic utilised the oil's lipid matrix to support yeast vitality without carrying residual greasy mouthfeel or oily sensory characteristics into the finished liquid.

"We're constantly looking for creative ways to show how versatile olive oil can be, and we loved the idea of taking it somewhere completely new," said Andrew Benin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Graza.

Product Specifications and Sensory Profile

Cold Off The Press is styled as a traditional continental pilsner, engineered to deliver a crisp, dry profile suitable for culinary dining occasions:

Sensory Architecture: Delivers herbal, floral, and lemon hop aromas balanced by a light grain backbone and a dry finish.

Ingredient Deck: Formulated with water, malted barley, rice, hops, lemon, yeast, extra virgin olive oil, and wheat.

Nutritional Metrics: Contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), providing 60 calories, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fat, and 0 grams of protein per 12-ounce serving.

The food-pairing positioning targets casual and hospitality dining occasions, with the producers recommending the pilsner alongside pizza, grilled vegetables, savoury snacks, deli sandwiches, and charcuterie platters.

Collaboration and Distribution

The joint initiative reflects increasing commercial experimentation in brand cross-licensing across FMCG categories, pairing direct-to-consumer and retail challenger brands to activate shared customer bases.

Since its commercial launch in 2018, Connecticut-headquartered Athletic Brewing has scaled proprietary production methodologies to become the largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewing business in the United States. Graza, established as a culinary disruptor in olive oil through its signature squeeze-bottle packaging, provides crossover brand visibility across modern home cooks and lifestyle shoppers.

Cold Off The Press is available for a limited operating window exclusively via Athletic Brewing's direct-to-consumer online platform.