#BTS at World Alcohol Free Awards 🏆

Here to demystify what actually happens at a global non-alc competition.

#BTS at WAFA (aka a look behind the tasting curtain)

Updated 3/27/24: Results are LIVE!¹

What the hell actually happens at a global competition devoted to non-alc beverages? And why should we care?

First things first. Tomorrow is a big day. Results from the World Alcohol Free Awards² (WAFA), said global competition, go live. This is the only awards competition in the world devoted entirely to the category of adult non-alc (<0.5% ABV³) bevs, drawing entries from over 40 countries and judges from over six countries.

The fact that such a competition exists is kind of a big deal.

Up until recently, competitions like IWSC⁴, World Beer Cup, L.A. Spirits Awards, and others have included non-alcohol categories. But until 2023, no singular competition devoted only to adult alcohol alternatives existed.

Secondly, I have the unique perspective of having gone through the judging process twice (thanks to The Spearhead Group for sponsoring my travel ✈️)⁵. Last year, I approached judging after freshly earning my AFicioNAdo NA beer certification. Ironically,…