What happens when one of the fastest-growing beer brands in the world starts treating beer like a food product instead of “just beer”?

In this episode of Thirsty Business Podcast, hosts Jen Hauke and Phil Thomas sit down with Zoe Riccio of Athletic Brewing to break down the science, systems, and obsessive quality control behind modern non-alcoholic beer. From food safety and microbiology to draft line cleaning, carbonation science, and brewery operations, this conversation goes far deeper than most people realize.

They also dive into why Athletic invested heavily in its own breweries, how the company maintains consistency across multiple facilities, and why draft quality matters more than most bars understand. If you’ve ever wondered how non-alcoholic beer actually works, why Athletic is growing so fast, or what really happens behind the scenes in beverage manufacturing, this episode is packed with insider insights.

⭐ Sponsored by:

Draftline Technologies https://www.draftlinetechnologies.com

Micro Matic https://www.micromatic.com

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00:00 – Intro to Athletic Brewing & Zoe Riccio

02:10 – How Zoe got into food science

06:05 – The challenge of labeling non-alcoholic beer

09:12 – Why Athletic built its own breweries

17:15 – The science behind beer safety

33:28 – The difference between quality vs safety

41:15 – Athletic’s approach to quality control

45:06 – The science of consistency in brewing

53:02 – The future of draft beverages

56:18 – Final thoughts on beer, science & quality

🔔 If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Thirsty Business Podcast for more conversations with the people shaping the future of beverage, brewing, hospitality, and business.

And if this episode changed the way you think about beer, share it with someone who still thinks it’s “just beer.”

#AthleticBrewing #NonAlcoholicBeer #CraftBeer #BeerPodcast #FoodScience #DraftBeer #BeverageIndustry #QualityControl #BrewingScience #ThirstyBusiness