Sierra Nevada Working On Trail Pass Non-Alcoholic Dark & Smooth

This morning I have an updated Trail Pass beer coming your way from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California, and Mills River, North Carolina. The latest packaging introduces Trail Pass Non-Alcoholic Dark & Smooth, a new name and presentation for one of the darker beers in Sierra Nevada’s growing Trail Pass non-alcoholic lineup.

The new package immediately stands out with its familiar Sierra Nevada branding and the large TRAIL PASS name across the front. Beneath it, the beer is identified as Non-Alcoholic Dark & Smooth, suggesting that Sierra Nevada is putting the focus directly on the beer’s darker malt character and smooth drinking profile.

Interestingly, this appears to be a rename or updated identity for Trail Pass Extra Dark, although I am still waiting for confirmation from Sierra Nevada on exactly how the new Trail Pass Dark & Smooth relates to the previous Extra Dark release. Sierra Nevada previously described Trail Pass Extra Dark as a winter-inspired, dark and roasty non-alcoholic beer brewed with roasted malt and designed to evoke the flavors of classic winter stouts.

That makes the new Trail Pass Non-Alcoholic Dark & Smooth particularly interesting for fans of dark beer who are looking for a non-alcoholic alternative. The label does not list an exact style designation beyond Dark & Smooth, but the new name clearly emphasizes the beer’s darker, malt-driven character rather than the hop-forward identity associated with several other Trail Pass releases.

As with the other beers in the Trail Pass lineup, the new Dark & Smooth will remain at less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. Sierra Nevada says Trail Pass beers are made using traditional brewing methods and a special yeast rather than removing alcohol from a finished beer. The brewery says this process was developed over five years and is intended to preserve full craft-beer flavor while staying below the non-alcoholic threshold.

The new packaging also confirms that Trail Pass Non-Alcoholic Dark & Smooth will be available in a 12-fluid-ounce can. The package identifies Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. locations in both Chico, California, and Mills River, North Carolina, reflecting the brewery’s two-coast brewing operation.

For Sierra Nevada fans, this could be more than simply a packaging update. If Trail Pass Extra Dark is officially transitioning into Trail Pass Dark & Smooth, the new name may give the beer a broader identity within the Trail Pass lineup while emphasizing its approachable, smooth character.

I have not yet had the opportunity to taste this updated version, so I will be watching for additional release information, availability and tasting details. For now, the new can gives us our first look at what appears to be the next chapter for Sierra Nevada’s dark non-alcoholic Trail Pass beer.

Stay tuned to MyBeerBuzz for more details, including confirmation of the Trail Pass Extra Dark name change, release information and tasting notes.

Related Sierra Nevada news on mybeerbuzz.com:
MyBeerBuzz has previously covered the launch of Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Extra Dark Non-Alcoholic Cans, as well as the recent Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Golden updated can packaging and Sierra Nevada Mosaic Little Thing Hazy IPA.

These stories offer a closer look at Sierra Nevada’s expanding non-alcoholic Trail Pass lineup and the brewery’s continuing innovation across its traditional craft beer portfolio.

Label Text:

FAMILY OWNED, OPERATED & ARGUED OVER®

Finest Quality
Purest Ingredients

SIERRA NEVADA®

TRAIL PASS

NON-ALCOHOLIC
Dark & Smooth

12 FLUID OUNCES | LESS THAN 0.5% ALC. BY VOL.

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO., CHICO, CA & MILLS RIVER, NC

NON-ALCOHOLIC: LESS THAN 0.5% ALC BY VOL.
PLEASE RECYCLE®

About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s most influential independent craft breweries, with deep roots in Chico, California, and a second major brewing operation in Mills River, North Carolina. Founded in 1980 by Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada helped establish the American craft beer movement through its uncompromising focus on quality ingredients, distinctive brewing techniques and intensely flavorful beer. The brewery remains family owned and operated, continuing the independent philosophy that has been part of Sierra Nevada since its beginning.

The Sierra Nevada story began in Chico, where Ken Grossman transformed his passion for homebrewing into a professional brewery. Early Sierra Nevada beers helped demonstrate that American beer drinkers would embrace beers with bold hop character, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale became one of the brewery’s defining beers. The brewery’s history also includes an early Stout, making the company’s exploration of darker beers part of its story from the very beginning.

Today, Sierra Nevada produces an extensive portfolio covering classic ales, IPAs, pale ales, seasonal beers, specialty releases, barrel-aged beers and non-alcoholic craft beer. The brewery has become particularly well known for hop-forward beers, but its brewing philosophy extends well beyond IPA. That willingness to explore different beer styles is evident in the Trail Pass program and its growing collection of non-alcoholic offerings.

Sierra Nevada’s Trail Pass non-alcoholic beer lineup represents an important expansion of that philosophy. Rather than simply removing alcohol from traditionally brewed beer, Sierra Nevada says Trail Pass is brewed traditionally using a special yeast that produces minimal alcohol. The brewery spent approximately five years developing the process, with the goal of creating non-alcoholic beer that maintains the flavor, aroma and body expected from craft beer.

Trail Pass has expanded beyond a single non-alcoholic beer into a broader portfolio that has included IPA, Hazy IPA, Golden, Brewveza, Extra Dark and limited seasonal offerings. The lineup gives consumers opportunities to explore different craft beer flavors while keeping alcohol below the 0.5% ABV non-alcoholic threshold.

The brewery’s two major locations also give Sierra Nevada a unique presence on both sides of the country. The original Chico brewery remains central to the company’s history, while the Mills River brewery expanded Sierra Nevada’s production and reach into the Southeast. Sierra Nevada identifies both locations as major parts of its current brewing operation.

Sustainability is another major component of the Sierra Nevada identity. The company says it has invested in reducing environmental impact, alternative energy and regenerative agriculture, reflecting an effort to connect brewing with long-term environmental stewardship.

With its combination of American craft beer history, hop-forward brewing, innovative specialty releases and expanding non-alcoholic beer portfolio, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. continues to evolve while remaining connected to its independent roots. The arrival of Trail Pass Non-Alcoholic Dark & Smooth is another example of that evolution, potentially giving fans a new name for a familiar dark Trail Pass beer while expanding Sierra Nevada’s presence in the rapidly growing non-alcoholic craft beer category.

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