My mate Pete went to California last month and came back with a carry-on full of Athletic Brewing. "You have to try this," he said, with the energy of someone who's discovered something that the rest of the world hasn't caught up with yet.

Fair enough. Athletic Brewing is basically the biggest AF beer brand in America. They've won actual beer awards competing against regular beer. They sponsor athletes. They've raised hundreds of millions in funding. They're the real deal over there.

But I've been drinking IMPOSSIBREW for a few months now. UK brand. Smaller. Different approach entirely. So I had two fridges full of premium AF beer and a weekend with nothing better to do.

Here's what happened.

Two very different ideas about what AF beer should be

Athletic Brewing's whole thing is "beer that happens to not have alcohol." Their branding is all runners and cyclists and people doing impressive things with their bodies. The message is clear - you're not giving something up, you're choosing something better. It's aspirational. Very American.

IMPOSSIBREW takes a different angle. They put L-theanine and ashwagandha in their beers - actual ingredients that affect how you feel. The pitch isn't "beer for athletes." It's "beer that replaces the feeling of alcohol, not just the taste." Less about identity, more about chemistry.

Both approaches are valid. But they lead to very different beers for very different moments.

Taste - head to head

Athletic Brewing's range is massive. Run Wild IPA is their flagship and it's properly good. Citrusy hops, clean bitterness, very West Coast American. Free Wave Hazy IPA is juicier and more tropical. Their lagers are fine - competent, nothing remarkable.

IMPOSSIBREW has three beers. Triple Hopped IPA, Hazy Pale Ale, and Lager. Smaller range, but the IPA is exceptional. Bigger hop presence than Run Wild, more bitter, heavier body. The Pale Ale is a solid daily drinker. The Lager is fine.

IPA vs IPA: this one's close. Athletic's Run Wild is more sessionable - lighter, easier drinking, the kind of beer you'd have three of at a BBQ. IMPOSSIBREW's Triple Hopped is the one you'd have one of and properly savour. Different vibes. If I had to pick one IPA to have right now, it'd be IMPOSSIBREW's. But I wouldn't turn down a Run Wild either.

On range alone, Athletic wins. They've got ten-plus beers. IMPOSSIBREW has three. More choice is more choice.

The bit that actually matters

Here's the thing that separates these two brands in a way that taste comparisons can't capture.

I drank Athletic Brewing on a Saturday evening. Pete was round, we watched the football, I had three Run Wilds. Tasted great. Felt like drinking beer. But when Pete left and I was on the sofa at 10pm, I felt exactly the same as if I'd had three glasses of water. Awake. Alert. Normal. Which is fine - that's what AF beer does.

The following Friday I had two IMPOSSIBREW IPAs in the same situation. Sofa, telly, end of a long week. And there it was - that settling feeling about thirty minutes in. Shoulders dropping. Brain quieting down a bit. Not drunk. Not even close. But noticeably more relaxed than the baseline "stone cold sober holding a nice-tasting drink" feeling.

That's the L-theanine and ashwagandha doing their thing. Athletic Brewing doesn't have anything like this. Nobody else really does.

If you stopped drinking because you wanted to feel healthier but you miss that winding-down moment - the bit where the first drink of the evening signals to your brain that work is over and the evening has started - IMPOSSIBREW is the only AF beer I've tried that actually bridges that gap.

Athletic Brewing gives you the ritual. IMPOSSIBREW gives you the ritual and something closer to the result.

Getting hold of them in the UK

Athletic Brewing has been pushing into the UK market but availability is still patchy. You can order online from specialist AF beer shops and a few major retailers carry some varieties. Expect to pay more than for UK-brewed options because of import and distribution costs.

IMPOSSIBREW is UK-brewed and ships direct from their website. Usually arrives in a couple of days. Not in supermarkets yet at any real scale, but ordering a case is straightforward.

Neither is something you can grab from the corner shop on the way home. Lucky Saint still wins that game. But for planned purchases, both deliver to your door without hassle.

Price

Athletic Brewing in the UK: roughly £2.50-£3.00 per can, depending on where you buy. The import markup is real.

IMPOSSIBREW: about £2.17 per can ordering direct.

IMPOSSIBREW is meaningfully cheaper in the UK. And you're getting functional ingredients included. Athletic is a premium import price for a standard (very good) AF beer.

When to drink which

Athletic Brewing is the better beer for:

• Post-run or post-gym - they've basically built the brand around this moment
• Summer BBQs where you want variety and light, easy-drinking beers
• Impressing American friends who think the UK is behind on AF beer
• When you want range and don't mind paying the import premium

IMPOSSIBREW is the better beer for:

• Friday evening wind-down when you actually want to feel the shift from "work mode" to "evening mode"
• Social nights where everyone else is drinking and you want more than just taste
• The "I miss having a proper drink" moments that pure taste can't solve
• Value - it's cheaper per can in the UK and you get functional ingredients

The verdict

Athletic Brewing is genuinely excellent beer. Full stop. If they were easier to get and cheaper in the UK, I'd keep some in the fridge permanently. The Run Wild IPA deserves every award it's won.

But IMPOSSIBREW does something Athletic doesn't. It's not just about the drinking moment - it's about what happens after the drinking moment. That settling, unwinding feeling that's the whole reason most of us drink in the first place. Athletic gives you the taste. IMPOSSIBREW gives you the taste and something you can actually feel.

For a UK buyer, it's hard to justify paying more for Athletic when IMPOSSIBREW is cheaper, locally brewed, and has functional ingredients that Athletic doesn't. Athletic wins on brand cachet and range. IMPOSSIBREW wins on value and on actually doing something beyond tasting nice.

Pete still thinks Athletic is better. Pete also still drinks regular beer four nights a week, so I'm not sure he's my target audience here.

I've been drinking IMPOSSIBREW's Triple Hopped IPA most weeks now - it's the one I reorder. This link saves you a tenner off your first order if you want to try it yourself.

Related: I Tried 6 AF Beers So You Don't Have To | Lucky Saint vs IMPOSSIBREW | Why I keep buying IMPOSSIBREW