We’re over halfway through the month, and it’s a good time to assess how those New Year’s resolutions are coming. Perhaps you’re participating in “dry January,” in which the goal is to abstain from alcohol entirely after excesses during the holidays. If not, yet you’re looking to moderate your intake and stay in line with those resolutions, consider trying some of the new lifestyle beers hitting the market.

The big industrial brewers have long been brewing “lite” and low-calorie beers (think Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra). It’s only recently that craft brewers are starting to tap into this trend, developing beer and seltzer options designed to appeal to health-conscious drinkers.

Some of the first lifestyle beers I encountered came from Sufferfest Beer Company. Sufferfest, based in California and purchased last year by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, brews “beer for athletes,” what it calls “functional” beer that is gluten-reduced and features recipe formulations targeted to appeal to athletic lifestyles.

Examples are FKT Pale Ale, brewed with salt and black currant to emulate an electrolyte-rich post-workout beverage, and Repeat Kolsch, low-calorie and low-carb with bee pollen added for a nutritional boost. Sufferfest sent me samples of these beers recently.

Locally, Deschutes Brewery has been dipping its toe into the lifestyle pool for the past year, calling these beers its “better for you” portfolio. Da Shootz pilsner was its first to highlight low alcohol and low carbs, with only 99 calories per can. With Lil’ Squeezy Juice Ale, the brewery focused on reducing gluten content for gluten-sensitive drinkers.

The latest release, Wowza, continues building on these previous efforts to offer what the brewery calls a “lo-cal hazy pale ale.” The packaging prominently highlights the beer’s 100 calories per 12-ounce can, 4% alcohol by volume, and four grams of carbs. (It is not gluten reduced, however.)

Deschutes is also capitalizing on the ongoing “hazy” trend to sweeten the deal, so to speak. And the recipe for Wowza contains an unusual ingredient as well: chicory root, which provides inulin, a dietary fiber that contains no calories. It was added to help balance the body and sweeten the beer without adding calories.

“We’ve been listening to consumers that are looking for beverages that align with healthier lifestyles because they are more mindful of their calorie intake which may limit their choices in the craft beer segment,” said Neal Stewart, VP of Marketing, via email. “Since there are already a few low-cal IPAs in the market, we saw an opportunity to innovate within this space while offering something that is very much on trend, which is what led us to a Hazy Pale Ale.”

I picked up a six-pack of Wowza to try out for myself. The beer pours light in color, a hazy pale yellow that reminds me a bit of pineapple juice. The aroma is bright and tropical and bolsters the “juice” impression with notes of unfiltered orange juice, pineapple, grapefruit, candied orange and a mild wheat character.

The first impression upon taking a sip is the thin, light body that is almost watery, with a savory hop bitterness. There’s a gentle fruitiness that brings to mind grapes and under-ripe berries, with a bit of citrus. That’s followed by a touch of savory green onion and a resiny quality, and the bitter hop note, though mild, lingers into the finish. The light body makes for a fairly easy drinking session.

Initial feedback from the market has been positive. Deschutes launched the beer in October, in conjunction with its announcement of sponsorship of the Portland Trail Blazers Radio Network. “Since that time, it has been our best-selling beer at Moda Center, where the Blazers play, so we pulled all the stops to get it into cans as fast as possible for a January launch when people are making more choices based on calories and carbs,” Stewart said. “Distributor orders wiped out our initial forecasts, and we’ve added several additional brews to the schedule to keep up with demand.”

I was curious as to how Wowza compared to the Sufferfest beers, particularly the Repeat Kolsch, which is 3.5 % alcohol by volume, with 95 calories and five grams of carbs. Kolsch is a German pale ale style noted for its clean, lightly fruity maltiness and balanced hop bitterness.

Repeat has a bit more body than Wowza, pours bright and clear and bears more resemblance to a pilsner in comparison. Grainy malt aromas with a light honey sweetness build to a flavor that combines a gentle earthy, spicy bitterness with a toasty cracker malt.

It’s a beer that will appeal to drinkers seeking more classic styles, while Wowza is successfully tapping into the hazy trend to grab attention.

For those seeking health-conscious options, or even just opting to moderate their intake, Wowza is worth a look. Hopefully it will help maintain your resolutions — or even just your January.

Top 5 Beers of the Week

Jan. 19, 2020

RPM IPA from Boneyard Beer

Cold Weather Classic Chocolate Porter from Immersion Brewing

Abominable Winter Ale from Hopworks Urban Brewery

Sol Power Pilsner from Worthy Brewing

Game On! IPA from Level Beer