OK, you knew from the name “Sober Carpenter” that the story had to begin with a buzzed woodworker losing half his hand to a bandsaw. And he pondered, as he stared at his own mangled, bloody hand twitching on the dusty shop floor, whether he should maybe cut back on the booze.  

That story, shockingly, is not true. As far as we know.  

Sober Carpenter’s version is much less, um, scenic. The brewery was founded by the Gagnon frères, a couple of Québécois brothers who, after starting families, realized the whole alcohol thing wasn’t doing them any favors. When they sought non-alcoholic alternatives—and you’ll hear this in a bunch of non-alcoholic brewery origin stories—they were bummed by the options out there. That's because non-alcoholic beers were complete garbage just a few years ago. You know this.  

So les Gagnons switched their brewing focus to non-alcoholic. It was good timing, because this was in 2019, right before the global pandemic caused a good chunk of the world to think deeply about their personal health (and yes, another massive chunk turned to alcohol for comfort).  

Sober Carpenter doesn’t promote itself this way, but the beers are not just alcohol-free—they’re low calorie, too. With just 40–55 calories per 12 oz., they’re flavorful, they’re crisp, and they barely make a ding in your caloric intake for the day. Also, drinking several of them before a serious woodworking session doesn’t increase your odds of lopping off an arm.