Athletic Brewing Company, a leading nonalcoholic brewer, appointed Dan Kleinman chief marketing officer after a monthslong search. The hire is a marker of how competitive marketing in the nonalcoholic beer market has become.
Kleinman's appointment takes effect Sept. 8. He takes over from Senior Marketing Director Rosalie Kennedy, who held the role on an interim basis after Andrew Katz — CMO for nearly five years — recently left the company.
Kleinman arrives from Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits, where he spent nearly a decade, the last three years as CMO, overseeing growth of the Josh Cellars brand. Before that he held various marketing positions at Diageo over 16 years.
"As Athletic Brewing continues to evolve from an industry pioneer into a transcendent global brand, we couldn't be more excited to welcome Dan Kleinman to our senior leadership team," said Bill Shufelt, co-founder and CEO. "Dan brings an exceptional track record of building culturally relevant brands and scaling them into category leaders."
Athletic Brewing has carved out a 20.7% share of off-premise sales in the increasingly competitive nonalcoholic beer category, per Circana data cited in press materials.
The category itself has grown sharply. Nonalcoholic beer now makes up 87% of all non-alcohol sales in the U.S. per Beer Institute data, and the category grew 23% in 2025.
Behind that is a decline in drinking itself. Gallup measured 54% of U.S. adults saying they drink as of 2025 — the lowest in nearly 90 years. Among young Americans it's 50%.
Athletic Brewing has invested heavily in advertising in recent years. In May, the brewer said it expected to spend 120% more on national media than a year earlier. Sports have been a particular focus, including a recently announced multiyear partnership with MetLife Stadium and its two resident teams, the New York Jets and New York Giants.
"What excites me most is that Athletic sits at the intersection of meaningful shifts in how modern adults are choosing to connect and socialize today," Kleinman said. "People still value the taste, ritual, and sense of connection that come with sharing a brew, but, more importantly, they love what it has always represented — the chance to celebrate life's best moments with the people they care most about."
Actor Tom Holland launched his own nonalcoholic beer brand, Bero, in 2024. Large alcoholic beer brands have moved in too, most notably Heineken with its successful 0.0 product.
This category's growth comes from people drinking less, not people quitting. That's why the messaging axis sits on ritual and taste rather than abstinence or health warnings — exactly where Kleinman's own framing lands.
It also explains why nonalcoholic brands crowd into sports sponsorship. Stadiums are a signature drinking-together occasion, and establishing yourself there as the substitute captures the whole category's usage context. Selling participation rather than absence is the same move behind Beefeater reopening a 30-year-old Jamiroquai video to sell "more hats".
20.7% of off-premise nonalcoholic beer sales per Circana. Nonalcoholic beer accounts for 87% of all non-alcohol sales in the U.S.
Drinking itself is declining. Gallup found 54% of U.S. adults drink as of 2025, the lowest in nearly 90 years, and 50% among young adults. The category grew 23% in 2025.
Stadiums are a signature drinking-together occasion. Establishing the brand there as the substitute captures the category's core usage context rather than just its product substitution.
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