Virtue Signal Brewing Co. Beers Are Sinfully Indulgent — Without the Alcohol

PHOTO OF VIRTUE SIGNAL BREWING CO.

Splitting a six-pack with a fellow Pitt grad in my office was a great way to spend a Monday. And since we were imbibing non-alcoholic beer, I was able to function hangover-free on Tuesday.

In May, Mike Poggi, a longtime craft beer lover who got sober a decade ago, launched Virtue Signal Brewing Co. because he missed the taste, smell and mouthfeel of a well-made West Coast IPA.

“I wanted a big, tropical, citrusy, piney, stick-to-your-ribs kind of beer,” says the Mt. Lebanon resident.

Unable to find an existing N.A. beer that satisfied his craving, he began researching ways to produce his own brand. His background in sales, consulting and public policy helped him navigate the often murky waters of beverage development. The three-year journey took him to New England, where hazy IPAs are the unofficial beverage.

Virtue Signal has three beers — Boujee Bliss Belgian-style Wheat, Presumed Innocent West Coast-style IPA and No Clucks Given Vanilla Porter — that are made at Two Roads Brewing in Stratford, Conn. by veteran brewmaster Brian Owens.

PHOTO BY TYLER NEWPOL

The business and its trippy can art is creating a buzz on the local scene after popping up at events such as Beers of the ‘Burgh. (Fans of the show “The Pitt” know Dr. Robby loves to rock a Beers of the ‘Burgh hoodie!)

Virtue Signal can be found at area beer distributors, Mt. Lebanon restaurants Mediterra Cafe, F&F Pizzeria and Iovino’s and will soon be available to purchase online.

Poggi hopes to send Virtue Signal nationwide and move brewing operations to Pittsburgh, a craft beer destination.

According to a January 2026 Brewer’s Association report, N.A. has experienced double-digit growth in both sales and volume each year for at least the past four. Two Frays Brewery in Garfield rolled out Pittsburgh’s first N.A. beer in 2022 and now has a variety of styles in rotation on the menu. Their monthly Mod Mondays event features an entirely non-alcoholic service with beer as well as wine, cider and spirits supplied by The Open Road, a non-alcoholic shop a few blocks away. Both spots are nice, nonjudgmental places to give N.A. drinks a try.

Many N.A. beers are brewed like regular suds and then stripped of alcohol, which inadvertently removes the flavor and aroma, too. Through trial and error, Owens developed a specialized fermentation process designed to be non-alcoholic from the start.

The universally accepted limit for N.A. beverages is 0.5% alcohol by volume, which is roughly the alcohol content of a very ripe banana. Because of state regulations, sales are still restricted to patrons 21 and over. The term “alcohol-free” may be used on malt beverages containing zero alcohol.

Downing the sinfully indulgent beers won’t directly lead to devilish behavior or a wicked hangover — although it still felt strange to sip them at work.

PHOTO BY TYLER NEWPOL

Like Poggi, I took an interest in craft brewing in the ‘90s and scoffed at the idea of beer without the bite. Once, during the height of my beer snobbery, I got stranded in a cabin in the Canadian wilderness with a fridge full of N.A. Budweiser. Sounds like the plot of a hophead horror movie to me.

My taste buds still recoil in fear when anyone brings up N.A. brews, but Poggi’s beers impressed me with their true-to-form aesthetics.

I wouldn’t abandon my beloved Russian imperial stouts, Cascadian dark ales and perfectly poured Czech lagers for them, but would “zebra stripe” Virtue Signal into the rotation. Zebara striping is the mindful drinking practice of alternating between alcoholic and N.A. drinks during social events. This might help me banish the N.A. Budweiser nightmare from my brain.

“I never want to be that annoying buzzkill,” says Poggi, the father of two teenagers. “I’m interested in making moderation cool.”