Mike Poggi is a Pitt grad, a longtime craft beer obsessive, and a man who has been sober for a decade. For years, those last two facts sat in uncomfortable tension. He loved the ritual of cracking open a well-made West Coast IPA, the tropical aromas, the piney bitterness, the satisfying weight of a cold glass at the end of a hard day. What he could not find was a non-alcoholic version of that beer that actually tasted like the real thing.
So he built one. In May 2026, Poggi, a Mt. Lebanon resident with a background in sales, consulting, and public policy, launched Virtue Signal Brewing Co., a Pittsburgh-based non-alcoholic craft beer brand that is already turning heads across the region's bar scene and beer distributor shelves.
"I wanted a big, tropical, citrusy, piney, stick-to-your-ribs kind of beer," Poggi says. "I couldn't find one, so I started researching how to make my own."
That research became a three-year journey that took him to New England, where hazy IPAs have long been the unofficial regional beverage and where the craft of non-alcoholic brewing has advanced furthest. He eventually connected with veteran brewmaster Brian Owens at Two Roads Brewing in Stratford, Connecticut, a respected operation that helped him crack a problem that trips up most N.A. producers.
The Problem With Most N.A. Beer
Most non-alcoholic beers are brewed exactly like their alcoholic counterparts, then put through a process to remove the alcohol. The trouble is that the stripping process also removes flavor and aroma, leaving behind a flat, slightly medicinal shadow of the original. Through careful trial and error, Owens developed a specialized fermentation process at Two Roads that is designed to be non-alcoholic from the very beginning, allowing the hop character and malt complexity to remain fully intact.
The result is three beers that read as genuine craft releases, not concessions. Presumed Innocent is a West Coast-style IPA bursting with El Dorado, Centennial, and Amarillo hops, delivering notes of zested citrus, fresh pine, and tropical fruit. Boujee Bliss is a Belgian-style wheat with subtle floral citrus and a soft, pillowy effervescence. No Clucks Given is a vanilla porter-style dark beer with deep chocolate, coffee, and caramel notes. The can art is bold and playful, in the tradition of the best independent craft labels.
A Growing Movement, With Pittsburgh Roots
Virtue Signal is arriving at a significant moment for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. According to a January 2026 report from the Brewers Association, N.A. beer has experienced double-digit growth in both sales and volume for at least four consecutive years. Pittsburgh has been quietly building its own infrastructure for the category. Two Frays Brewery in Garfield was the city's first dedicated N.A. producer, rolling out its first offerings in 2022. The Open Road, a non-alcoholic bottle shop nearby, carries wine, spirits, and cider alongside beer for those exploring mindful drinking. Virtue Signal's can was already popping up at Beers of the 'Burgh events and is now appearing at Shore Thing, Riverlife's popular summer floating platform on the Allegheny.
The term "zebra striping," the practice of alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during a social gathering, has entered the vocabulary of the mindful drinking movement, and Poggi embraces it. He is not trying to replace craft beer culture. He is trying to make space within it for people who, for any number of reasons, are not drinking alcohol on a given night, or at all. As the father of two teenagers, he speaks about this with a quiet urgency.
Virtue Signal is currently available at area beer distributors and select Mt. Lebanon restaurants including Mediterra Cafe, F&F Pizzeria, and Iovino's, with online sales launching shortly. The beer is contract-brewed in Connecticut for now, but Poggi's stated goal is to eventually bring production to Pittsburgh, a city he believes is a natural fit for what he is building. He wants to send Virtue Signal nationwide, and by the looks of the early reception, Pittsburgh is already along for the ride.