Nothing makes me think that abstinence from alcohol is a trend on the rise more than seeing the proliferation of near beers available just about everywhere. It's in grocery stores from Costco down to local farm-based markets, and even restaurants that have next to no spirit-free selections will have at least one near-beer on the menu.
The Good
There's a lot of good tasting near-beers. The IOTA brand from Phillips stands out because there's a good variety (Hazy IPA, Pilsener, and Peach Ale shown in the cover image) and you can get it everywhere (in B.C. at least). I find taste isn't an issue, but besides any narcotic effect from alcohol, the other noticeable difference between beer and near-beer is viscosity, or at least, that's the word I'm going to use for the feeling of 'thickness' which is less in the near beers.
I've had German near-beers (Paulaner and Warsteiner) that I really liked, and Veer from the Muskoka Brewery in Ontario is good too, especially the lime lager.
The Bad
Non-alcoholic beer doesn't seem to be available on draft. I don't know if there's a technical reason for it, or if it's simply not (yet) popular enough to deserve a place on tap, but drinking from the can in a restaurant is a bit of a let-down.
Speaking of cans, I would love it if there were more of these near-beers in a tall-boy can. On days of thirst, cracking open 2 in a row is a hassle.
I often see the Nonny fin restaurants under the spirit-free section, but it technically still has some alcohol, and I don't like having to double-check fine print.
The Ugly
I love the branding/image of Athletic Brewing, and it fits nicely with the lifestyle I try to live over at my other blog, Iron Rogue, but it simply does not taste good.