Surreal Brewing Milkshake IPA is the lead release in the brand's Dessert Series, a sub-range that applies pastry beer sensibilities to non-alcoholic brewing. The recipe uses oats, lactose, and vanilla alongside monk fruit, which the brand uses specifically to provide a creamy, sweet character without the high calorie count typically found in the milkshake IPA style. Fermentation uses a proprietary technique that keeps the beer under 0.5% without applying heat to remove alcohol, a process reported by the Mercury News. The drink was developed to fill a gap in the non-alcoholic market for mouthfeel-focused, dessert-led styles, a direction also noted by Forbes when covering the Dessert Series launch.