OnTap Magazine

FEATURE a seismic shift in the public’s perception but also a welcome change for those moderating their drinking who still feel most comfortable with a pint glass in hand.” Another brewery experimenting with low-ABV and alcohol-free beer is Glen A ric Brewery in the northwest of England. is newbie received no fewer than six prizes at the World Beer Awards including World’s Best Kellerbier for Micro Variation (2.8% ABV), winning over other kellerbiers with a signi cantly higher ABV. Glen A ric is currently testing brewing with malt extract, commonly used for non-alcoholic malt beer and isotonic beverages, as well as brewing with cannabidiol (CBD), a hemp extract. Glen A ric Head brewer Matthew Lloyd con rms that there are better brewing methods now, but challenges still exist. “It can be di cult to get the same quality as in standard strength beer,” he explains. “When brewing with smaller amounts of malt or removing alcohol by ltration, the beer tends to lack avour. Some breweries counteract this by masking with strong hops.” Lloyd believes in a continued growth as, “people are realising that alcohol-free beer can also be a healthy alternative to soft drinks.” LABELLING CHALLENGES AND A HOPEFUL FUTURE ere’s no doubt that alcohol-free beer is much more than a designated driver’s watery, boring alternative on a night out. Today’s alcohol-free beer may be stripped of the alcohol, but it can look and taste as good as a standard, full- avoured beer. It has a lower sugar content compared to many soft drinks and sports drinks, and some breweries even claim that it works well as an isotonic thirst quencher for athletes. e British charity and campaign group Alcohol Change UK runs the awareness programmes Alcohol Awareness Week and Dry January. e organisation is not anti- alcohol as such but rather for alcohol change, much like Club Soda. Alcohol Change UK's Andrew Misell comments on the trend; “ ere’s been a phenomenal growth in the low-alcohol market in the last few years, and the quality has improved enormously, particularly for beers. Our experience of talking with consumers is that some people do nd these low-ABV drinks to be a good way for them to cut back on the alcohol.” However, Misell is cautious about the future; “the truth is that we just don’t know what role these new drinks play in peoples’ lives. Are they helping reduce alcohol consumption? Or are low-ABV beers, wines and ciders from alcohol producers simply raising awareness of alcohol brands? A bit of both, probably, but we’ve got a lot more work to do to understand how this market works.” One thing is for sure, there has never been a better time to try some full- avoured low- ABV and alcohol-free beers – and to enjoy a hangover-free weekend. Alcohol-free beer can also be a healthy alternative to soft drinks Everson's launched a non-alcoholic version of their cider at the Mindful Drinking Festival Beer tasting at Club Soda’s Mindful Drinking Festival in London, UK Trio of Big Drop’s award-winning beers Inspired by Club Soda’s mindful drinking movement in the UK, Sean O’Connor and Barry Tyson have founded Mindful Drinking SA. The first Mindful Drinking Festival took place at Kirstenbosch in Cape Town in October, showcasing a range of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol wine, beer and spirit alternatives. For more information, see www.mindfuldrinking.co.za . MINDFUL DRINKING SOUTH AFRICA Photo: Big Drop Brewing Photo: Club Soda 32 | Summer 2019 | ontapmag.co.za