Whiskies, coconut flower beer, Tequilas, a non-alcoholic cider and a remake of classic TV advert are among the latest additions to the new products market.
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Big on taste and flavour – low on ABV
Five years isn’t a particularly long time in brewing but it’s an eternity when it comes to alcohol-free beer.
The quality and choice available now when compared to just a few year ago is astonishing and consumer attitudes towards it have, quite rightly, been transformed too.
At the forefront of this revolution is Big Drop Brewing Co.
Big Drop launched its first beer – an alcohol-free milk stout – in 2016 and then a pale ale the following year. Both beers scooped top prizes in beer awards, including ‘World’s Best’ at the World Beer Awards (the pale ale has won it twice) and even going on to beat their full-strength rivals in blind-tastings.
Game-changer? ‘If you combine our new portfolio and historical brands, we can transform the game’ Budweiser Brewing Group’s Jean-David Thumelaire explains Jean-David Thumelaire describes 2020 as a ‘weird year’ to be pushing Corona in the on-trade – for obvious reasons. Now, with what he sees as the ‘real’ reopening in sight, he discusses the art of post-pandemic planning.
You’d be mistaken in thinking that navigating Boris Johnson’s post-lockdown roadmap would be a simple journey for someone who has racked up air miles across 30 different countries during a 10-year stint at AB InBev.
Yet despite approaching the task with an “ambitious attitude”, Budweiser Brewing Group’s new UK on-trade sales director, Jean-David Thumelaire, reveals that his team’s plans are changing “all the time”.
The past week has seen Kent-based brewer Shepherd Neame announce Noughty Bear 0.5% IPA, while cider maker Brothers has announced new Pink Grapefruit and Honeycomb pours.
Shepherd Neame unveils Noughty Bear 0.5% IPA
Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has launched its first low alcohol beer – Noughty Bear 0.5% IPA, a new addition to its contemporary Bear Island range.
The refreshing, light golden beer, combines the pine and spice notes of Challenger hops from the UK, with the tropical fruit and citrus flavours of Amarillo, Cascade and Citra hops from the US.
In addition to its low alcohol content, Noughty Bear also has just 70 calories and less than 1g of sugar per 330ml bottle.