A big drop in alcohol does not mean a big drop in taste

Ipswich in the UK is the home of Big Drop Brewing Co., which focuses on modern craft beer of no more than 0.5% ABV.   “To drink.  Not to be drunk” it says on the label, although we’ve not drunk a beer virtually free of alcohol this great for many years, perhaps never.

Big Drop Brewing Co. has three core beers, all of which follow the same extremely low alcohol model — a Pale Ale, a Stout, a Lager.  In additional there are a handful of seasonal beers: a Spiced Ale, a Sour and a Red Ale.

Non-alcohol beers are all the rage nowadays, although they must have taste to remain credible, unlike the incredible tasteless attempts of yore.

Big Drop Brewing Co’s beers excel in taste and drinkability, and their only challenge is likely to be convincing drinkers who refuse to believe these beers are non-alcohol.  The challenge facing a drinker is to tell whether these beers taste any different from a comparable beer of normal strength.  It’s going to be tough.