However, with the increasing demand for low & no alcohol options, being equipped with high-quality 0% ABV offerings is an opportunity that extends well beyond the first gloomy month of the year.
Due to limited access to best-in-class equipment and processes, in comparison with global lager and stout brewers, traditional independent brands have historically been slower to enter the low & no space. When that access has been gained most low & no options in ale have tended to be towards IPAs, using hop-forward flavours at a 0.5% ABV, rather than traditional ale styles.
As alcohol-free options continue to surge in popularity, we have looked at why traditional dark ales were slow to join the 0% ABV category and why they are now proving well worth the wait.
When it comes to creating traditional ales at 0% ABV, there is a fine balance to be found between retaining the soul of cask-led, malt-forward beer in a no alcohol format. Focusing on the quality of the beer is key to ensuring those choosing an alcohol-free option get the same experience as those opting for alcohol. Does this product look and taste like a traditional pint of cask? Can I enjoy this alongside friends drinking alcoholic pints and not feel out of place? The ability to deliver this uncompromised experience is at the heart of Guinness 0.0’s success and is the same for any no-alcohol traditional ale.
At Theakston’s, the popularity of our cask beers placed real pressure on the brewery for any 0% ABV version to live up to the likes of Old Peculier and the experience of drinking this legendary pint. For this reason, when creating Nowt Peculier, we needed to produce something that retained the key flavour characteristics of Old Peculier, providing a malty dark ale option with a very different flavour profile to the rest of the low & no landscape.
Double the cost
With sales of Nowt Peculier reaching a quarter of a million bottles in the first year and growing interest from overseas markets, our patience to perfect our alcohol-free legend has paid off and this commitment to quality remains at the heart of every pint.
Producing zero alcohol beers really well is an expensive process and achieving a true 0% ABV product, rather than 0.5% ABV, takes significantly more time and effort, and is broadly double the cost. With this in mind, almost all duty savings are dissolved through higher production costs. The result of this is 0% ABV options tend to price at around 90% of the price of full-strength beers.
For many brewers and operators, this has posed a challenge and a fear consumers won’t see an alcohol-free beer as ‘worth’ the 90% cost of a regular pint. However, with drinkers’ decisions to choose 0% ABV largely based on occasion rather than price, the difference in cost between an alcoholic and non-alcoholic pint isn’t inhibiting demand or sales.
Furthermore, the reassurance of beers being 0% ABV rather than 0.5% ABV also holds value and it’s no secret the biggest performing brands in the category such as Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 both hold an ABV of 0.0%.
Once again, it’s a question of quality. For the drinkers of today, quality has become an essential aspect of what they deem “worth paying for” when it comes to choosing low & no. If the pint is right and resonates with today’s drinkers, consumers are happy to pay.
Low & no options hold different appeal to different audiences and while the younger demographic is leading the charge for alcohol-free drinking, 0% ABV products still need to appeal to drinkers across the board, which is why supplying a traditional ale option is an essential part of any low & no offering.
Traditional ales have to balance being true to their heritage while being relevant to what consumers of all adult age groups are looking for.
New drinkers in category
While Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 are popular with those who might usually opt for regular Guinness or Heineken, we discovered Nowt Peculier is largely not drunk by people who drink Theakston’s Old Peculier. While the reception has been fantastic and the experience of drinking Nowt Peculier is very close to its alcoholic counterpart, Nowt Peculier is instead being chosen by drinkers who enjoy a traditional ale and have felt that previous low & no options didn’t meet their needs. This, in turn, has helped bring new drinkers into the broader Theakston brand range.
What Nowt Peculier does have in common with Guinness 0.0 and Heineken 0.0 is the backing of a strong parent brand that consumers recognise and respect. Being able to choose your ‘regular’ brand or beer style in alcohol-free form allows us to maintain our established drinking habits while also trying something new.
Overall, the key to providing a truly successful low & no offering lies in strength, breadth and quality.
In terms of strength, operators should really focus on 0% ABV options. The industry can often over-estimate the wider public’s understanding of ABV, whereas 0% ABV makes their choice very simple. Consumers want the assurance they are having zero alcohol, rather than a little alcohol, making 0% ABV products the main market for growth.
To really maximise this market, operators must make sure they are offering 0% ABV options for drinkers who enjoy a range of different beer styles, from lager and stout to craft and traditional ale. Too often I go into pubs that offer three or four different 0% ABV lagers but no 0% ABV ales. This may have been the norm two or three years ago but now a broader range of options is available, a balanced range across low & no and full-strength options is going to become the new normal.
And finally, arguably but most importantly, ensure you are providing the best quality option in each of those beer styles. There remains a big quality difference between brewers who have developed really good low & no beers and those that have launched something to fill a portfolio gap.
Staying loyal to established brands that you and your customers know and trust is a simple way to ensure quality isn’t compromised through the reduction of alcohol and everyone enjoys a great pint, whatever the ABV.
