The beer shares many of the same qualities as Proper Job, including its characteristic citrus and pink grapefruit notes, making it worthy of carrying the same name as our flagship IPA.
After two years in the making, we released the low-alcohol version of Proper Job in bottle in late 2024. It quickly gained recognition for its quality and robust flavour despite its low ABV, scooping six awards since launch.
We were confident in the beer itself - we’d cracked the flavour challenge: delivering a properly hop-forward IPA character without compromise.
Due diligence
But taking Proper Job 0.5% from bottle and can to draught was a different proposition entirely, and not one we were prepared to rush.
Low-alcohol beer on draught introduces risks that packaged beer simply doesn’t. Once a keg leaves the brewery, we lose direct control of the dispense environment - line condition, cooling, and cleaning regimes all vary.
Add to that the fact that UK legislation on preservatives and labelling doesn’t always mirror European regulations, and it was clear there was serious due diligence to do before we could responsibly put the beer on the bar.
So, we did it properly. We strengthened our food safety and quality controls and commissioned independent microbiological testing through Campden BRI to assess pathogenic growth.
The results gave us confidence that, with the right controls in place, the beer would remain safe and of high quality.
Non-negotiables
From there, we moved into live commercial trials across seven of our managed pubs, selected leased and tenanted sites, and a small number of closely partnered free trade pubs. Every keg was sampled three times a week for flavour, microbial stability and ABV.
What we learned was straightforward but critical: this beer needs to be treated like cask. A 30-litre keg should ideally sell within five days - around ten pints a day. Weekly line cleans are non-negotiable, and kegs shouldn’t be reconnected after line cleaning.
That insight now underpins a wider rollout across our estate, including 45 managed pubs in the South West and a further 120 managed operator and leased and tenanted sites, alongside selected independent free trade customers across the UK.
Through our commitment to uncompromising quality, the technical question has been answered for Proper Job 0.5%. The more interesting one now is how many drinkers will choose it at the bar – not because it’s low alcohol, but because it’s earned its place there.
