IS ALCOHOL-FREE BEER HERE TO STAY THIS TIME? IT LOOKS INCREASINGLY SO, BUT WHY?
Indisputably alcohol-free beer is a current global trend. The segment has taken, and continues to take, market share from its alcoholic counterpart along with the neighbouring soft drinks industry. Perhaps more surprisingly it appears to be forming its own category all together.
Fundamental shifts in consumer behaviour towards greater health consciousness, personal and professional ambition, moderation and alternative ‘high’ have led to the development of a plethora of different brands, styles and expressions in the ‘NAB’ (non-alcoholic beer) space.
Lets explore some of these further:
Moderation
It would be unusual to talk about anything beer related without paying tribute to ABInBev and Heineken. As the world’s top two brewers, both have recognised the trends towards alcohol-free and responded with some highly credible variants of their global brands. Both have realised the importance of offering their customers an option other than alcohol.
Heineken have placed a lot of emphasis and investment behind Heineken 0 and through partnerships with premier sports outlets (F1, European Rugby, Premier League) and well-established global distribution channels, have reached a stronghold position as a market leader.
Health
This trend is not necessarily new. However, what is more recent is the inclusion of alcohol-free beer as a credible product for a healthy diet and consumption. Many brands now position their products as having positive (or health related) benefits. Arguably the most prominent here is Erdinger who have identified the isotonic nature of a non-alcoholic malt drink and successfully partnered their brand with various endurance sports. More recently The Athletic Brewing Co. have followed suit in this vein with a similar positioning and global partnership with the Ironman brand. More left field has been the resurgence of ‘adaptogenic’ foodstuffs. Alcohol-free beer has found its way into this line-up alongside coffee alternatives, ready meals and functional beverages. ‘Fungtn’ combines premium, alcohol-free craft beer and by harnessing the power of medicinal mushrooms they look to deliver functional and positive benefits in every sip’.
Personal & Professional ambition
For over a decade the number of new businesses created annually in America has been flat or in decline. However, throughout 2020-21 there has been a marked ‘buck’ in this trend with a spike in entrepreneurial activity. Although difficult to correlate to alcohol-free beer it is safe to assume that entrepreneurs are busy people, normally balancing enthusiasm and energy for their new business with the risk of its ultimate failure. Social activity falls down the priority list for this group of individuals, and where still necessary, coming away with a hangover does not make for a productive day following. A number of NAB brands, some often entrepreneurs themselves, have identified this and are positioning their products to individuals looking to ‘do more with their days’. The Better Beverage company are an example of this with their lager and pale ale brands designed to give individuals the choice to abstain, without missing out on those key moments with their friends and family.
Alternative ‘high’
For centuries alcohol has been seen as the most socially acceptable drug to celebrate the highs, and numb the lows that life throws at us. This norm is now being challenged by younger generations who are experimenting with other sources of intoxication. In 2018 Berenberg Research reported that GenZers, along with their millennial counterparts, are drinking less alcohol than older generations. The report found that the Gen Z generation was drinking over 20% less per capita than millennials, and that the millennials were drinking less than Baby Boomers and the Gen X generation did at the same age. High Style Brewing Co. in the USA offers handcrafted cannabis-infused non-alcoholic beers with various styles and flavour directions available. Similarly, Langunitas released ‘Hi-Fi Hops’ with cannabis products from AbsoluteXtracts.
So, regardless of the reason, positioning or behaviour change behind it, alcohol-free beer seems here to stay!
TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION METHODS
Classically alcohol-free beers have been produced through the thermal or physical separation of alcohol from regular beers. These methods have some key benefits that make them appealing to brewers: they harness existing beer streams meaning no requirement for additional brew house capacity. This lineage makes them inherently similar to their alcoholic parent – a strong play for marketers!
Vacuum Distillation
Vacuum distillation is a thermal separation technique that utilises the boiling point of a liquid to separate valuable materials from a combined state. In the case of alcohol-free beer this means removing the alcohol which has a lower boiling temperature than the remaining beer solution.
Membrane de-alcoholisation
Membrane dealcoholisation is a physical separation technique that uses reverse osmosis to separate materials across a semipermeable membrane. With alcohol-free beer, this means removing the alcohol and some water whilst leaving behind a remaining solution of carbohydrates, proteins and minerals essential to the flavour and body of the beer.
Although effective, there are significant considerations with these classic methods: the equipment required is CAPEX intensive, there are batch-size constraints limiting flexibility, different skills are required to operate these processes compared with conventional brewing and they produce effluent streams which must be handled properly. It is worth noting that further blending/re-formulation will be required after alcohol is removed in this way to achieve a drinkable result.
NOVEL PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
Ingredient technology has progressed in recent years to provide some compelling alternatives to the classic methods of producing alcohol-free beers discussed above.
Malt and Hop Extract Formulations
Malt and hop extracts can now be used to formulate a highly drinkable alcohol-free beer without the requirement for brewhouse processes. These methods provide the brewer with a highly flexible approach to tailoring their recipe to the exact colour, flavour and mouthfeel desired. Without the reliance on an existing beer stream, formulation from extracts also provides consistency to the profile of the product from batch-to-batch - ensuring that the consumer always has the same experience.
PureMalt ZEBRA is a pale malt extract specifically brewed for the purpose of making alcohol-free beer. Through a dual-fermentation and various stabilisation and refinement steps, ZEBRA provides a beer-like base upon which brewers can build their bitterness, aroma and flavour profile. Unconstrained by batch size, process technology or CAPEX, PureMalt ZEBRA gives brewers a flexible and highly customisable approach to developing new alcohol-free beer brands.
Don’t believe me? Why not order a set of free sample cans, prepared using ZEBRA:
Special Fermentations
Similar to the progress seen in malt and hop ingredients, yeast strain capabilities have also developed. Various yeasts now exist, some fermenting different sugar profiles to conventional brewer’s yeasts (Sacch. cerevisiae, Sacch. Pastorianus). This, now better understood, functionality provides the option to conduct ‘arrested fermentations’ or ‘cold contact’ processes that allow the yeast to metabolise sugars and nutrients associated with wort without creating an abundance of alcohol.
SmartBev™ NEER® from Chr. Hansen is a specially isolated yeast strain (Pichia kluyverithat) that targets the metabolism of monosaccharides, converting them into desirable ‘beer-like’ flavours without the production of alcohol. This branded strain is relatively new to the market and is capable of generating some interesting results. There are some storage challenges to overcome with the strain needing very low temperatures. A special -60°C freezer will be required.
Similarly SAFBREW™ LA-01 (Saccharomyces chevalieri) from Fermentis is based on a strain that does not assimilate maltose or maltotriose but can ferment simple sugars such as glucose, fructose and sucrose.
Ancillary Techniques
Some production techniques have emerged to help improve the flavour profile and drinkability of alcohol-free beers. These techniques extend throughout the conventional brewing process from the malt/grist composition, through the brewhouse, to the conditioning and filtration of the final beer.
In pursuit of reducing the wort flavour characteristics commonly found in alcohol-free beers, one particularly interesting technique is the reduction of aldehydes through absorption by Zeolites. Research from the University of Delft in collaboration with Heineken Supply Chain showed that zeolites were capable of reducing aldehyde content by up to 93% in alcohol-free beers – enhancing the freshness and flavour profile.
A HYBRID APPROACH
As is often the case in food and beverage, pursuing a truly unique product can require harnessing various techniques. Alcohol-free beer is a great example of an application where this approach can generate competitive results. Depending on size, scale and capabilities, the design of ‘a hybrid approach’ may vary.
Those with existing and successful alcoholic beer brands may choose to partner a de-alcoholising method with malt and hop extract reformulation to produce a refined and drinkable result.
Smaller brewers with no access to capital intensive de-alcoholising equipment may look to novel yeast fermentations and cold-conditioning methods such as zeolite absorption for a ‘hybrid’ result.
SUMMARY
It is clear from recent market activity and brand launches that NAB is receiving a lot of focus and attention. Although far from saturated, this increasingly competitive market space demands a truly unique approach. I think it is safe to assume that the category will continue to expand with the trends mentioned earlier driving the directions taken.
Equipment fabricators and ingredient manufacturers will continue to invest in new offerings for the NAB market which coupled with the creativity of the brewers and brand owners should improve the offering and quality of products for years to come. 