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Utopian launches its first non-alcoholic beer
Devonshire-based Utopian Brewing has launched its first alcohol-free beer in the form of a 0.5% ABV lager named AF Pilsner.
Speaking to the drinks business, Utopian Brewing founder and managing director Richard Archer said: “This beer has been a long time in the making as we had to be certain we could make a beer that we felt met our own quality standards, not just a launch a beer to try and catch the wave.”
Archer admitted to db: “It has taken a lot of test batches, a lot of head scratching and a lot of challenges along the way too. We didn’t have access to the capital of larger breweries to install ‘alcohol removal’ technology, as the entry point for those is in the order of £1 million, so we had to find a way to make a great tasting beer using traditional mash and a lager yeast, cold fermentation, but without the alcohol.”
Archer revealed that the development stages of creating the brew to the quality that it wanted took a long time, but that the result has been worth the time, dedication and effort.
He told db: ““I’ve lost count, but I think it’s at least six runs on the pilot kit and a lapsed time of nearly a year since we first started the production process. We think it’s been worth it though and we are very happy with the finished beer.”
Utopian head brewer Jeremy Swainson explained: “It was important to us that our AF Pilsner was an authentic lager, fermented cold with bottom fermenting yeast, whilst retaining as much body and mouthfeel as possible to ensure a genuine beer drinking experience. This required a reimagining of much of the brewing process, and we are excited about the results.“
Archer added: “We are very proud of our ‘all natural and traditionally brewed’ heritage in the brewery so it is actually great that we have been able to make an alcohol-free using those same core values.”
The beer is, according to Archer, “unfiltered, with a light haze and a beautiful white foam” and has “a decent amount of body for an alcohol-free and a lovely light bitterness on the finish. We hope our customers like it as much as we do.”
The new AF Pilsner release follows Utopian’s recent re-release of ‘Small Pils’ a 3.4% ABV Pilsner and the brewery’s 3.4% ABV Mystic IPA on cask.
Archer insisted that having an increasing range of low and no beers in the portfolio has become very much part of Utopian’s strategy but highlighted that the brewery still plans to have a wide range of beers available at higher ABVs too.
Explaining more about the brewery’s plan and stance, Archer said: “We are very aware and supportive of the desire of drinkers to consume less alcohol. We see that as a positive thing but equally think it’s important to continue to give consumers access to some of the great beer styles at the higher end of the ABV bracket. Having this combination we think is pivotal to enabling drinkers to continue to enjoy all the beer styles they have come to love, or haven’t yet tried, whilst reducing overall alcohol consumption. Balance is the key.”
Utopian’s new AF Pilsner will be available in 440ml cans and in a limited number of 20 litre kegs that pubs and bars can order either direct from the brewery or via a variety of distribution channels.
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