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UK brewer bucks trend and increases ABV of beer
One British brewer has backpedalled and reinstated the original ABV of its beer after consumers railed against a decrease in alcohol level.
With ABV-related duty changes due to kick in from 1 February 2025 many producers have resorted to lowering the alcohol content of their drinks in order to save pennies.
There has already been significant backlash. Consumers are complaining bitterly about both the lowering of ABVs, and the fact that not all producers are being transparent about the move.
Shoppers at UK retailer Tesco let rip in the comments section of the store’s website, as they fumed about popular wine brands “quietly” reducing their alcohol levels.
“I wouldn’t mind if they still offered the original formula for more money but they have taken our choice away, not told us and are now trying to pass off a watered down version of the wine we loved,” commented one consumer.
The same shopper revealed they had switched allegiances to Blossom Hill from a Gallo rosé, “when Gallo reduced their Zinfandel from 11% to 8%” and “ruined the taste”.
Complete 180
Now one Salford-based brewer has been forced to reverse its earlier decision to lower the ABV of its beer due to consumer outcry.
Marble Brewery reduced the ABV of its Metric (otherwise known as ‘Pint’) beer from 3.9% to 3.4% after the UK government announced the planned duty changes in August 2024.
“While we were happy with the 3.4% version, it became apparent many of our loyal customers were not,” Paul Plowman, Marble sales director told Beer News.
“Although we never compromised on quality, sometimes things just shouldn’t be messed with. As a result, we’ve gone back to the original 3.9% recipe, which hopefully will return Pint to one of the most loved and respected pints in the country.”
However, while the ABV has been changed back to 3.9% in the beer information on the brewer’s website, the description of Pint still states the reduced alcohol content:
“Whatever measure you drink it in, our 3.4% session ale is brewed with an all pale malt bill and then hopped with a blend of New Zealand and US hops,” the description reads. “Our benchmark beer promises a burst of zesty aromas, uplifting grapefruit flavours and a subtle lemongrass finish.”
The brewer also has a taproom in Salford with nine keg and three cask lines, though a note on Marble’s website says “closed until further notice”.
From 1 February, the rate of duty per litre of beer between 3.5% and 8.5% is expected to be £21.01.
Sessionable drinks
In August, db investigated whether ‘sessionable’ wines could be the answer to the duty changes. Clive Donaldson, director of beverages at Asda’s IPL International Procurement & Logistics division, warned that letting ABV drive decision could “create a lot of Frankenstein wines.”
“We’re trying to make intelligent choices around lowering ABV, where it makes sense to do it,” he said.
In a letter from 58 firms, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSET) and a large number of producers, including Gallo, Laurent-Perrier, Accolade Wines, Freixenet Copestick, Zonin and retailers such as Majestic, “urged” the UK Government to scrap the duty rises ahead of their expected date of 1 February 2025.
As part of the duty reform, wine will be taxed incrementally, by 0.5% ABV, between 11.5% and 14.5%.
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