AF beer goes indulgent as dark nights draw in
Alcohol-free brewer – Big Drop – has launched its Winter Specials with a pair of decadent beers to entice craft fans and demonstrate the extent to which AF beers have advanced.
‘Firesider’ and ‘Kinzig’ both weigh in at 0.5% abv and are available in 440ml cans but for a limited time only, while stocks last.
Firesider is a pumpkin spiced ale, brewed with a unique blend of toasted malts, pumpkin yeast and seasonal spices – including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. As the name suggests, this beer’s subtle bitterness and flavour will warm you up from the inside. Perfect for relaxing, feet up beside a woodburner, after a long stroll through fallen Autumn leaves.
Meanwhile Kinzig (named after a river in Germany’s Black Forest) is a remarkable stout which pours like black silk with the soft aroma of vanilla. Its seductive chocolatey flavour is perfectly balanced with dark cherry undertones, reminiscent of a Black Forest Gateau. This is a beer to take your time over – and over again – without suffering any downside the following morning.
Nick Worthington, Commercial Director of Big Drop, commented: “We loved developing these two beers because they push the boundaries of AF alchemy and are just perfect for the time of year. There’s now a certain expectation that our specials will be something out of the ordinary and these really deliver on that. The results mean that any dark beer fan will be spoilt for choice this Winter and still be at their best, no matter what life throws at them.”
Other dark beers in Big Drop’s existing range include: ‘Galactic’ Milk Stout, ‘Woodcutter’ Brown Ale & ‘Off Piste’ Hazelnut Porter which are all also 0.5% abv. Collectively these beers have won numerous awards, including 2019 World’s Best Dark Beer (low strength) and 2020 World’s Best Flavoured Beer (low strength) at the World Beer Awards.
440ml cans of Kinzig and Firesider are priced at £9.80 for a 4 pack and £28 for a 12pack. Buy them from Big Drop’s online shop and you can also make a donation to Invisible Chips, the hospitality industry’s hardship fund.
Photo by Andrew Ridley on Unsplash
Further information
Big Drop’s Awards & Accolades
Big Drop’s Pale Ale was named World’s Best Pale Beer (low strength) at the World Beer Awards 2017.
Its Stout won a Gold Medal at the International Beer Challenge and a UK Silver Medal at the World Beer Awards when judged against full-strength stouts and porters. It also won a Gold medal at the US Open Beer Championship.
Its Citra IPA was crowned ‘King of Craft’ at the 2019 Casual Dining show, which was dominated by full-strength beers. It also won the overall Champion’s trophy for ‘Non and Low Alcohol Beer’ at The International Brewing and Cider Awards and a Silver medal at the US Open Beer Championship.
Big Drop was also one of three ‘Best Drinks Producers’ in the 2018 BBC Food & Farming Awards.
“Big Drop specialises in alcohol-free beer and it’s all good. I tried the pale ale and the lager, too, and both are excellent, but the stout really is the business.” — Adrian Chiles, The Guardian
“The most impressive no/low alcohol beer I have ever tried; no argument, it just is.” — Melissa Cole, British Guild of Beer Writers
“In my view, by far the best of the low-alcohol brigade is Big Drop Brewing Co. All its beers come in at just 0.5%, and all of them are excellent – the stout in particular is a jaw-dropper. Superb flavour without compromise.” — Olly Smith, Mail on Sunday
About Big Drop
Big Drop was launched in 2016 as the world’s first brewer dedicated to alcohol-free beer by the-then City lawyer, Rob Fink and long-time friend James Kindred.
Both had recently become fathers and were looking to cut back on the booze but could not find any decent alternatives to their favourite craft beers.
Along with experimental brewer, Johnny Clayton, they perfected techniques to make a range of 0.5% abv beer styles – but crucially without the need for alcohol extraction – resulting in a fuller-flavour.
Big Drop has won over 40 major international beer titles including four times being judged ‘World’s Best’ at the World Beer Awards and beating full-strength beers in blind tastings.
Big Drop contract brews in batches through a network of brewing partners worldwide, meaning it can produce fresh beer – locally and ethically – with a minimal carbon footprint.
Recognised as the market leader in the rapidly growing AF craft beer sector, Big Drop can now be found in over 10,000 locations – including throughout Europe, Australia, Canada and – soon to be – the US. In the UK, Big Drop has listings with major pub groups (eg Mitchells & Butlers), restaurant chains (eg Nando’s) and retailers (eg Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado) as well as on the High Street with Holland & Barrett and on doorsteps with Milk & More.
Its range of beers, which are all <0.5% abv, currently consists of: Stout, Lager, Pale Ale, Citra IPA, Brown Ale, Golden Ale, Hazelnut Porter and a Sour as well as special editions and collaborations with other leading brewers.
Further information: [email protected]