‘Dry January’ has traditionally been viewed as a quieter month for the beer and pub industry, with consumers abstaining from alcohol and reducing their visits to the pub. However, driven by health-conscious consumers, demand for a greater range and quality of low alcohol and no-alcohol beers in the UK is greater than ever before. In fact, as a category, ‘low and no alcohol beer’ has grown by 232% in just five years (2013 to 2018).[1] During Dry January alone, the BBPA predicts that 4.8 million pints of low and no alcohol beer will be sold.[2] Whether on draught or off the shelf, for the 4.2 million people participating in Dry January who still crave a refreshing beer, the BBPA has highlighted a small example of the rapidly growing range and variety of non-alcoholic lagers and ales to satisfy all tastes.[3] [1] BBPA sales data [2] Prediction based on BBPA sales data [3] YouGov Poll, for more info see: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/foodanddrink/dry-january-2019-a4017926.html Some alcohol-free lagers and ales to see you through Dry January[1]: Heineken 0.0, Alcohol Free Heineken 0.0 is made from natural ingredients, brewed twice and fermented with Heineken's unique yeast strain before the alcohol is gently removed. The finished beer is balanced, clean and refreshing with a fruity flavour and soft, malty notes. Peroni Libera, Alcohol Free Peroni Libera 0.0% delivers a crisp and refreshing taste, with a delicate fruity aroma. First brewed with exclusive Nostrano dell'Isola maize, with a dedicated yeast strain then added without producing alcohol. This gives Peroni Libera 0.0% its signature hoppy characteristics and smooth finish. Budweiser Prohibition Brew, Alcohol Free Brewed in the same way as regular Budweiser, Prohibition Brew is a medium-bodied, flavourful, crisp American-style alcohol-free lager with a golden colour, a subtle honey aroma and a trace of citrus, punctuated by notes of malt and noble hops. A perfectly balanced, full-flavoured lager with a crisp, clean, fast finish. St. Peters Without Elderberry & Raspberry, Alcohol Free An alcohol free beer with the sweet, tangy, and pleasant fruitiness of elderberries, and the lingering taste of raspberries. A full-bodied and well-balanced beer with a smooth, subtly sharp bitterness. Harviestoun Brewery Wheesht, Alcohol Free A dark ruby ale complimented with aromas of chocolate, biscuit and dried fruit. These characters carry to the palate with roasted, chocolate and sweet malt all shining through. A velvety smooth mouthfeel with a soft lingering bitterness. Innis & Gunn’s Innis & None, Alcohol Free Produced by Scottish Brewery Innis & Gunn, Innis & None is brewed, but not fermented! This process results in a bold, zesty and thirst-quenching pale ale with all the hops and flavour you want from a craft beer, just without the alcohol! Commenting on the growing range of non-alcoholic beer, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, commented: “Those taking part in Dry January or reducing their drinking have plenty of alternatives from brewers and pubs to see them through the month. “The range and quality of non-alcoholic beers in the UK has never been better. Some are even available on tap in pubs, making them the perfect option for those doing Dry January who are thirsty for a pint. “It’s also important to remember that pubs are more than just places to drink. They now serve upwards of one billion meals a year, so anyone participating in Dry January can still enjoy a visit to their local for food and a non-alcoholic beer.” More non-alcoholic beers to try in Dry January: Cobra Zero, Alcohol Free Cobra Zero is an alcohol-free beer with the same smooth, rounded taste characteristics you'd expect from standard Cobra. Malty notes and cereal grains give it a yeasty, lasting flavour, combined with a prevalent hop presence. Carlsberg Nordic, Alcohol Free Nordic Golden Brew is an alcohol-free clear pilsner beer. The beer has a beautiful crystal clear and golden colour with a bubby foam. The taste is very well balanced and offers a nice body and easily quenches thirst, just like an ordinary pilsner. Beck’s Blue, Alcohol Free Beck's Blue is a light, crisp and refreshing non-alcoholic alternative to beer, with no compromise on taste. Golden in colour, it is a classic German-style pilsner lager with over 140 years of heritage. Low-alcohol lagers and ales for those looking to reduce their drinking: Adnam’s Ghost Ship, 0.5% Adnam’s Ghost Ship is brewed with pale ale, rye crystal and cara malts, using citra and a blend of other American hop varieties, to create hauntingly bold citrus flavours. The beer has a lemon and lime aroma that perfectly complements the aromatic tastes of spicy Thai and Indian foods. Low Alcohol Old Speckled Hen, 0.5% Crafted by the master brewer of ‘Old Speckled Hen’, this refreshing low alcohol beer is brewed with fine ingredients to deliver taste and aroma evocative of the nation’s favourite premium ale but at 0.5% ABV. Brooklyn Special Effects, 0.4% Special Effects gets its bready sweetness from a blend of pale caramel, and dark roasted Munich malts, and its surprising nose from dry-hopping with Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo hops - a technique rarely used in alcohol free brewing. It tastes just like a regular beer, but therein lies the special effect: it's not. Lucky Saint 0.5% Unfiltered Lager Lucky Saint is born of Bavarian spring water, pilsner malt, Hallertau hops and a single-use yeast. Featuring ‘biscuity’ malts, it has a smooth, citrus hop finish. Nirvana Hoppy Pale Ale, 0.5% A go-to beer for everyday drinking, this pale ale uses chinook and cascade hops to deliver refreshing, light citrus and floral aromas and a dry, bitter finish.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has today responded to the Queen’s Speech in Parliament. Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, BBPA Chief Executive, Emma McClarkin said: “Pubs are the heart of our communities, so the commitment in the Queen’s Speech to a change in the business rates system is welcome. Three pubs a day close their doors for good due to the tax pressures they face. It is right that the Government is addressing the issue of business rates since pubs pay 2.8% of the total rates bill despite accounting for just 0.5% of turnover. Reducing rates for pubs is an important step in the right direction. Such reliefs are vital until the fundamentally unfair system is completely overhauled. “However, with 7 out of 10 drinks sold in a pub being beer, it remains the case that a freeze or cut in beer tax at the next budget is the most direct way of helping pubs stay viable, so we hope that the commitment to a review of alcohol duties encompasses this. It would also show that the Prime Minister is listening to the 230,000 supporters of the Long Live the Local campaign, which calls on the Government to cut beer tax to support local pubs and the communities they serve. It is imperative the new government recognises the strength of feeling on the matter. “We await the detail on the proposed points-based immigration system but pubs are facing a serious skills shortage and clearly need access to talent from abroad. It is vital then that any post-Brexit, points-based immigration system recognises this, which is why BBPA will continue to be the leading advocate of the need for such access to talent for our sector.”
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has today published the latest edition of its operating cost guide for tenants and lessees. The data is intended to help those wishing to take on a tenanted or leased pub business to be as well informed as possible about the current costs involved in running a pub. The BBPA’s guide provides valuable information for tenants and lessees on typical operating costs in the pub sector. The guide gives existing tenants and lessees the opportunity to benchmark their own business and compare their own costs against these published industry norms. The guide shows the average cost of running a leased and tenanted pub over a range of pub models based on turnover and business types. It covers a wide range of pubs, from those with little in the way of food sales, to those that are largely food-led, and takes account of the significant variations that exist in the cost base, even within those pubs that are broadly in the same category. As in previous editions, the guide’s input data and sources change each year, so the information should not be used to determine trends from year to year. The guide also makes clear that all pubs are unique and that actual costs incurred will be dependent on the different aims and styles of the business according to the location, the market and the skills of the tenant or lessee. As well as providing average costs, the guide also includes the minimum and maximum operating costs, providing a range of scenarios across different types of business. Commenting on the new benchmarking data, a BBPA spokesperson said: “Whether you already run a pub or are thinking of taking one on, this new report is a must-read. It includes essential information on the current costs involved in running a local pub and can be downloaded – free of charge – from our website.” The new benchmarking data can be downloaded from the BBPA website here.
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