Beer with no alcohol in growing demand

DESIRE for non-alcoholic beer has been brewing in Australia and, as more and more companies hop on the bandwagon, drinkers can’t believe it’s not lager.

With 6000 alcohol-related deaths each year, one in six people drinking at dangerous levels and a culture where socialising is intertwined with drinking, the demand for nonalcoholic substitutes has grown.

Australians are the eighth biggest drinkers in the world, however attitudes are changing. In its first year in 2008, Dry July had 1000 participantsl this year, more than 35,000 have been recorded.

Breweries such as Carlton, Heineken, Coopers and Asahi have all released non-alcoholic beers and now, as was the case with regular beers, craft breweries are following suit.

UpFlow is the latest brewery to create a booze-free beer, founder Julian Sanders saying abstaining drinkers did not need to sacrifice flavour.

“Zero-alcohol beer is gaining the attention of craft brewers and drinkers alike,” he said.

“Developments in brewing technology means alcohol-free no longer results in flavourfree, giving drinkers all the enjoyment of a fresh tinny without the hangover. By brewing beers that are full of flavour but contain no alcohol, we are able to open up new ways to enjoy drinking that are tied to health, fitness, performance, productivity and safety.”

Mr Sanders has also launched Australia’s first nonalcoholic beer festival, Flow Festival, to be held virtually on Sunday July 26.