NSW’s leading non-alcoholic brewers reveal secrets behind success
Business is booming in the non-alcoholic beer industry as rising numbers of Aussies choose to give booze the flick. Meet the NSW independent brewers carving out success in the sector:
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Business is booming in the non-alcoholic beer industry as demand for booze-free drinking options reaches new highs across Australia.
Independent brewers are taking advantage of changing drinking habits driven by increased consumer awareness of health-issues related to alcohol.
Many brewers attribute the increasing popularity of booze-free drinks to the normalisation of opting for zero-alcoholic beverages and the increasing availability of the products.
Brewers Association of Australia chief executive John Preston said booze-free drinks offering a similar experience in taste and profile to their alcoholic counterparts have seen the greatest traction with consumers.
“Over the past years we have seen beer drinkers reduce their pure alcohol consumption by three million litres as lower-alcohol beer products have become more popular,” he said.
“It’s clear that our brewing industry’s innovation in this area has made a significant difference to consumption levels.”
IWSR drinks market analysis is forecasting that the low and no-alcohol drinks volume in Australia will grow by 16 per cent by 2024.
Non-alcoholic drinks currently make up about one per cent of all beer retail sales in Australia with the figure expected to double to two per cent by 2025.
We take a look at some of the brewers in NSW making their mark on the sector.
SEADRIFT DISTILLERY
A northern beaches brewery is on a mission to change the culture of drinking in Australia.
Seadrift Distillery was founded by Alastair and Carolyn Whiteley in 2019, specialising in a range of non-alcoholic spirits including the Seadrift Classic.
Ms Whiteley said the public attitude towards booze-free drinks has “changed dramatically” in the last four years as more Australians make the switch to non-alcoholic products.
“When we first opened our distillery in 2019, people (drunken visitors to the local breweries) would stand outside and read our sign saying ‘non alcoholic distillery’ and would shout loudly and occasionally quite obnoxiously ‘what’s the *** point of that’, now – they come in for a spacer,” she said.
“People have really woken up to the ill effects of alcohol and are a lot more savvy about what they drink, how much they drink and even if they drink at all.
“For some it’s cutting down one drink a night out, for others it’s a month off, for others it’s going completely sober.”
Seadrift Classic was the first spirit created at the distillery. It is distilled from coriander, Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and locally foraged golden sea kelp.
“Seadrift products were created because we really wanted the best quality non-alcoholic that could be made,” Ms Whitley said.
“We were inspired by the stunning area we live in, the beaches and the wellness lifestyle that exists on the beaches, and seeing a real need to change the culture of drinking in Australia.
“We really wanted to provide adult tasting drinks that people want to drink – not because they have alcohol in them but because they really enjoy drinking them and gives them some great alternatives when they simply aren’t drinking.
“We do not try and replicate alcohol with colourings and flavourings and instead distil all our products in small copper batch stills with fresh botanicals that are cut overnight and delivered to our distillery each morning.”
BENEFICIAL BEER
Beneficial Beer founder David Jackson launched his own non-alcoholic brewery with the aim of reviving classic Aussie beers and catering for customers “looking to lose the beer and not the banter”.
Mr Jackson said his foray into non-alcoholic brewing began in 2020 when he decided to complete a ‘one year no beer challenge’ with a friend after losing his father and three mates in close succession and having personally battled his relationship with booze for 30 years.
Mr Jackson said he realised it was going to be no mean feat to kick the booze for 12 months, so he set himself on a mission to convert the challenge into a passion and start his own non-alcoholic brewery.
Joined by creative partner Matt Johnson, the duo raised $300,000 in 48 hours from family and friends to kick off the business and secured the help of one of Australia’s best-known brewers, Bruce Peachey. The first of the company’s non-alcoholic beers was a Stone Cold Lager.
Mr Jackson said his focus was to create a product that tasted like a usual mid strength beer that customers could get stuck into at the pub on a Friday with mates.
He said evolutions in brewing techniques have enabled brewers to create “decent tasting non alcoholic lagers on the market that you could drink more than one and actually enjoy.”
“Lots of factors come into play but one of the big reasons non-alcoholic drinks are becoming more popular is there is technology now to enable manufacturers to make these drinks actually taste like the real thing,” he said.
“Couple this with entrepreneurs who are opening bottle shops catering for non-alcoholic drinks alone, and that the younger generation are very health conscious and you have a rapidly growing sector of the drinks market.”
BEESBUCHA
Bees are being used to create an innovative non-alcoholic drink range that keeps customers at one of the city’s most popular drinking holes coming back for more.
Giacomo Franceschi – bar manager at Charlie Parker bar in Paddington – is the brains behind Beesbucha – a non-alcoholic, naturally fermented honey-based product.
The idea for the non-alcoholic drinks began when Mr Franceschi was looking to create a drink that could be used as a cocktail mixer at the Paddington bar.
“Beesbucha complimented the flavours in cocktails so well and guests enjoyed the product – that’s when the idea of bottling the product started to take shape in my mind,” Mr Franceschi said.
“During Covid I finally had the time to finesse the recipe and bottle the product. We started to produce in a garage on Francis St in Bondi.
“My passion drove me to become a beekeeper and I really started to get passionate about bees and how their relationship with the ecosystem influences the flavour of the honey and then the drinks.
“It was here that I really developed the desire to showcase the quality of honey within the drinks industry. “
Beesbucha is created by using natural yeast present in honey which is blended with locally produced fruit. The range includes banana, and raspberry and eucalyptus varieties.
“We only use local products, and we harvest honey respectfully, prioritising true support towards our bees,” Mr Franceschi said.
“I have seen an increase in demand for non-alcoholic drinks as people are starting to take breaks from alcoholic beverages. During this time, they still want to enjoy a good drink in company and the options are becoming great.”
DAD AND DAVE’S BREWERY
A brewery that began in the garage of a northern beach home has grown into one of the state’s most successful independent breweries.
Founded on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2011, Dad & Dave’s Brewing is an independently owned and operated family business based in Brookvale with six members of the family all contributing to the venture.
The brewery’s booze free option is called ‘The No-Brainer’ – a brewed, non-pasteurised ultra low alcohol 0.5% ABV Lager. It is described as malty, crisp, low in bitterness with a full body and thick creamy head.
Brewer Dave Dumay said the drink was a product of collaboration.
“(It) was dreamt up over a couple beers. We have a regular brewers tasting session after work on a Friday every couple weeks to talk strategy and sample new and interesting brews from around the country,” he said.
“We started seeing an increase in their sales and Dad said we should think about making one.
“Marc our bar manager came up with the great name, Brodie our part time bartender/designer came up with the labels. I designed a recipe and with a couple trial runs we achieved what we were after.”
Mr Dumay said the growth in the non-alcoholic market had been steady as more Australians warm to the idea of booze-free drinks.
“It’s still not huge in our experience at the moment but the category is growing and it definitely warrants having the product available,” he said.
“My opinion is the pandemic had the major drive for the recent increase in demand. Everybody’s mental health took a bit of a hit and alcohol was what people turned to.
“With being locked up (down) this too tolls on our physical and mental health also. So I think people have just got a bit fed up and lowered their consumption if not cutting it out all together.”
HAWKESBURY BREWING CO.
Making a non alcoholic beer taste like beer is not an easy task, just ask Hawkesbury Brewing Co managing director Mark Berwick.
“Beer is formed from the fermentation of wort by yeast. It is the fermentation process that produces all the recognisable flavours of beer but also produces the alcohol. You can’t have one without the other and this is where historical non-alcoholic beer failed and never really tasted like beer,” Mr Berwick said.
“Our brewers are a clever bunch and as easy as it is to summarise a beer without alcohol in practice, to make it is extremely difficult.
“The historical variants are testimony to this and did not really resemble the taste of beer.
“We employed two of the best brewers in the country with a long history in well-known brewing companies – they were located right here on the coast and couldn’t believe their luck to do what they enjoy right in the backyard.”
After a lot of hard work, the independent brewery launched their first non-alcoholic product Prohibition Pale Ale – a traditionally brewed pale ale with full body and flavour with the alcohol removed.
It is now brewed alongside the company’s list of other beverages including, beer, wine, spirits, and liqueurs.
“There appears to be a strong and ever-growing demand for non-alcoholic versions of traditionally alcoholic drinks,” Mr Berwick said.
“For years the only real option for an adult that was not drinking at a restaurant or pub was a coke and raspberry, lemon lime and bitters or water.
“With the current range of non-alcoholic drinks there is now the ability to easily transition between non-alcoholic and alcoholic and still enjoy the same flavour and social behaviour.”
MODUS OPERANDI
Modus Operandi Brewing released their first non-alcoholic and low calorie beer Nort two years ago and has gone on to see the product stocked by major retailers across Australia.
The product was launched during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 at a time when brewery co-founder Jaz Wearin said more people were drinking at home due to the unsettled nature of the pandemic.
“Understandable – no judgment here – but I could also see an opportunity for people wanting balance – all the flavour without the fuzzier,” she said.
“Having already been brewing alcoholic beer for the past six years at that stage, I was confident I could create a non-alcoholic beer that not only tasted good but was also really low in calories and 99 per cent sugar free.
“We wanted a beer that was approachable for all beer drinkers, super refreshing with an authentic beer flavour.”
Modus Brewery worked with the company’s head brewer and a contract partner to bring their vision to reality.
A $1 million government grant also meant they were able to build and install a non-alcoholic facility in Merewether, Newcastle which makes us only a handful of Australian brewed and owned non-alcoholic beer brands.
Ms Wearin said what was expected to be a “bit of a side project” soon began a success story with Nort available in all national grocery and liquor stores by the end of 2020.
Sales for the non-alcohol drink have grown 11-fold over the last year.
“Non-alcoholic beer is now a completely normal thing to see in someone’s hand at a barbecue or at the pub. There is no longer the stigma, in fact there is a sense of respect and understanding that someone is making a conscious choice to live a more balanced life,” she said.
“A lot of consumers are balancing alcoholic beverages with Nort and cutting their alcohol intake in half. Non-alcoholic drinks are no longer perceived as abstinence, it’s a freedom you can take to get more out of life without missing out on the moments.“
ALTD SPIRITS
A Marrickville distillery has created an unmistakably Australian non-alcoholic drink thanks to a unique partnership with an Indigenous owned bushfood company.
ALTD Spirits is continuing to carve out success in the booze free market by creating a range of non-alcoholic products including drinks using Australian native botanicals that are ethically sourced and distilled.
“My sister and I started Spirits in 2018. I took up distillation as a hobby and developed a passion for it as well as native botanicals and making great alcohol-free drinks,” founder Tim Triggs said.
“We wanted to create drinks that celebrated Australia’s amazingly diverse landscape – and do it in a way that was inclusive and respectful of the traditional owners.”
In 2022, the company partnered with Indigenous-owned bushfoods company Kakadu Kitchen to create the first of a planned series of seasonal drinks.
The first drink is the An-Marabula Native Peach – and it sold 300 cases in just a couple of months.
Bininj man Ben Tyler supplies family-harvested an-marabula – native peaches – which are blended with other ingredients to create the unmistakably Australian product.
“We wanted to make an authentically Australian drink - but most of all - we wanted it to be the most delicious Bellini ever,” Mr Triggs said.
“Regardless of the story behind it – the collaboration, the amazing native peaches, the ethical harvesting, the process etc – all that is awesome, but we wanted the drink to be great on its own.
“Particularly off the back of Covid, I honestly think the word is spreading that not being hungover is effing amazing.
“I think as (non-alcoholic drinks) become more normalised – more people are embracing it. I’m here for it.”
BILPIN CIDER
The Bilpin Cider Co drew on the region’s reputation as an apple growing hub to create one of Australia’s most popular non-alcoholic ciders.
The brewery launched its first non-alcoholic cider in 2016 with the aim of providing customers with a booze-free drinking option when visiting the brewery’s cellar door in the Blue Mountains region.
Demand for the product soon grew and by the end of 2016 the brewery was receiving requests for the drink to be available to the broader market.
Brewery managing director Sean Prendergast said entering the non alcoholic market catered for all family needs, including under 18 customers, responsible drivers and customers looking for an alternative to alcohol.
“The growth of beverages designed as non alcoholic consumption products is very visible and from our perspective this is measurable through our cellar door, online and retail shop,” he said.
“Noticeably we are supplying a number of dedicated non alcoholic retail stores and this is not only limited to NSW. We have sent product to WA, New Zealand and more recently Singapore – all to dedicated non-alcoholic retail venues.
“We believe that this demand is driven by many consumers who want to enjoy social activity but also feel that they can enjoy a non alcoholic beverage.
“Previously they would have had to order post mix soda water or lemon lime and bitters in a social setting. Now they can enjoy a non-alcoholic cider, beer, wine, ginger beer or gin and tonic.”
The brewery now has six non-alcoholic varieties including apple lemon, apple blood orange, apple raspberry and apple ginger, and non-alcoholic ginger beer.
The non alcoholic range now accounts for more than half of the brewery’s sales.
MCGUIGAN WINES
Unique technology has helped McGuigan Wines become a major success story in the non-alcoholic wine market.
The winery came up with a method of using spinning cone technology at low temperatures to remove alcohol after the fermentation process, ensuring the non-alcoholic wines maintain their delicate fruit flavours.
Jamie Saint, chief winemaker at winery operator Australian Vintage, said the signature method was formed after a lengthy research and development process.
“Once our winemakers are happy with the base wine, the cutting-edge spinning cone technology gently extracts alcohol from wines and the result is a full flavoured wine that tastes and looks like the real deal without the alcohol,” Mr Saint.
“More time and energy is spent on this stage of our signature method than any other to ensure, after the alcohol is removed, the zero-alcohol wine retains as much of the original wine’s varietal flavours and aromas as possible.”
The non-alcoholic McGuigan Zero was launched in 2018 and is now the top selling non-alcoholic wine in Australia and the UK.
“People are increasingly choosing to take a break from alcohol or wanting healthier beverage options but need a quality substitute to their alcoholic wine of choice,” Mr Saint said.
“Australian demand for no-alcohol wine is booming. We recently invested $2.5 million in a second spinning cone column so that we can keep up with the demand of this emerging category.”
“Mature drinkers want to cut down often for health and calorie-control reasons, while health-focused younger customers want wine that tastes and looks like wine, without the negative side effects”
The McGuigan Zero range now includes a sparkling, sparkling rosé, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay, rosés Shiraz, and red blend. The products are across key markets including Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
In 2022, Tempus Two Zero launched. The collection includes prosecco, spritz rose, moscato, pinot grigio and red blend.
APPLE THIEF
Batlow brewery The Apple Thief created their first non-alcohol cider in 2021 and now have plans to extend the product range based on rising demand.
Brewing managing director Davie Purcell said the company’s venture into the booze-free market was based on feedback from suppliers and customers seeking alternatives to alcoholic drinks and a “natural product that was a healthier option for them”.
After a number of trial batches, the brewery locked in a final product that Mr Purcell described as having the taste and colour of our regular ciders, but without the alcohol content.
He said non-alcohol drinks cater for a range of customers including the ‘sober curious’ as well as those actively choosing to cut back on the booze.
“I also see the demand for people wanting something lighter on alcohol early on in the week.
Mr Purcell said there had been a noticeable increase in demand for non-alcoholic products over the last two-years.
“The global pandemic seemed enough to drive anyone to drink, but it seems the opposite is true,” he said.
“While there was plenty of opportunity to drink differently at home it was balanced for many by a desire to take a more health conscious approach to drinking: drink less but drink better, drink ‘special’ but alcohol free, and mix up old routines.”
The Pink Lady is now Apple Thief brewer’s number one selling product. Given the interest, Mr Purcell said the brewery is also planning to launch a non-alcoholic apple and blueberry and non-alcoholic apple and cherry variety.
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