Malternative Pints
The craft beer world is forever in flux. Styles and consumer demands change. So too do brewer’s preferences as to what they themselves like to drink. A decade ago, we saw the rise of overwhelmingly hoppy IPAs, followed by a move into the territory of soured everything: fruity, tangy, tropical beers that were closer to fruited lemonades than beer. Pastry stouts then became huge: bombastic, hedonistic, dark, dessert-like beers pushing alcohol percentages into the teens.
After a few years of maxing out flavours and pushing extremes, brewers were craving something crisp, light and refreshing. We had come full circle. Craft breweries began producing lagers similar to those that catalyzed the movement in the first place. Rather than dilute and thin macrobrews, craft breweries began to refocus on lagers and light beers of true substance and depth. Lower in alcohol, delicate in flavour, but incredibly refreshing and most important, sessional.
Sobriety is not, nor has it ever been a fad. It has, however, had much attention thrust upon it recently. The choice of opting out of drinking entirely, or even just going damp (the meaning differing for each proponent, rightfully) does not mean the lack of choice in terms of beverages. We live in a golden age of non-alcoholic (or n/a) drinks.
The pandemic’s social exacerbations and anxieties became a beacon for reflecting on our individual relationships with alcohol. Last year, the Canadian government’s stark health guidelines regarding alcohol consumption were yet another mark against drinking. Anything more than two drinks a week puts you at risk of developing several types of cancer. Of course, correlation does not imply causation, but the fact remains: Many people are re-assessing the role alcohol plays in their lives.
Breweries have adapted to these changes with a deft hand. We’re now seeing more no- and low-alcohol-by-volume (ABV) beers on offer at breweries, the LCBO and on draught lists, to appeal to changing consumer behaviours. Be it teetotaling, sober curiosity, dry months or a damp lifestyle, there’s a no- or low-beer suited to your needs or wants.
Working another angle
Perth Brewery is no stranger to approaching beer from another angle. Since the brewery’s opening in 2012, it has focused its efforts entirely on gluten-reduced beers. Cathy Brown, co-founder and operations manager has been excited about how these beers have been received. This has allowed the brewery to be a leader and go-to for folks seeking out specialty beers. In 2021, it released Play Lager, its first n/a offering.
Inspired to create something enjoyable, Brown says there really wasn’t much on the market back then in terms of palatable n/a beer. Light and malty, Play was followed up with IPYAY! this past January — a citrusy and piney West Coast-inspired brew. Both mainstay n/a beers, reception has been overwhelmingly positive. By the time of printing, Amber Unleashed will be let loose upon the city, Perth's third n/a beer that will remain a per- manent fixture among the other two.
Building on personal faves
Dave Longbottom, Flora Hall Brewing’s owner, is a huge proponent of low-ABV beers. The English Ordinary Bitter is a brewery staple and a personal favourite of his. He finds it to be the perfect everyday, any time kind of beer. Sitting at 3.5 per cent, this bitter is malty, full of flavour and well-balanced, despite its lower ABV. “In and of itself, it’s designed to be consumed when you're not looking for a lot of alcohol,“ Longbottom says. Essentially, something that you can enjoy, and keep on with daily activities without feeling inebriated or bogged down. The bitter is drunk for its flavour and not for its alcoholic properties.
Recently hitting upon the milestone of one hundred unique brews, Longbottom and Rod Hughes, Flora Hall’s head brewer, sought out an n/a version of the Flora favourite. Hughes’ approach is a unique and exemplary one: Rather than using a yeast strain that doesn’t produce ethanol, he brewed an even lower ABV bitter. He then watered this small beer back to 0.5 per cent. In order to ensure the beer doesn’t taste watery or loses any complexity, he simultaneously concentrates a portion of the aforementioned small beer by boiling it to remove excess water and further caramelize the sugars, blending that back in with the 0.5 per cent beer.
What's left is the Non-Alcoholic Bitter: all of the flavour and none of the alcohol. Still in its infancy of exploring this world, they’re excited to brew next n/a and how they tweak production. “We're really looking forward to learning from this experience, getting customer feedback and using that feedback in our next approach,” Hughes says.
Longbottom has noticed an uptick in the beer’s enjoyment in the taproom. Often, he’ll see folks going one-for-one, a beer followed by an n/a; a manner in which folks can pace, enjoy the camaraderie and social aspect of the brewery without overdoing it. Flora Hall has always offered wine, cider and kombucha as well. It is a brewery first and foremost, but also a neighbourhood spot that wants to be inviting to everyone, regardless of what they like to drink.
Enjoyment-without-inebriation
City Seltzer, Dominion City’s intriguingly flavoured seltzer line addresses the public’s desire for good bubbles. Co-founder Josh McJannett ensures quality not only in the carbonated and canned drinks that both businesses produce, but rather in the manner in which they approach events, interact with the community and spread their messaging.
Although they don’t produce any zero per cent beers, they’ve been on the forefront of lower ABV beers. Not originally for health-related reasons, but rather for enjoyment-without-inebriation, Dom City Lite “was really inspired by the beer that our parents used to drink, which tended to be quite low in ABV,” McJannett says. “We took that concept and made a beer we were still really proud of.” The first batch of Dom City Lite was brewed in 2019, and shortly thereafter came a lime-flavoured version, a cheeky nod to larger breweries’ summertime versions of their light beer.
Juice Joint, a hoppy and incredibly drinkable IPA sitting at 2.5 per cent, was released this past January. Wanting to provide a damp January option, McJannett and his team were thrilled with how the beer turned out, fomenting conversations about the regularity of lower-alcohol beers on their roster. “I don't think it's a bad thing that people are being a little more deliberate and thoughtful about how they're making these choices. And I think the fact that you've got more compelling options than ever is cool.”
There was a time that your options were limited if you wanted to go out socially and not drink: juice, a Coke, water. There was nothing really “adult” or exciting about this limited offer of choices. Breweries are focusing with just as much care on their n/a options as they are their double IPAs and lagers, all of which solidifies a healthier culture of eating and drinking.
Perth, Flora Hall and Dominion City beers can be purchased directly from the breweries’ websites and delivered to your door. You can also find their beers in their taprooms and at restaurants and bars throughout the National Capital Region.
Perth Brewery
121 Dufferin St., Perth, Ont.
perthbrewery.ca | @perthbrewery
Flora Hall Brewing
37 Flora St., Ottawa, Ont.
florahallbrewing.ca | @florahallbeer
Dominion City Brewing Co.
5510 Canotek Rd., Unit 15, Ottawa, Ont.
dominioncity.ca | @dominioncity
