Alcohol-free beer comes of age

Alcohol-free beer is rapidly moving from niche alternative to mainstream choice. In the UK, 60% of consumers now regard alcohol-free beer as equally premium as full strength beer. Globally, the non-alcoholic beer category is growing 5.4% in value and 3.9% in volume. Improved production techniques, including specialist yeast strains, reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation, have also transformed quality, making convincing alcohol-free stouts, IPAs and lagers increasingly common. Breweries are investing more in the category as sales of conventional beer decline in many markets. Better packaging, greater shelf space and a wider choice in restaurants are helping alcohol-free beer shed its image as a token alternative.