# Big Drop Brewing Co > Award-winning alcohol-free craft beer, brewed in the UK. Stouts, lagers, pale ales and IPAs — all 0.5% ABV or below. Big Drop brews alcohol-free craft beer at 0.5% ABV. Every beer is brewed to strength rather than having its alcohol removed afterwards. Founded in October 2016 by Rob Fink and James Kindred, with Johnny Clayton as head brewer. Brewed in the UK, Sydney and Chicago. Sold at https://shop.bigdropbrew.com. ================================================================================ BEERS ================================================================================ ## Citrus IPA - ABV: 0.5% - Dietary: Gluten Free & Vegan - Vegan: yes - Calories: 3 kcal per 100ml - Formats: Can, Bottle, Keg - GTIN: 5061121180083 - Page: https://bigdropbrew.com/beers/citrus-ipa/ This IPA radiates citrus fruit from the moment you pour it to the second you finish that last sip with a satisfied sigh. The bright, sharp twist of bitterness on the end makes you want to dive back in for one more. Best served chilled. Ingredients: Water, malted barley, vegetable glycerine, oats, hops, yeast. Preservative: Sodium Benzoate Allergens: malted barley, oats Nutrition per 100ml: - Energy: 13kJ/3kcal - Fat: <0.5g - of which saturates: <0.1g - Carbohydrate: <0.5g - of which sugars: <0.5g - Protein: <0.5g - Salt: 0g ## Pale Ale - ABV: 0.5% - Dietary: Gluten Free & Vegan - Vegan: yes - Calories: 7 kcal per 100ml - Formats: Can, Bottle - GTIN: 5061121180076 - Page: https://bigdropbrew.com/beers/pale-ale/ A delight for the senses, this beer delivers on all levels. Rosy floral aromas are immediate as you pour, with a light and limey citrus bite on the palate and a balanced but obvious bitterness to finish. Best served chilled. Ingredients: Water, malted barley, vegetable glycerine, wheat, hops, yeast. Preservative: Sodium Benzoate Allergens: malted barley, wheat Nutrition per 100ml: - Energy: 28kJ/7kcal - Fat: <0.5g - of which saturates: <0.1g - Carbohydrate: <0.5g - of which sugars: <0.5g - Protein: <0.6g - Salt: 0g ## Lager - ABV: 0.5% - Dietary: Gluten Free & Vegan - Vegan: yes - Calories: 4 kcal per 100ml - Formats: Can, Bottle, Keg - GTIN: 5061121180090 - Page: https://bigdropbrew.com/beers/lager/ This malt forward offering brings a soft, honey aroma and a robust malt backbone, balanced with a gentle bitterness from traditional noble hops and a delicate uplift of citrus. Best served chilled. Ingredients: Water, malted barley, vegetable glycerine, hops, yeast. Preservative: Sodium Benzoate Allergens: malted barley Nutrition per 100ml: - Energy: 19kJ/4kcal - Fat: <0.5g - of which saturates: <0.1g - Carbohydrate: <0.5g - of which sugars: <0.5g - Protein: <0.5g - Salt: 0g ## Milk Stout - ABV: 0.5% - Dietary: Gluten Free - Vegan: no - Calories: 31 kcal per 100ml - Formats: Can - GTIN: 5061121180069 - Page: https://bigdropbrew.com/beers/milk-stout/ Forget the notion this is a beer style that has had its day. Instead, think of it as honeycomb covered in chocolate, because that’s exactly what it tastes like: rich, unctuous and an absolutely decadent treat of a beer. Ingredients: Water, malted barley, lactose (milk), oats, rye, cocoa nips, hops, yeast. Preservative: Sodium Benzoate Allergens: malted barley, (milk), oats, rye Nutrition per 100ml: - Energy: 130kJ/31kcal - Fat: <0.5g - of which saturates: <0.1g - Carbohydrate: <6.9g - of which sugars: <2.8g - Protein: <0.8g - Salt: 0g ================================================================================ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ================================================================================ ### How much alcohol is in Big Drop beer? Every Big Drop beer is 0.5% ABV. That's the figure on every can, and it's where we brew to — not a target we approach from above. ### How do you make alcohol-free beer? We brew to 0.5% from the start rather than making full-strength beer and taking the alcohol out afterwards. Removing alcohol strips flavour with it; brewing to strength means the beer keeps its body and aroma. Our head brewer Johnny Clayton developed the techniques we use, and they're the reason the range tastes the way it does. ### Are Big Drop beers gluten free? Yes. Every beer in the range is labelled gluten free, including the ones brewed with barley, wheat, oats and rye. ### Are Big Drop beers vegan? The Citrus IPA, Pale Ale and Lager are. The Milk Stout and the Brown Ale both contain lactose, which comes from milk, so neither is vegan. Each can states its own dietary status on the label. ### What allergens are in your beers? Across the range: malted barley, wheat, oats, rye and milk. Not every beer contains all of them — the Milk Stout and the Brown Ale contain milk in the form of lactose, while the Lager is barley only. The full ingredient list for each beer is on its own page, with allergens shown in bold exactly as they appear on the can. ### How many calories are in a Big Drop beer? Between 3 and 31 kcal per 100ml depending on the beer. The Citrus IPA is the lightest at 3 kcal; the Milk Stout is the richest at 31. Full nutritional information is on each beer's page. ### What beers do you make? Five in the core range: Citrus IPA, Pale Ale, Lager, Milk Stout and Brown Ale. Availability varies by format — some are available in cans, bottles and kegs, others in cans only. ### Where are Big Drop beers brewed? In the UK, Sydney and Chicago. Brewing close to where the beer is sold means we're not shipping it around the planet and adding an unnecessary carbon footprint. ### How should I serve Big Drop beer? Chilled. Most of the range says so on the can. Best before dates are printed on the base of every can. ### Where can I buy Big Drop? From our online shop, which stocks the full range and ships direct. Individual beers link straight through to their product page. ### Who is behind Big Drop? Big Drop was founded in October 2016 by Rob Fink and James Kindred, who wanted a proper alcohol-free beer and couldn't find one. Johnny Clayton, formerly of Wild Beer Co, joined as head brewer and worked out how to brew to 0.5% without stripping the alcohol out. ### Have your beers won any awards? Yes — including World's Best in the No & Low categories at the World Beer Awards, medals at the World Beer Cup and the Australian International Beer Awards, and a Champion's trophy at the International Brewing Awards. The full record is on our About page. ### Do you make anything other than the core range? We have, and we still do. Over the years we've brewed limited editions, seasonals and collaborations with brewers, roasters and brands we admire — Fyne Ales, Harbour, SALT, Fourpure, Einstök, Amundsen and others. They're all listed in our back catalogue. ================================================================================ ABOUT ================================================================================ Big Drop Brewing Co. is dedicated exclusively to making the finest 0.5% ABV beer. It was launched in October 2016 by the-then City lawyer Rob Fink, along with his school-friend and bandmate, designer and entrepreneur James Kindred. The idea was driven by their own lifestyle changes and the frustration that there were no good alcohol-free options. Along with renowned experimental brewer Johnny Clayton, formerly of Wild Beer Co, they perfected techniques to make alcohol-free craft beer without artificially removing the alcohol. Big Drop uses barley, rye, wheat and oats — over twenty speciality grains across the range. ## Team - Rob Fink, Founder. A City lawyer and new father who took a break from booze in 2016 and found there was nothing worth drinking. That gap became Big Drop. Rob left his law firm the following year — two jobs, a house move and twins on the way — to run the brewery full time. - James Kindred, Founder. Brand strategist, graphic designer, and Rob's school friend and bandmate. James shaped the brand from the first bottle onwards, through the 2020 rebrand and the move from a single stout to a full range sold in more than twenty countries. - Johnny Clayton, Head Brewer. Formerly of Wild Beer Co and one of the most inventive brewers in the business. Johnny took on the challenge of brewing to 0.5% ABV without stripping the alcohol out afterwards — the technique behind every beer Big Drop has made since. ## Awards 2023 Australian International Beer Awards - Galactic won Silver in Best Non-Alcohol Beer - Poolside won Silver in Best Non-Alcohol Beer - Paradiso won Bronze in Best Non-Alcohol Beer 2023 World Beer Cup - Galactic won the Bronze Medal in the Non-Alcohol Beer Category 2023 World Alcohol-Free Awards - Galactic won Gold - Paradiso and Pine Trail won Bronze - Reef Point was commended 2022 World Beer Awards - Galactic was the Country Winner for the Australian Flavoured Stout - Pine Trail was the Country Winner for the USA’s No & Low Pale - Coba Maya won Silver in the USA’s No & Low Lager - Galactic won Silver in No & Low Stout and No & Low Flavoured - Pine Trail won Silver in No & Low Pale. 2022 Which Taste Test - Paradiso won their Best Buy award 2022 Craft Beer Marketing Awards - Galactic Extra Dark won Platinum 2021 World Beer Awards - Double Strike won Bronze in No & Low Alcohol Sour - Woodcutter won Silver in No & low Alcohol Dark - Pine Trail won Silver in No & Low Alcohol Pale - Galactic won World’s Best in No & Low Alcohol Stout - Galactic won World’s Best in No & Low Alcohol - Paradiso won World’s Best in No & Low Alcohol Specialty (GF) - Paradiso won Bronze in IPA Speciality (GF) 2021 Awards - SIBA – Commercial Achievement - World Beer Awards – Double Strike, Woodcutter, Pine Trail, Galactic & Paradiso - US Open – Pine Trail & Galactic - Craft Beer Awards – Poolside & Leafkicker - Melbourne International Beer Competition – Uptime & Pine Trail 2020 Awards - Global Beer Masters – Pine Trail, Paradiso, Uptime, Woodcutter, Off-Piste - USA Beer Ratings – Pine Trail, Galactic, Uptime World Beer Awards 2020 - Pine Trail Pale Ale won World’s Best in the Low Alc Pale category, plus country best. - Galactic Milk Stout won World’s Best Flavoured Low Alcohol category, plus country best. - Paradiso Citra IPA won Best Specialty IPA in the UK. - Off Piste Hazelnut Porter won a UK Silver. World Beer Awards 2019 - The Brown Ale won World’s Best in the Dark Beer Low Strength category. - The Citra won UK Bronze for full-strength Session IPA. - The Pale Ale won UK Bronze for Pale Beer Low Strength. European Beer Challenge 2019 - The Lager and Stout both won Double Golds. Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival 2019 - The Stout won Gold, plus the overall title of Best in Show. - The Brown Ale won a Bronze. International Beer Challenge 2019 - The Brown Ale won Silver in the Lo/No category. - The Stout won Bronze in the No/Lo category. US Open Beer Championship 2019 - The Stout won Gold in the Non-alcoholic Stout category - The Citra won Silver in the Non-alcoholic IPA category. The International Brewing and Cider Awards 2019 - The Citra won the overall Champion’s trophy for the No and Low Alcohol Beer category. - The Stout won Silver in the No and Low Alcohol category. Casual Dining Show 2019 - The Citra was crowned ‘King of Craft’ at the show, which was dominated by full-strength beers. BBC Food & Farming Awards 2018 - Big Drop was named one of three ‘Best Drinks Producers’. World Beer Awards 2017 - The Pale Ale was named World’s Best Pale Beer (low strength) - The Stout won UK Silver for flavoured Stout when judged against full-strength stouts and porters International Beer Challenge 2017 - The Stout won a Gold Medal The Society of Independent Brewers - Big Drop Brewing received the Best Business Innovation award ## History April 2016 - City lawyer and new father, Rob Fink, takes a break from booze – and identifies a lack of choice in low/no alcohol beers. Further research reveals a gap in the market for a craft brewery dedicated solely to great quality, full-flavoured low/no alcohol beer. August 2016 - Rob establishes Big Drop Brewing Co, along with old school friend and acclaimed brand strategist – James Kindred. September 2016 - Johnny Clayton, formerly of Wild Beer Co and one of the finest experimental brewers in the business, embraces the Big Drop challenge of making 0.5% ABV beers without artificially extracting alcohol. November 2016 - A 0.5% ABV Milk Stout is released to rave reviews. - “The most impressive no/low alcohol beer I have ever tried; no argument, it just is.” Melissa Cole, British Guild of Beer Writers. - “Hard to believe this is a non-alcoholic beer” – Morning Advertiser. March 2017 - A Pale Ale is the hit follow up to the stout. It too draws parallels with full-strength beers. May 2017 - Holding down two jobs, about to move house and with twins due any day, Rob resigns from his law firm to focus entirely on Big Drop. June 2017 - Two more beers – a Lager and a seasonal Spiced Ale – are released. Working with local illustrator, Helen Maxfield, a new range of label designs are launched depicting the Suffolk countryside. August 2017 - Big Drop’s Pale Ale is named the World’s Best Pale Beer (>2.8% ABV) at the World Beer Awards 2017. Its Stout wins a Gold Medal at the International Beer Challenge and a UK Silver Medal at the World Beer Awards, when judged against full-strength stouts and porters. October 2017 - Big Drop’s export journey begins when the Stout is launched in Sweden via Systembolaget which, as the country’s monopoly alcohol retailer, is one of the world’s largest purchasers of beer. January 2018 - Premium listings are obtained at Hakkasan, Fortnum & Mason, The Ivy Group and Barworks Pub Group. March 2018 - Big Drop is announced as one of three ‘Best Drinks Producers’ in the BBC Food & Farming Awards and wins the Dragons’ Pantry award at the Farm Shop & Deli Show. April 2018 - Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in The Netherlands starts stocking Big Drop. May 2018 - New on-trade listings include: Draft House, Mitchells & Butlers, All Bar One and The Castles Groups – while the next seasonal beer, a Sour, is launched at an event at the Commercial Tavern in London. September 2018 - Big Drop gains listings with Ocado and Tesco Extra stores. December 2018 - A £500k seed funding round is closed. January 2019 - Big Drop goes on draft for the first time – across the Barworks group. February 2019 - Big Drop’s latest range addition – a Citra IPA – is crowned ‘King of Craft’ at the Casual Dining show, which was dominated by full-strength beers. March 2019 - Big Drop wins the Business Innovation category at the Society of Independent Brewers Awards. The Citra IPA and Stout win Gold and Silver respectively at the International Brewing Awards. April 2019 - Morrisons is the latest supermarket chain to stock Big Drop. June 2019 - Holland & Barrett list our new format 330ml cans, which includes gluten-free Pale Ale and Stout, plus a vegan friendly Lager. October 2019 - The LCBO launch the Pale Ale and Stout in stores across Ontario, Canada - Curated by Melissa Cole, Big Drop launch the first World Collab Series pack with the UK’s leading full-strength craft brewers. December 2019 - Milk & More begin doorstep deliveries and Big Drop becomes one of its biggest sellers in the run-up to Christmas. - A Hazelnut Porter is added to the range. Total annual sales top 1 million bottles. January 2020 - National media coverage for Dry January includes TV appearances for Big Drop on Saturday Kitchen and with Phil & Holly on This Morning. - Also on CTV and CBC in Canada. February 2020 - Big Drop reveals a big, bright and bold design make-over to reflect its global expansion as a leading alcohol-free beer brand. - Fans are offered a slice of the business via a crowdfund campaign. March 2020 - Big Drop exceeded its Crowdfunding target. - The Big Drop online shop launched. - James and Rhian created the first online pub quiz of lockdown, Living Room Pub Quiz - The Big Drop Amazon store went live April 2020 - Big Drop created a series of virtual gigs, featuring The Dunwells, Allman Brown and Russell Swallow. May 2020 - Big Drop concluded its Living Room Pub Quiz with a combined total of 100k views from all over the globe. June 2020 - Big Drop launched two limited edition Summer Specials – Poolside and Kodama. - Galactic Milk Stout and Paradiso Citra IPA became available at Waitrose. - Galactic Milk Stout became available at Sainsbury’s - Melissa Cole hosted a virtual live tasting of Poolside and Kodama. - To help those working from home Big Drop created an IGTV series with movement therapy and yoga teacher Wibbs Coulson. - Pine Trail Pale Ale became the alcohol-free beer listing at Nando’s nationwide. July 2020 - To say thank you to the NHS staff Big Drop are driving to various hospitals in and around London to pour free pints for staff. - Big Drop celebrated the NHS’s 72nd Birthday by visiting Royal Free Hospital’s around London to pour pints for staff. August 2020 - Big Drop launched in Australia. October 2020 - We launched our UK 2020 Winter Season exclusives Firesider and Kinzig. January 2021 - We launched our store in the USA and also launched our World Collab Series #2 in the UK. May 2021 - Paria and Explorer Packs were launched. July 2021 - We returned to the Festivals. August 2021 - We won multiple awards including Britain’s/World’s Best in the World Beer Awards, making us one of the most awarded independent non-alcoholic breweries in the UK. September 2021 - We launched our collaboration brew with Square Mile Coffee Roasters producing the Leafkicker Coffee Flavoured Amber Ale. ================================================================================ BACK CATALOGUE ================================================================================ Retired beers, listed as a record of what Big Drop has brewed. None are still available. ## Collaborations Beers made with brewers, roasters and brands we think have GO BIG attitude. - Raspberry Gose, with Fyne Ales. Spritely and refreshing with a nose of sour berries, rhubarb and raspberries. Flavour is lightly tart with under ripe berry and freshly harvested wheat all brought to a savoury finish of the sea salt. - Hibiscus Saison, with Harbour Brewing Co. Brewed with hibiscus flowers and a blend of botanicals, this has a hint of tartness balanced with spicy notes. Sweet and sour from the hibiscus and a light fruity, spicy backing from the pepper and juniper. - India Pale Lager, with SALT Beer Factory. A fusion brew of two different classic styles brings the malty backbone of a Helles with the unique zesty, lime character of Motueka hops found in many IPAs. - Black IPA, with Fourpure. Intense combination of two styles, the aroma is chocolate, a little coffee with a hint of oak woodiness and pineapple. Flavour is hop forward with just a hint of chocolate and roast coffee before a clean bitter finish. - Coconut Stout, with Einstök. A full-bodied, velvety treat. A blend of the creamy richness of dark chocolate, alongside the goodness of fresh lightly-toasted coconut. A burst of roasted malts and subtle coconut flavour will transport your palate to a beachy paradise, whilst you’re snuggled on the sofa. Store and enjoy chilled. - Elderflower IPA, with Hop Notch. Refreshment delivered. This well-rounded Elderflower IPA delivers on both the nose and palate. Use of an experimental UK hop ‘Mozart’ generates a unique flavour profile with hints of bitter grapefruit, clean citrus, drawn together by a fresh, fruity elderflower twist. - Juniper Rye IPA, with Fat Lizard. A complex background of flavours, most notably spiciness from the rye heavy mash, subtle nutty herbal undertones, intertwining with punchy and assertive botanical notes of juniper. Delivering a rich toasty goodness, followed up with an fresh aromatic flourish and bitter finish curated from a handpicked selection of hops. - Pastry Sour, with Amundsen. An elegant bouquet of vibrant deep raspberry candy with a sour twist. A delicate nose moves to deliver a gentle refreshing sharp bite, before exploding with an intense profile of fresh vanilla, fresh berries and peach pie. A naughty-treat in a can. - Amber Ale, with Square Mile Coffee Roasters. Our new 2021 Collab brew with the London-based roaster Square Mile Coffee. - Jubilee IPA, with Adnams and the Good Beer Co.. A refreshingly fruity IPA with a moreish bitter twist on the tongue. A limited edition brewed by breweries across the UK from a recipe by Adnams to mark the Queen’s Jubilee, with all profits split between three community organisations. - IPA, with Paria. Saddle up. This crisp, refreshing IPA oozes scents of lemon zest and tropical pineapple. A subtle bitterness works in tandem with the tropical citrus flavour notes from the Chinook & Cascade hop pairing, with Willamette delivering a round balanced spicy finish. Green lanes and the rolling countryside create the perfect summer backdrop, for the fresh rehydrating drop, mid or post ride! ## Limited & seasonal releases One-offs, seasonals and beers that have since had their day. - Gateau Stout. This pours like black silk. The soft and smooth aroma of vanilla seductively combines with a decadent chocolate flavour — all perfectly balanced with dark cherry undertones, reminiscent of Black Forest Gateau. This is a beer to take your time over. - Sour. A tastebud-tickling Sour with a clean white grape aroma, hints of fresh white bread and almost lemon curd-like sourness. A great gateway into the world of sour beers, and, with its mouthwatering properties — an excellent aperitif. - Golden Ale. The earthy, honey flavours of this quintessentially English hop variety, balance a gentle bitterness with the delicate aroma of orange blossom and grapefruit. Perfect after a Sunday afternoon ramble in the countryside. - Pumpkin Spiced. All the tastes of autumn in a glass. Brewed with a unique blend of seasonal spices and toasted malts, this beer’s subtle bitterness and flavour will warm you up from the inside. Perfect for relaxing by the fireplace after a walk amongst the autumn leaves. - Irish Stout. This old school classic pours in the manner of a traditional dry Irish stout, presenting a beautiful soft, creamy, caramel coloured head. The aroma will prepare you for a journey, starting with the bold bittersweet chocolate, before progressing through to a rich roasted coffee finish. Store chilled. - India Pale Lager. A fusion of style and flavour, with a distinctive malt foundation that comes from the honey undertones of German speciality malts. The Japanese hop, Sorachi Ace, provides citrus and orange notes which are counterbalanced by gooseberry and white wine undertones derived from the Nelson Sauvin hop. Together they create a summer taste explosion! Store and enjoy chilled. - Hazelnut Porter. We think this beer does exactly what it says on the label, the luxurious chocolate notes from the porter and the deliciously moreish hazelnut flavour combine to make this ale almost a chocolate bar in a glass, a genuinely delightful indulgence at any time of year. - IPA. A burst with herbal and tropical flavours, sweetness and a touch of bitterness. This juice bomb is a Southern Hemisphere & New World hop powerhouse, designed to make your mouth water. Exploding with sherbet fruit aromas, thirst-quenching tropical notes, and a delicate, lingering lemongrass bitter finish. - American Pale Ale. Giving a nod to the classic new, old school west coast IPAs. Carefully chosen grain blends combine to produce a gentle, understated, drier balanced, malt finish to this brew. Allowing the American ‘C’ hops to take centre stage. These combine delivering pine resin and tropical notes on the palate, coupled with distinctive bitterness and a punch of grapefruit. - Craft Lager. Alcohol-free craft lager. Easy drinking, full-flavoured but elegant. Light herbal and floral hop aromas, a hint of caramel with peppered spiciness on the palate and a touch of orange at the end. ## Previous range Earlier incarnations of the core range, before the current labels. - Movember Special IPA. This special edition Movember beer is a twist on our Paradiso IPA. You’ll get citrus fruit from the moment you pour it, to the second you finish that last sip with a satisfied sigh and the bright, sharp twist of bitterness on the end makes you want to dive back in for one more sip. Serve chilled. - Cerveza. A crisp, clean, lawnmower-style lager which pours the colour of straw in sunlight. A balanced malt punch on the palate, which a gentle spicy and herbal aroma of German noble hops. Stick an slice of lime in it and enjoy, Cerveza-style! USA Exclusive. - DDH IPA. A classic hop-fest that fuses tropical flavours to recreate the intensity of a double IPA. The fantastic blend of US hops combine to give pineapple, citrus, pine and stone fruit aromas underpinned by a pine and herby flavour – topped off with an unapologetic slap of mango – to make this the ultimate summer thirst quencher. Store and enjoy chilled - Brown Ale. This beautiful brown ale is malt-focused with a toasty aroma and soft grassy notes because of the light use of hops. The palate is malty with a touch of fruit and caramel. Pair this beer with something hearty like a good beef stew. Australian Exclusive. ================================================================================ WRITING ================================================================================ Posts migrated from the Big Drop blog. Each keeps the URL it was originally published at. Full text, newest first. ## Co-founder Q&A: James Kindred Published 26 August 2022 at https://bigdropbrew.com/co-founder-qa-james-kindred/ Filed under: Musings We sat down with one of our co-founders, James Kindred, to get to know one of the two men behind the beer. 1. Which Big Drop is your favourite? My regular go-to Big Drop has to be the Citrus IPA. When I was still drinking full-strength beer, I’d enjoy the hoppier, fruitier pale ales, and it fits the bill perfectly — with the added benefit of no booze. 2. What is your favourite album? Mastodon’s Crack the Skye is up there. It’s insanely heavy, and the concept behind it is mind-bending: astral planes, Rasputin and more. If I’m looking for something a bit more laid back, Ben Howard’s debut album will be one of the first I’ll reach for. 3. If you were stranded on a desert island, what one thing would you want to have with you? An acoustic guitar. I’m a bit of a fidget, darting around between things, but if I need to relax I’ll grab my guitar and play a few songs — or just noodle around a bit. 4. What’s the best thing about owning a beer company? The variety of challenges. Having been a graphic designer for over twenty years, I’ve never really worked on the entire cross-section of what’s required for a single brand, and there’s a lot to cover for a beer brand. 5. What three bits of advice would you give your younger self? Relax, trust your gut, get some sleep. 6. If you could drink a Big Drop with anyone — dead, alive or fictional — who would it be? It’d have to be Dimebag Darrell from Pantera. The guy was a serious party animal but also seemed like a straight-up, genuine, friendly bloke. I’m not sure how Big Drop would have fit into his daily routine, but I’d raise a couple of glasses of Black Tooth Grin with him for sure. 7. If you had a racehorse, what would you call it? Clive. 8. What is your favourite quote? A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. 9. What is your go-to karaoke song? You never want to hear me sing. I’m pretty sure ships have been wrecked because of better sounds. I can yell in key — that’s about as far as my singing skills go. 10. What is the best present you have ever received? In 2021, just before he passed away, my father-in-law gave me his Fender acoustic guitar. It’s a lovely guitar, and its sentimental value is priceless. 11. If time machines were real, what year or era would you go to? Any time after penicillin and before social media would be nice to visit. 12. What is your favourite book? Hellraisers, which is about the life and inebriated times of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O’Toole and Oliver Reed. ## Big Drop Thoughts: how are our beers gluten free? Published 3 March 2021 at https://bigdropbrew.com/how-big-drop-beers-are-gluten-free/ Filed under: Thoughts The gluten-free question pops up in our inboxes a lot — and for a very good reason. Beer is traditionally made using water, hops, yeast and barley: a grain that contains gluten. People with gluten intolerances, including coeliac disease, should avoid gluten, as it can damage the lining of the small intestine and prevent it from absorbing nutrients. Since 2012, food and drink manufacturers have had to comply with laws which stipulate that a “gluten free” label can only be used on products containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten. This is also the level considered safe by Coeliac UK. In our brewing process we use over twenty speciality grains to give our beer extra body and flavour, including barley, rye, wheat and oats. However, thanks to our top-secret brewing techniques, the gluten level is reduced to a certified safe level. One of the reasons we can brew our beers naturally to 0.5% ABV, without removing the alcohol afterwards, is that we use a lot less grain in our recipes than other beers do. So there’s simply a lot less grain to start with. Most of our beers are gluten free and therefore coeliac safe, at under 20 parts per million. Please check the relevant packaging to confirm — each can states its own dietary status, and every beer page here carries the full ingredient list with allergens in bold, exactly as they appear on the label. We are committed to producing an amazing variety of beers for everyone to enjoy, no matter what their circumstance. Shop the range. ## Danish rye bread Published 8 April 2020 at https://bigdropbrew.com/galactic-danish-rye-bread/ Filed under: Recipes Day One Ingredients 500ml water 300g whole rye or barley grains 100g sunflower seeds 100g pumpkin seeds 50g linseed or flaxseed 30g salt Method Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Boil the water, pour it over the mix and stir properly. Cover the bowl tightly and leave the grain mix in the fridge overnight. Day Two Ingredients 330ml Big Drop Milk Stout 170ml water 20g dry yeast 300ml dark syrup (corn or other) 600g rye flour 250g wheat flour The grain mix from Day One Method Mix the beer and water and warm to approximately 37°C. Mix the yeast and liquid in a big bowl. Add the dark syrup, then the flour. Add the grain mix from Day One and mix it all for 15–20 minutes. Heat the oven to 210°C. Take one or two rectangular baking tins. Line with butter and breadcrumbs. Fill each tin so that it is two thirds full. Place the tin into the middle of the oven and bake for approximately 60 minutes. Take the tin out of the oven and let the bread rest for a day before eating. ## Becky’s chocolate stout cupcakes Published 24 March 2020 at https://bigdropbrew.com/beckys-galactic-chocolate-cupcakes/ Filed under: Recipes Cake mixture Ingredients 125g butter 50g cocoa powder 400g dark sugar 250g self-raising flour 250ml Big Drop Milk Stout 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 eggs Method Melt the butter with the stout over a medium heat. Take it off the heat and add in the brown sugar. Mix in the cocoa powder and give it a good whisk. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Add into the chocolate stout mix and give it a good stir. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together. Add in half and fold it. Add in the other half and give it a whisk and a fold. It should look like a rich, thick cake mix. Pop a couple of tablespoons of the mix into cupcake cases and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C. After 20 minutes, stick a cocktail stick into the middle of one. If it comes out clean, they’re done. Icing Ingredients 70g butter 150g icing sugar 25g cocoa powder 1 tbsp Big Drop Milk Stout 2 tsp milk 1 tsp vanilla Method Beat the butter and half the icing sugar. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and keep whisking. Pop in a good glug of stout. Add the milk and give it a further whisk. Make a little makeshift piping bag and start icing them cakes. ## Steak and Milk Stout pie Published 20 March 2020 at https://bigdropbrew.com/steak-and-galactic-milk-stout-pie/ Filed under: Recipes Ingredients 2 tbsp cooking oil 900g boneless beef 300ml chicken stock 3 large carrots 1 celery stick 1 large onion 2 handfuls of chestnut mushrooms 3 cloves of garlic 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 1 can of Big Drop Milk Stout Salt and pepper for seasoning Puff pastry (however much you need for your pie dish) Method Preheat the oven to 160°C. Heat up a large frying pan with the oil. Sear the beef until it browns evenly. Add in the chopped carrots, celery and onions. Once soft, transfer to a large ovenproof casserole. Add the chopped mushrooms, minced garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Pour in enough stock so it just covers the ingredients — there should be some left over in case you need to add more. Stir in the stout. Pop in the oven and cook for 2–2½ hours until the beef is tender. Have a little taste and add seasoning if needed. Remove the thyme twigs and bay leaves and set aside to cool. Once cooled, transfer the filling to a pastry-lined pie dish and add just enough sauce to cover. Use the remaining sauce for gravy. Roll out the puff pastry on a well-floured surface until roughly 5mm thick and 5cm larger than your pie dish. Cut some strips about 1cm wider than the rim of the dish from around the edge. Brush the rim of the pie dish with beaten egg, fix the strips in place and brush with more egg. Careful now — place the pastry lid over the filling, trim off the excess and brush the top with the beaten egg. Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Prep your accompanying veg, reheat the gravy, and bam. Sunday night sorted. ## Milk Stout soda bread Published 20 March 2020 at https://bigdropbrew.com/galactic-milk-stout-bread/ Filed under: Recipes Ingredients Vegetable oil 200g plain flour 550g wholemeal flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tbsp dark brown sugar 1 can of Big Drop Milk Stout 220ml buttermilk Method Preheat the oven to 230°C and grease a loaf tin with the vegetable oil. Add the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir through the wholemeal flour and sugar. Pour in the stout and buttermilk. Mix to form a wet dough. Flour your surface and tip the dough onto it. Roll and fold, roll and fold, roll and fold. Mix gently until it forms a rectangle — enough to fit the tin. Place the dough into the greased loaf tin and neaten up the edges. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes at 230°C, then reduce the oven to 180°C. Bake for another 25 minutes. Let it cool in the tin, then place on a cooling rack. Get the butter out of the fridge. ## We’ve lost count of the number of times we get asked these four things Published 10 February 2020 at https://bigdropbrew.com/overheard-by-big-drop/ Filed under: Thoughts At Big Drop, we’re committed to producing world-class craft beer. It just so happens that our beer is alcohol-free. Since our humble beginnings in 2016 the alcohol-free market has boomed, and with growth comes curiosity and lots of questions. We often get asked the same few things. So — as overheard by Big Drop. “Your beers contain wheat, rye and barley. How can they be gluten free?” Since 2012, food and drink manufacturers have had to comply with laws which stipulate that a “gluten free” label can only be used on products containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten. This is also the level considered safe by Coeliac UK. We use over twenty speciality grains to create our selection of beers, which poses the question — how can they be gluten free? The answer lies in our brewing technique. One of the reasons we can brew our beers naturally to 0.5% ABV, without removing the alcohol afterwards, is that we use a lot less grain in our recipes than other beers do. So there’s simply a lot less grain to start with. The bottom line: yes, our beers do contain grains that contain gluten, but it is reduced during brewing. Each beer states its own dietary status on the can, and every beer page carries the full ingredient list with allergens in bold, exactly as they appear on the label. That’s the version to trust. “Is 0.5% alcohol-free?” This is the big one. And the answer is: it depends where you are. Whether something can be called “alcohol-free” depends on which country you’re selling the beer in. In most of Europe, a beer of 0.5% ABV is considered alcohol-free. In Canada, it needs to be less than 0.4% to be called “non-alcoholic”. In the US, the rules put 0.5% under “non-alcoholic”. In Australia, our beer would be classed as “Ultra Low Alcohol”. In the UK, guidance on which descriptor applies at 0.5% has changed over the years and has been under review. The bottom line: the beer is the same everywhere. The word on the front of it isn’t. Which begs the next question. If there’s a teeny tiny bit of alcohol in Big Drop — although not much more than an overripe banana — then… “Can I get drunk on Big Drop?” No. You can’t get drunk on 0.5% drinks. The amount of alcohol is so small that your body processes it faster than you can drink it, even if you drank twelve bottles back to back. For context: a very ripe banana contains up to 0.4g of alcohol per 100g, which is 0.4% ABV. A burger roll can contain up to 1.28g per 100g. Kombucha can come in anywhere between 0.5% and 2.5%. Don’t just take our word for it, though. Back in 2012, a medical institute at the University of Freiburg released a study into the effects of alcohol-free beer — and you’re in safe hands when it comes to beer studies with German institutes. Its summary covers it pretty well: The results of the study suggest that even after consumption of unrealistically high amounts of non-alcoholic beer, negative forensic implications are not to be expected. “What’s the point of alcohol-free beer?” There is actually a lot of point. Not everybody drinks alcohol all the time. But just because you’re not drinking, for whatever reason, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to have a great beer. You’re still entitled to that “ahhh” feeling of having a pint at the end of a long day. And sometimes you don’t want the foggy head the next morning, especially when you’ve got a lot on. That’s why Big Drop is here. Our founder, Rob Fink, realised that while the craft beer revolution had completely changed the landscape of beer in the UK, alcohol-free beer had been ignored — the options were the same uninspiring offerings from twenty years earlier. The bottom line: there is a point. We want to give real choice to beer lovers on every occasion, with no compromise. And that’s what we’re about — giving people beer that actually tastes great. ## Lager bread Published 8 February 2020 at https://bigdropbrew.com/uptown-craft-lager-bread/ Filed under: Recipes Ingredients 5g dry yeast 330g Big Drop Lager 120g water 500g wheat flour 1 tsp salt 50g honey 5g olive oil Method Mix the beer and water and warm to 37°C. Mix the yeast and liquid in a big bowl. Mix in the flour and the salt. Finally, mix in the honey and the olive oil. The dough should be quite sticky. Let the dough rise for one hour at room temperature under a cloth. Put a plastic film over the bowl and leave the dough in the fridge overnight. Tip the dough out onto a floured table and knead lightly for two minutes into a ball. The dough should be slightly sticky. Put a cloth over the dough and let it rest at room temperature for two hours. Heat the oven to 230°C and heat up a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven. Put some flour in the bottom of the pot, then put the dough in and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Take off the lid and let the bread bake another 30 minutes. Take the bread out of the cast iron pot and let it cool down on a rack. Devour it. ## Big Drop turns three years old Published 5 November 2019 at https://bigdropbrew.com/big-drop-turns-three/ Filed under: Musings Big Drop Brewing Co has just turned three years old. The original three from the early days have looked back over the last three years. Rob — founder and CEO I first started mulling over the idea of a brewing company dedicated solely to alcohol-free beer in 2015. It took a while to put the pieces in place, but the first beer was launched in November 2016. Broadly speaking, they said I was mad. Who wants to drink alcohol-free beer? Turns out that lots of people want to drink alcohol-free beer. They were just disappointed — as was I in 2015 — at the woeful lack of choice and quality in the sector. Three years later, pub companies are finally starting to see that there is a benefit in providing alcohol-free beer on draught, and we’re hitting more and more taps around the country. And this is all down to you, the drinker. So thank you. Thank you for helping me change perceptions, increase choice and push boundaries. And if you keep asking for it, then we’ll keep brewing it. Less really is more. James — co-founder Rob and I have been friends for longer than we can remember. We’ve been in bands, Rob performed my wedding ceremony, we lived together in our very early twenties in a poorly built house and ate nothing but tuna and pasta. When Rob approached me about a “new business idea”, it’s safe to say I was a little sceptical — in the past he’d mooted ideas of snail farms and taxidermy. But once he’d explained this idea to me, I was all in. All great ideas are born out of necessity. We both enjoyed beer, but we both had businesses to run and growing families. There was considerably less room for sore heads, but still a desire to enjoy a quality craft beer. We had to find a brewer: someone with not only the skills to make the beer, but also the bravery — or insanity — to take the challenge on. On the first meeting with Johnny, we knew he was the man for it. Rob: “We want to make a 0.5% beer.” Johnny: “No, you want to make a great beer that just so happens to be 0.5%.” Our first tasting evening was with a small group of people. Three versions of the stout were tested, and the Big Drop journey had officially begun. Three years down the line, I can’t believe how far Big Drop — and the low and no sector as a whole — has come. Johnny — head of production When Big Drop started I was working as a brewing consultant and was progressing well. I was contacted by many people wanting to start up a brewery. And often these people’s experience in the brewing industry was minimal, even if their intentions were good. So when Rob approached me, he was amongst many willing visionaries. I wasn’t sure how far it would go. However, at my first meeting with Rob and James it became plain to me that they had a clear vision and a plan for how to achieve it. The foundation we agreed upon was one of quality, flavour being priority. We still take the time to develop our recipes with care and use all our brewing knowledge and skills to create them. We nurture the development of our beers and demand that they have to be the best available. This is the ethos established at that very first meeting, and we stick to it still. I don’t think I could ever have expected Big Drop to erupt as it has. To be part of a team considered the leader in the field is something I am honoured to be a part of. Having seen what we have achieved in such a short period, I look forward to the challenges ahead, and to seeing where we are in a further three years’ time. ## Our Big Survey — your questions answered Published 17 September 2019 at https://bigdropbrew.com/our-big-survey-your-questions-answered/ Filed under: Musings Hello, I’m Rob, founder of Big Drop. Thanks to all of you who recently responded to our Big Survey. We sent out a short survey to our mailing list subscribers and on our social media channels to ask what we’re doing well, what we’re doing badly and what we could improve. The (hundreds and hundreds of) results are in, and a couple of things popped up more than a few times. “Can you please get Big Drop stocked in my local?” When we started Big Drop back in 2016, I was completely naive about the challenges involved in getting our beer into people’s hands — I had absolutely no experience of the beer industry. And with the benefit of hindsight, if I’d have known how difficult it was going to be, I might not have started. Which is why ignorance is sometimes a blessing. At the time, I held the simple notion that I would walk into a pub, ask the manager to compare their mass-produced alcohol-free lager with a Big Drop pale ale — and boom! The scales would fall from their eyes and Big Drop would immediately be stocked in their fridge. Job done. Next pub. Onwards! As it turns out, it’s not quite as easy as that. I won’t bore you with the complexities of buying teams, range reviews, retros, discounts, supply chain logistics and any number of things I’m still not sure I fully understand. But the headline is this: whatever they might say to the contrary, most places — and I include pubs, supermarkets, beer shops and anywhere else which might think about listing a beer brand — will not stock a product unless they are pretty sure someone is going to buy it. Which gives rise to the wonderful chicken-and-egg scenario: how do you convince a beer buyer that people will buy your beer if there isn’t anywhere for people to buy the beer in the first place? It’s difficult We’ve worked really (really) hard to make sure that if a pub, shop, restaurant, bar or club wants to stock Big Drop then we can get it to them. This was also a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Another story, for another day. And of course, our sales team also work really (really) hard going around as many places as they can sampling Big Drop, talking to people who work in these places selling our own brand. But our biggest brand ambassadors are you. The easiest, quickest and most simple way for you to get Big Drop in the place you want to buy it from is to ask them to stock it. If a place knows that you will buy Big Drop, then it will sell it to you. It gets a bit more complicated if the place you want to sell Big Drop is a pub which, although you may consider it your “local”, is actually owned by a massive pubco with 500 sites across the country. If it is truly an independent then it will be a lot easier — just tell them to contact us. If it is one pub in 500, the chances are that there is one person, somewhere, in that company who is in charge of deciding whether their 500 pubs (including yours) can sell Big Drop. But if you ask the landlord to pass the request up the chain, they may well do so. The same goes for supermarkets. We can, and do, talk to beer buyers about listing Big Drop. We talk to them all the time. We show them our new beers, we tell them how great we are and we tell them (nicely) that we think they should put us on their shelves so that you can find us more easily. But unless they know you’re going to buy Big Drop, they won’t. “Can you please get on draught in my pub?” This is the big one. In theory: yes. We have the beer in kegs and we can (probably) get it to your pub. But the same applies as to the first point — the chances are that your pub is one of a group of many, whether dozens or hundreds, and the person in charge of whether your landlord or landlady can put us on tap is likely someone in an office in a different town. So the same strategy applies. Find out who owns your pub, ask all the same people, jump up and down about wanting to buy lovely pints of Big Drop and see what happens. Please don’t stop asking. We don’t. “I’d love you to do a [insert style of beer here]” The first beer we made was a stout because I’m a stout drinker and I couldn’t find an alcohol-free one. The next beer was a pale ale because the bottle shops told me that’s what would sell and was the most popular style. But we need to know what you want to drink. Turns out what you’re gasping for, above all else, is wheat beer, porter and fruit-infused beers. A brief note about sours and fruit infusions, because this is the part people find most surprising. Of all the beers we have tried, tested and sometimes released, our sour has been by far and away the most difficult to produce. The reason for that is simple. Alcoholic sour beer is produced using a particular strain of bacteria called lactobacillus. Lactobacillus is what’s responsible for creating the sour flavour. However, it is also a monstrously aggressive little b*gger, and converts sugar to alcohol like it’s going out of fashion. One of the ways Big Drop manages to produce beer of 0.5% ABV without halting the fermentation or artificially extracting the alcohol is to use a “lazy” yeast which is a bit rubbish at converting sugar to alcohol. If you add lactobacillus to our brews, our ABV would go through the roof. And it wouldn’t be a Big Drop. For that reason, our sour beers are never going to be as sour as traditionally fermented sours. That’s just one of those things. A similar issue arises with fruit infusions. What does fruit have lots of? Sugar. What does sugar turn into when fermented? That’s right. So if we stick a load of raspberries or grapefruit into our brews, the ABV goes up with it. Fruit essences are one way round it, but the recipe becomes much more complicated — essences are very concentrated. What we always want to do is innovate, and as it turns out, we’ve gotten pretty good at alcohol-free. Finally Thank you for the kind words amongst the, almost universally constructive, criticism. I think we’re doing something right, but we can do it better, and it’s gratifying to hear from you that by and large you think we’re doing it right too. It’s an epic journey and we’re glad you’re on it with us. Onward! Rob ## Not your regular Dry January case study Published 1 February 2019 at https://bigdropbrew.com/dry-january-case-study/ Filed under: Musings My name is James, I love a beer, and in 2016 I co-founded Big Drop Brewing Co. I’m 6’4”, 16 stone on a good day, and enjoy nothing more than listening to Mastodon whilst watching the rugby, beer in hand — sobbing when the Welsh beat us. I might not be how you imagine a Dry January case study. Dry January 2019 was my third attempt at the challenge, and my first successful dry month. Since January, the majority of how I describe myself above has remained the same. The only change is popping 0.5% ABV in front of “beer in hand”. I have always been a habitual drinker. Tuesday evening, slumped on the sofa after a crazy day? That calls for a red wine in a comedy-sized jumbo wine glass. Friday evening, end of the week, weather is reasonable? Hand me that beer, immediately, and get some food on that barbecue. Sunday afternoon, roast beef in the oven? That bottle of Malbec isn’t going to make it out of here alive. I used to have a drink to signify the end of a day, the start of the weekend, and was happy to use any other excuse to crack open a beer. So, what changed? It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment, but: Over time I’ve made the effort to cut down on my drinking, and Dry January was the perfectly timed final step to break the habit. Historically, in some sections of the media, social or otherwise, Dry January has been negatively portrayed as that gap in the year when you sit at home, staring at a clock, waiting for your social life to kick back in on 1 February. Maybe that’s because it’s harder to feel like you can socialise whilst being stuck on sugary soft drinks, which you don’t really fancy, don’t look right and just don’t make you feel like you’re out having fun. But these days the explosion in quality alternatives that taste like your favourite tipple — from a refreshing G&T to a hearty stout — has made going out, and not sticking out, much simpler. Naturally, having a selection of award-winning alcohol-free beers on hand made the change considerably easier for me. I’m still planning on having the odd beer or glass of wine, but on the odd occasion, not as part of my everyday existence. I’ve come to the realisation that Dry January isn’t about January. It’s an opportunity to reset your relationship with alcohol for the entire year ahead — arguably forever. A chance to cut out the drink for a few short weeks with a view to cutting down, or waving goodbye to the booze entirely. To paraphrase Allen Carr: it’s not thinking about what you miss out on when giving something up, it’s thinking about everything you gain. Cheers to Dry January. Here’s to the rest of the year.