Origins: "Near Beer" in the Prohibition
The quest for the perfect non-alcoholic beer is not a modern phenomenon. It dates back to the early 20th century, during America’s Prohibition era. The Anheuser-Busch brewery, in the heart of St. Louis, launched “Bevo”, a trailblazing non-alcoholic drink, which first catered to US military who experienced an earlier form of prohibition in 1916, and then expanded to the nation-wide Prohibition of 1919. Despite an initial surge in popularity, selling around 5 million cases in 1920, the rise of bootleggers eventually led to a dramatic decrease in sales. This period marked the inception of non-alcoholic beer in the U.S., spurred by the “Volstead Act” which outlawed alcoholic beverages exceeding 0.5% alcohol.
From Old-School Techniques to Modern Mastery
Traditional methods for creating non-alcoholic beverages were rudimentary. Because ethanol boils at 173 degrees Fahrenheit and water does not start boiling until 212 degrees brewers could separate the alcohol from the water through temperature control. The problem with this process is that in addition to boiling off the ethanol you lose alot of the beer’s aromatics and run the risk of neutralizing the flavor.
A simple method involved brewing a standard beer and then diluting it with water to reduce the alcohol content to the desired level. While this lowered the alcohol content, it had a significant impact on the flavor, and may be a primary reason why so many people think of “near beer” as something that is watery and lousy tasting.
In my research for this blog I could not find any breweries that use either of these techniques anymore for creating their non-alcoholic beverages… thank God!
The Era of Vacuum Distillation and Advanced Filtration
Vacuum distillation emerged as a game-changer, offering a method to remove alcohol at lower temperatures, thus preserving the beer’s aromatic and flavor integrity. This is done by creating a vacuum in the equipment, which lowers the boiling point of alcohol, allowing it to evaporate without needing high heat. The drawback here is that it can be a rather expensive process. That’s why only some of the bigger breweries are able to make it this way. Clausthaler, a non-alcoholic beer pioneer from Germany uses this methodology to craft their non-alcoholic beers.
Another high-tech (and expensive) approach involves pushing the alcohol through a reverse osmosis membrane filter. The filter allows the water and alcohol molecules to pass through the membrane but keeps the sugars, proteins and flavor compounds on the other side. Water is then added back and the product is produced. This filtration technology is employed by Heineken after vacuum distillation to actually get their NA beer to a 0.0% alcohol level.
Bright-Barrel: Spearheading Non-Alcoholic Beer Innovation
At Bright Barrel, we’re at the forefront of innovation in the non-alcoholic beer industry. Through a blend of cutting-edge yeast strains and meticulous temperature control, we’ve developed a non-alcoholic beer that rivals the sensory experience of traditional beers. Our journey began with an extensive trial of nine different yeast strains, ultimately focusing on “malt-negative” yeasts that do not ferment maltose, thereby producing a beer with minimal alcohol content. By adjusting the mash temperature and employing a cold-crash technique, we’ve successfully crafted a beer with alcohol content just below 0.5%.
After over four months of dedicated research and development in our brewing lab, we are thrilled to introduce a full-flavored non-alcoholic beer that stands up to the taste test. Join us as we continue to explore and expand the boundaries of non-alcoholic beer, proving that great beer doesn’t need alcohol to provide a satisfying and enjoyable experience.