Not even the devastating effects of COVID-19 can stop the drinks category from innovating. The number of new drinks coming to market keeps on growing, particularly within the no-and-low sector. Similarly, more of us are drinking no-and-low alternatives to traditional alcoholic products than we ever did before. Although at-home drinking unsurprisingly increased during the pandemic, alcohol consumption overall declined.
Indeed, IWSR reported that last year, the no-and-low category gained share within the alcohol market to 3% and that total volume is forecasted to grow 31% by 2024. Young people, in particular, are driving this trend, with 65% of UK 25-to 34-year-olds trying to cut back on their alcohol intake. Many consumers are now switching between full-strength and no-and-low products to moderate their alcohol intake. Also, 21% of the UK adult population say they don't drink at all, while YouGov/Portman Group research shows that approximately two-thirds of UK adults had already tried a no-and-low product (under 1.2% ABV).
One of the new craft beer brands exhibiting at last year's Low2NoBev Show was South London's Loah Beer. You can read more about the show here.
While this distinctive new style of 0.5% ABV beer, flavoured with lime, evokes summery refreshment, a light refreshing alternative to heavier 'winter drinks' can be a welcome tipple at this time of year too!
Loah Beer is 0.5% ABV, is vegan, has 39 calories per 330ml can and less than 1g of sugar. Also, having the lowest trace level possible of gluten at 10 parts per million, it can be legally classified as gluten-free. However, severe coeliacs should still seek medical advice before drinking.
Loah founder, Hugo Tapp
Founder Hugo Tapp explains further about his ethos behind the beer. "While Loah has just 39 calories, less than a gram of sugar, is gluten-free and vegan, we're all about what's in it, not what isn't. Our flagship Hola Beer with Lime is naturally brewed using Kölsch yeast and Savinjski Goldings hops. It's brewed specifically to 0.5% - keeping all the flavour in - to create a crisp, seriously refreshing lime flavour lager that we call sunshine in a can."
With over 10 years' experience in the drinks Industry, particularly with wine, flavour was always a major consideration for Hugo. Being a beer drinker too, he had already enjoyed some good quality no-and-low beers, but felt that something was missing … and so Loah was born.
Hugo created his Loah low-alcohol beer during the dark days of lockdown. He was determined to focus on flavour, people and sunshine. He wanted to produce a great-tasting beer with genuine credentials, not an imitation of a full-strength brew. So, Hugo set about creating a beer that would stand out on its own for all the right reasons. "I had a pretty clear vision of the kind of beer I wanted to create. I just needed to work out whether it was possible, whether people wanted it and if it was different to what's already out there."
Plenty of research and brewing trials followed, with Hugo also interviewing family and friends to understand their drinking habits. He was particularly keen on identifying which factors might affect their decision-making relating to alcohol. "One of the key things I learnt, he says, "was that if people are deciding not to drink alcohol, then they don't want the calories or sugar related to alcoholic beer. Keeping these down is a tricky process and makes ingredient selection absolutely essential."
"I also wanted the beer to be vegan", he continues, "so that my sister could drink it and, if possible, suitable for gluten-free diets. We managed to work out a way of brewing totally naturally - nothing weird being added in, or anything being stripped out - that achieved all of those things. I tested out the resulting bottles on friends and family again and amazingly everyone seemed to like it! However, I found that there wasn't really a USP in terms of flavour. People liked it but weren't amazed by it. So, I made a big map of all the flavours that were on the market at that time."
So where did the idea for adding lime come from? Hugo explains the thinking behind this. "Most brewers were focused on traditional beer flavours. I like beer and I'm good with flavour thanks to my winemaking background. My intention was never to make something really hoppy. What I wanted was something that would offer killer refreshment on weeknights and to celebrate the sunshine and good times. I tend to drink Mexican beers, so one evening I added some lime to a test bottle of Loah and it took things to the next level. Finally, after weeks of trial and error [with natural flavouring samples], I hit upon the best flavour combination."
When Hugo sent out samples of his beer, he was encouraged by how it appealed to both men and women. "A lot of women said that they didn't usually drink beer, but that they loved this!" As a result, he decided to push a more unisex branding, challenging the preconceptions of beer on two levels - alcohol and being male-dominated.
After an initial launch just before Christmas 2020, Hugo relaunched Loah in April 2021 after a few more recipe tweaks and a small rebrand. The 100% recyclable, distinctive packaging shows a strong point of difference from other no-and-low beers that have a more masculine-inspired image.
Hugo has a clear vision for the beer's future. "My dream is for Loah to be considered alongside soft drinks so that you'd be happy to drink one with lunch, but with the sessionability and occasion of a beer (maintaining the cheers moment is essential). I think it sits on the shelves or in the fridges of delis, coffee shops and convenience stores for people to pick up as a weekday/night alternative, as much as I think it can go into a keg and sit on a bar. I'm excited to see where it goes."
"We never remove any of the key things that give beer its flavour. We want things like yeast and malt to be in there naturally, instead of having to flavour up our beer afterwards."
Loah is brewed using arrested fermentation. In other words, its brewing journey starts out as if it were going to be a full strength beer. Fermentation is cut, when ABV is just below 0.5%, by plunging the temperature down dramatically which stops the yeast reacting.
In order to extract as much flavour as possible, Loah uses a slow acting (or lazy) Kölsch yeast. Additionally, grains and malts with low levels of fermentable sugars are selected. The hops are traditional lager hops, Savinjski Goldings. These are light and refreshing in terms of flavour and don't impart too much hoppy bitterness. In contrast, they tend to provide lemon, lime and earthy characteristics with sometimes a peppery touch too. The ingredients and quantities are carefully selected so that they will react well together to bring the calorie and the gluten counts down. Once the beer has been conditioned, it's carbonated and natural lime flavouring is added.
Shandies and radlers (the German equivalent based on Bavarian beer mixed with lemonade) are becoming more popular. Yet Loah is different, as Hugo explains. "To me, the terms 'radler' and 'shandy' give off the impression of a sweet drink, one that has less concern for the beer going into it. I can see a parallel though with the drinking occasion. However, Loah is all about flavour. You don't get a great product without great ingredients. The start point is brewing a high quality beer using the best ingredients. We've worked tirelessly on the process and recipe for our beer. So, to go and totally mask it with lime cordial would do it a disservice."
For Hugo, his beer needs to taste first and foremost like a beer, while the lime adds a nuance of flavour. "With Loah, the lime is more subtle. It's there to give the beer a lift, in the same way that a slice of lime enhances some Mexican lagers. Our lime flavouring is a natural extract from lime rinds and doesn't contain any sugar at all. We'd love to use actual limes, but their sugar content would pose problems in the beer and its shelf life. This non-sweet approach makes us different and more adult. Radlers and shandies occupy a place between beer and soft drinks. They can be enjoyed throughout the week and even during the day. This is where we want Loah to go. There's also a nice association with sunshine and summertime that plays into our hands as a brand."
Currently, they contract brew their commercial runs, but hope one day to have their own brewery which people can visit. However, in the meantime, there's another flavour in the pipeline with plans to produce limited edition beers that "really push the boat out to show what's possible in no-and-low brewing." Additionally, Hugo is looking potentially into cross-category collaborations with other brands. These beers will be exclusively available to Club Loah members. A third permanent flavour is also planned for release soon.
Loah is available from the company's online shop in packs of 4, 12 and 24. You can also find it in a growing number of local on-trade and independent retail outlets, particularly in South London, but the company is aiming for wider distribution elsewhere in the country too. RRP is £2.50 per 330ml can., with discounts on cases of 12 or 24.
Hugo has clear views on the longevity of the no-and-low category and believes it has a very healthy future. "This is the most exciting category in food and beverage at the moment", he says. "It's not a bubble or a trend that we are wanting to make a quick exit on. There's a global sea change in behaviour that is shifting the landscape of the drinks sector and the hospitality industry. It may not be worth much in money or volume right now, in relative terms, but it's here to stay and those things will come."
For Hugo, Loah is a brand that offers a different option in an ever-expanding drinks space. "I think we're doing something genuinely different - going from products that try to replicate the experience of an alcoholic counterpart to actually creating a new drink for this new landscape. We're part of a group of companies who are doing amazing work to push the flavours, processes and quality of no-and-low beer to new heights. We believe that UK brands have a pivotal role to play in this global movement and we can't wait to be part of it."
