New Zealand opens up to low alcohol beer

Beer has undeniably been one of the more popular drinks across the world, known for its low alcohol content compared to wine and spirits. However, a new market is now opening up for beer that has lower alcohol content.

Breweries in New Zealand are stepping up to the challenge of producing beer that’s even lower in alcohol content. Brewers Guild of New Zealand president Emma McCashin said that due to an increasing demand, breweries are now starting to produce a special low-alcohol beer range alongside their regulars.

McCashin added that this move was made in response to the lower drink-drive limit introduced in the country last year. “That said, brewing a low-strength beer that tastes good is still exceptionally hard to do because of the time, innovation and investment required. The lower the alcohol content the harder it is to brew. Brewers have to experiment and take risks. In some respects, a quality low-alcohol beer can define just how good a brewer really is.”

Most breweries in New Zealand brew beer with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 3 to 4 per cent, but the real challenge now is to serve the beverage with an ABV of 2.5 per cent or lower. Australian beers too have a reduced alcohol ABV of 2.2 to 3.2 per cent.

With the market opening up to beer with lower alcohol content in New Zealand and Australia, the question is will the rest of the world take cue?