Local producers embrace low-alcohol revolution

Sean Blackburn said Tarquin's Gin sold 10,000 bottles of its zero-alcohol gin-style drink last year

Drink producers across the South West are benefiting from a boost in sales of alcohol-free products.

Low and no-alcohol products are the fastest-growing category across the UK, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

Tarquin's Cornish Gin, in Wadebridge, now sells 10,000 bottles of zero-alcohol gin a year - about 2% of its annual overall sales.

Dartmoor Brewery, in Princetown, Devon, said it was investing in equipment to brew alcohol-free beer.

'Younger generation'

The BBPA said the industry had adapted to changing habits, with more than 425,000 bulk barrels of no and low-alcoholic beer, equivalent to 120 million pints, sold in 2023.

This is up 14% on 2022, when more than 370,000 bulk barrels were sold.

The no and low-alcohol category continues to grow at a rapid rate year-on-year, with 86% of pubs now serving a no and low-alcohol option, according to the BBPA.

Ruth Huxley says stocking zero-alcohol products was vital for business

Ruth Huxley, managing director of the Great Cornish Food Store in Truro, said: "It is a real burgeoning part of the drinks industry, for sure.

"There is a lot of interest in drinking less alcohol, particularly for the younger generation.

"The industry has reacted and is producing more variety and a better quality of product.

"We have to respond to market demands."

Tarquin's gin is bottled and sealed at a facility near Padstow

Southwestern Distillery, which makes Tarquin's Gin, launched a zero-alcohol gin-style drink last year.

"We sold 10,000 bottles last year... so it's a small but rapidly growing part of the business," said Sean Blackburn, strategic growth manager for Southwestern Distillery.

"It took us three years to perfect the recipe and there were certainly plenty of mistakes.

"Alcohol has a taste to it [that is] difficult to mimic but we are really proud of the drink.

"If you look to places like Germany and The Netherlands, their low-alcohol beers and sprits are around 10% of the market, so it looks like there's going to be a lot of growth."

Steve Post, sales manager at Dartmoor Brewery, said the company was currently using a third-party company to brew its zero-alcohol product.

"But we are investing a lot of money into getting the equipment to make it here," he said.

"A few years ago the low-alcohol products didn't exist. Now they are much better.

"I've done several blind tastings with people and most can't tell the difference between the zero-alcohol product and the real beer."