Brixton - beer, craft ale and brewery news and discussion

[teuchter]

The same thing happened to breweries back in the 80s and 90s as consolidation and falling on-trade sales reduced the number of breweries. Many independent brewers and their pubs disappeared as the trend to drinking at home took root (helped by the supermarkets using beer as a footfall driver and widening the price gap between off and on-trade beer and lager). It was the Gordon Brown Progressive Beer Duty in 2002 that kick-started the craft beer revolution with small-production brewers paying 50% of the taxable rate. The number of brewers in the UK rose quickly and is now still over 1800. There was a point where every railway arch in South London seemed to have a craft beer brewery. Inevitably not all will flourish or expand as they might wish and there has been a bit of shake-out recently as overall beer consumption has shrunk, the number of pubs fallen and the successful ones have been snapped up and increased their market share through better distribution and getting stocked in supermarkets. The same happened in the 80s with "indie" music which initially referred to the record labels and distribution but the definition became muddled as many leading indie bands moved to WEA etc (eg REM, Sonic Youth).
Overall I think the SIBA definition of "independent" is more useful than "craft" these days. Their 2024 report shows the decline of the on-trade v off-trade particularly in the last few years as well as a 5.6% drop in total beer consumption in the UK since 2019. I'm afraid there will be more small brewery failures than start-ups to come.

https://toolbox-siba.co.uk/documents/Facts%20&%20Figures/SIBA%20British%20Craft%20Beer%20Report/SIBA%20independent%20Beer%20Report%202024.pdf

Some interesting stuff in there.



Look at what appears to be a post pandemic drop-off in 18-24 year olds ever drinking beer. So in that age group, less than a third ever drink beer and barely one in ten drink it more than once a week.
It would be interesting to see these figures extended back by 20 years.

If you'd asked me to guess how many people in the UK are teetotal I'd have put the number at way lower than 18% I think.



The number of non-drinkers doesn't seem to have changed massively over the past 5 years ... however look at the huge increase in non-alcoholic beer sales in just one year (why's that?)



I look at all this from the perspective of a one-time binge drinker who has become nearly teetotal over the course of the past ten years or so. For me the biggest change in that time is that decent non-alcoholic beers have become much more available than they used to be. My pub preferences are heavily influenced by whether or not they offer any choice of NA beers (rather than the dreaded scenario of Becks Blue or nothing).
It's still frustrating to go into my local supermarket and see a choice of 5 or 6 NA lager-type beers from the big breweries (which basically all taste the same) and nothing else. Brewdog (much hated on u75) were the first to manage to get a non-lager type NA beer onto supermarket shelves fairly widely.
jezg I don't believe I've ever seen a Brixton Brewery non-alcoholic beer, either in pubs or on the shelves of local supermarkets/off-licences. According to your website you do have one. Are retailers reluctant to stock non-alcoholic beers? I don't really understand why some seem not have realised that there is (I think) an increasing demand for non insipid NA beers. That is, ones that you can actually drink to enjoy rather than just to have something in your hand while with alcohol-drinking friends.

 

[jezg]

@jezg I don't believe I've ever seen a Brixton Brewery non-alcoholic beer, either in pubs or on the shelves of local supermarkets/off-licences. According to your website you do have one. Are retailers reluctant to stock non-alcoholic beers? I don't really understand why some seem not have realised that there is (I think) an increasing demand for non insipid NA beers. That is, ones that you can actually drink to enjoy rather than just to have something in your hand while with alcohol-drinking friends.

We don't supply our Switch NA on draught to pubs as it needs to be pastuerised and even then if they don't have great hygiene(line cleaning, cold cellars) it is a risk. This is why you don't see widespread distribution of big beer 0.0's either as it is too risky and needs specialised equipment to keep them at/below 0.05%. It's also hard to get in the back bar fridge as they typically only have 1-2 AF options and normally more recognised brands e,.g. Heineken 0.0(which is really decent tbf) or Lucky Saint etc(they also take the risk on draught).

We haven't driven distribution of cans of ours(Switch) yet due to supply chain constraints(we can pasteurise these in house which is very inefficient/time consuming). It does outsell Heineken 0.0 at The Oval though which is nice.

Re. beer decline in Gen Z, I don't think this is all due to moderation, I think they are drinking other categories, RTD's, flavoured ciders etc It is a big concern to all brewers and we are all looking "Beyond Beer" and trying to innovate with e.g. beer with fruit juice(Jubel is flying with Gen Z). We will be trialling a Hop Water in Jan as you also see other brands like Liquid Death doing well.

Interesting times!

 

[jezg]

Quite a fitting article for this discussion.

Good job that Brixton Brewery arent misleading.

Dutch giant Heineken too, closed South London craft Brixton Brewery in 2024. The brand is still around but is now been made at a brewing "hub" in North London, alongside another multi-million pound Heineken acquisition Beavertown.

Not quite true! We are moving remaining ~20% of production to Enfield in Q1 2025 as our lease is coming to an end, we maxed out our bigger site in 2021. We are retaining our original brewery in arches and will continue brewing there.

 

[felonius monk]

The increased availability of well-supported non-alcoholic beers like Lucky Saint and Guinness 0.0 probably accounts for the uplift in sales. I wasn't really aware of LS in 2023 at a time when I was looking for Lo/No beers. Still odd to me that Tesco Brixton's lo/no beer choice is so poor - just one shelf.

 

[teuchter]

I feel like most pubs still don't really get it - if they made more of an effort with their NA options they'd get more custom.
Fair enough if there are technical reasons that it's difficult to have it on draft.
But almost everywhere, even if they have more than one or two options, you have to specifically ask, or try and peer into the fridges. Very rarely are NA options on display as prominently as regular beers. And it's not unusual to be told with a shrug of the shoulders that they have run out.
It's like a restaurant having vegetarian options but only if you ask for the special menu and with no guarantee that they'll be able to make them for you.

 

[Rushy]

Re. beer decline in Gen Z, I don't think this is all due to moderation, I think they are drinking other categories, RTD's, flavoured ciders etc It is a big concern to all brewers and we are all looking "Beyond Beer" and trying to innovate with e.g. beer with fruit juice(Jubel is flying with Gen Z). We will be trialling a Hop Water in Jan as you also see other brands like Liquid Death doing well.

Interesting times!

The concern about a threat to beer from other categories is not new. I was loosely involved in branding and product development for Guinness in the late 90s. They were worried about alcopops like 2 Dogs and Hooch eating into beer sales and then young drinkers as they became more "discerning" converting from those suggary drinks to spirits with mixers, skipping beer permanently. One "innovation" explored for bringing youngsters back into ther fold was ... rebranding shandy and the lager top!

 

[felonius monk]

The concern about a threat to beer from other categories is not new. I was loosely involved in branding and product development for Guinness in the late 90s. They were worried about alcopops like 2 Dogs and Hooch eating into beer sales and then young drinkers as they became more "discerning" converting from those suggary drinks to spirits with mixers, skipping beer permanently. One "innovation" explored for bringing youngsters back into ther fold was ... rebranding shandy and the lager top!

Top Deck shandy was pretty much aimed at kids back in the 70s and 80s.

 

[Rushy]

Top Deck shandy was pretty much aimed at kids back in the 70s and 80s.

I seem to remember it being served with other fizzy drinks at school on special occassions . Wasn't it about 0.2%? (Interweb seems to suggest 2% )

 

[Not a Vet]

Most of the NA beers, particularly those offered by the big brands as their zero option are pretty awful and I’ve tried quite a few now. However Brooklyn Special Effects at 0.4% is pretty decent.

 

[jezg]

One "innovation" explored for bringing youngsters back into ther fold was ... rebranding shandy and the lager top!

Fosters have recently released a shandy in can!
Craft brewers do it too but call it a Radler. Fancy

 

[jezg]

I seem to remember it being served with other fizzy drinks at school on special occassions . Wasn't it about 0.2%? (Interweb seems to suggest 2% )

Used to combine it with lots of 2p beer bottles sweets for max effect ;-)

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

Fosters have recently released a shandy in can!
Craft brewers do it too but call it a Radler. Fancy

I saw this as another of the big boys testing the waters to see just how low they can reduce an ABV and people in this country will still buy and drink it. I assume it's below the 3.5% threshold.

Do you know if your mates at Heineken have decided to sack off that awful Heineken Silver? I've not seen it around for a while now. I thought it was going to be replacing the usual 5% stuff to save on tax, even if it is all brewed in the UK now.

 

[Callie]

I think the increase in popularity of eradler/shandy is also part of the popularity of AF/low alcohol beers.

People try to cut their alcohol intake and all these options make a good pacer and work really well on a hot day. Also really popular on mainland Europe and have been for years.

I think the presence of Schofferhoffer (grapefruit wit beer radler) has allured the craft beer fans and now radler variants have become very wide spread. Now everyone is jumping on the band wagon e.g. fosters.

 

[Elpenor]

I’m sure there’s been a fosters radler about for years

 

[Callie]

I’m sure there’s been a fosters radler about for years

You mean a ready made or just a pint of fosters shandy?

 

[Elpenor]

You mean a ready made or just a pint of fosters shandy?

I’ve bought it in cans in the shops I think

 

[jezg]

I saw this as another of the big boys testing the waters to see just how low they can reduce an ABV and people in this country will still buy and drink it. I assume it's below the 3.5% threshold.

Do you know if your mates at Heineken have decided to sack off that awful Heineken Silver? I've not seen it around for a while now. I thought it was going to be replacing the usual 5% stuff to save on tax, even if it is all brewed in the UK now.

I think it's more driven by cost of living and stretching the price ladder. It's only in off-trade where smaller volumes are.

I think Silver is all but gone, didn't work. The insight was people want a less bitter beer(Heineken original is quite bitter) and it was also a Gen Z play which they marketed via the metaverse etc. It worked in Asia but def not here. Don't think it was tax related, was supposed to add incremental volume not take it away from Heineken Original.

Don't think Silver was ever brewed in UK.

 

[Callie]

Heh the internet recons fosters radler has been discontinued so it must have been around quite a while! I'm sure there was a recent ad for it though.. that how I knew it existed. Now I'm confused!

 

[Elpenor]

Heh the internet recons fosters radler has been discontinued so it must have been around quite a while! I'm sure there was a recent ad for it though.. that how I knew it existed. Now I'm confused!

Bought it a few times, I like a lighter beer in hot weather.

Was a big fan of flying fish beer in South Africa too, that was also lemon flavoured.

 

[Rushy]

Used to combine it with lots of 2p beer bottles sweets for max effect ;-)

2p! That's 100% inflation on what I paid!

 

[Rushy]

I think the increase in popularity of eradler/shandy is also part of the popularity of AF/low alcohol beers.

People try to cut their alcohol intake and all these options make a good pacer and work really well on a hot day. Also really popular on mainland Europe and have been for years.

I think the presence of Schofferhoffer (grapefruit wit beer radler) has allured the craft beer fans and now radler variants have become very wide spread. Now everyone is jumping on the band wagon e.g. fosters.

As a 15yr old on a German exchange I discovered the Altbierbowle. Beer, fruit syrup and chunks of fruit. Dinner and drinks in one.

 

[Callie]

As a 15yr old on a German exchange I discovered the Altbierbowle. Beer, fruit syrup and chunks of fruit. Dinner and drinks in one.

Oooh a nice Berliner Weiss with syrup! Not had a lumpy beer to date though... Not sure smoothie beers count

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

Don't think Silver was ever brewed in UK.

Is any of the standard Heineken available here brewed in the Netherlands anymore? The last batches that were clear it was Dutch brewed were the 6 x 330ml cans, recently though they changed the packaging and put the dreaded 'Brewed in the UK and Netherlands' on it and the cans, which is widely believed to mean it's brewed in the UK and not The Netherlands. I occasionally find 500ml cans that are Dutch brewed in corner shops as their supplier must have got a batch from overseas, they are so much nicer than the UK brewed stuff.

 

[jezg]

Not sure tbh, think it will depend on demand. They did put in horizontal fermenters in Manchester brewery as the Heineken yeast needs to be in a tank with not much hydrostatic pressure to get the right flavour profile(isoamyl acetate - like foam bananas).

 

[Not a Vet]

The interesting thing (well I think so) is that a lot of the NA lagers are imported whereas their full fat ones are brewed here. The fact that they taste terrible sort of puts to bed the idea that imports = better.

 

[T & P]

In Spain NA beer on draft has become pretty commonplace in ’daytime’ bars. I rarely drink the stuff but whenever I had some because I was driving, it was pretty decent as NA beer goes. Perhaps part of it is psychological, seeing it come out of a tap right next to its alcoholic sibling.

I have drunk Lucky Saint in the UK when driving and it’s the best I have tried in the UK. I think there would be a market for draft NA beer in this country if someone gave it a try.

 

[jezg]

The interesting thing (well I think so) is that a lot of the NA lagers are imported whereas their full fat ones are brewed here. The fact that they taste terrible sort of puts to bed the idea that imports = better.

I think the reason for this is that the macro NA lagers are made full strength then use vacuum distillation to remove(boil off) the alcohol and then need the flavour added back in. This needs expensive kit so are made in breweries that already have it.
I truly think e.g. Heineken 0.0 tastes pretty good. Guilty secret!

 

[jezg]

In Spain NA beer on draft has become pretty commonplace in ’daytime’ bars. I rarely drink the stuff but whenever I had some because I was driving, it was pretty decent as NA beer goes. Perhaps part of it is psychological, seeing it come out of a tap right next to its alcoholic sibling.

I have drunk Lucky Saint in the UK when driving and it’s the best I have tried in the UK. I think there would be a market for draft NA beer in this country if someone gave it a try.

It's becoming more widely available, Heineken 0.0 have ~600 taps. They also put one in the Rovers Return on Corrie to help normalise it on draught. Lucky Saint have ~1000 taps. Guinness have one(The Devonshire) AFAIK.

 

[editor]

Interesting piece in the Telegraph re: fake indie brands.

“I think it’s fair to say that the explosion of craft beer in the last 10, 15, and 20 years has somewhat been hijacked by big brewers buying up some of the more successful brands,” said Jack Hobday, co-founder of craft brewery Anspach & Hobday, which makes London Black porter.

Some, such as London’s Brick Brewery and Brew By Numbers, went into administration and were bought by private equity, while others have disappeared altogether. According to audit company Mazars, the number of UK breweries entering insolvency in 2023 rose by 82pc to a total of 69.

The rise of craft beer has certainly not gone unnoticed by the global beer giants.
Massive multinational brewers such as AB InBev (maker of Stella Artois), Heineken, Asahi, Carling’s owner Molson Coors – known as “macros” to many craft beer fans – have collectively splurged millions snapping up independent brewers to cash in on the boom over the last 10 years.

They include Camden Town Brewery, which AB InBev bought for £85m in 2015; and Beavertown Brewery, which Heineken took full control of in 2022 after buying a minority stake in 2018. Heineken also bought the smaller Brixton Brewery.

Asahi, meanwhile, bought Meantime Brewery in 2016 and went on to acquire Fuller’s brewing brands – including London Pride – in a £250m deal in 2019. The formerly independent Sharp’s, which makes Doom Bar ale, has been owned by Molson Coors since 2011.

https://archive.ph/KudWW

 

[edcraw]

Pretty off topic but since Coors was mentioned thought I'd share this that I still can't get enough of!