Latest news with #SmallBeer
The Sun
25-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
I tested the best supermarket low alcohol booze – light & luscious winning wine was like pudding in a glass
ALMOST half of Gen Z never have more than one glass of wine a night, while a further 39 per cent rarely have more than one, new research shows. And three out of four Brits of all ages now say they are more conscious of their tipple levels. 9 9 Almost 40 per cent of the drinks we consume today are now a low- or no-ABV option. Luckily if you fancy a bevvie but want to cut down on your alcohol intake there's loads of non-boozy glugs to try. Many wine, beer and even spirits are now available in 'mid-strength' options for those who wish to cut down the units while still clinking a glass. But which lower ABV drinks deliver and which disappoint? Here, drinks expert Helena Nicklin gives her verdict. 19 Crimes Mid-strength Red 75cl, 7% ABV, £8, Sainsbury's - 2/5 WHERE do I start with this bottle of lower ABV red from the 19 Crimes brand? Well, on the plus side, this is indeed a lower alcohol wine at 7% ABV so it ticks the box for anyone who wants a glass of red, but less boozy. However… it is also a great example of why you just can't simply de-alcoholise a normal wine and leave it. Why? Because it will taste unbalanced, acidic and cooked – just like this one. Add to that some fake-tasting vanilla and that's what you get here. It's expensive too, as you are paying for the same name. Not the best! Small Beer: The Original 350ml, 2.1% ABV, £2.20, Majestic - 5/5 THE boys at the Small Beer brewery, located in South London, created this brand years ago with the sole aim of making properly drinkable, lower alcohol 'session' beers – so they had to be good. That's a promising way to start when you want to create something decent for drinkers who want lower booze levels to sip – and the results are super. This perky Pilsner-style brew is light and hoppy, with lots of flavour. It is seriously refreshing and just right for a light buzz without the bad head. Well worth the few extra pennies, especially when compared to some other low-beer brands. Beavertown Satellite Super Session IPA 330ml, 2.8% ABV, £1.56 (£6.25 x 4), Sainsbury's - 3/5 BEAVERTOWN is a great brand for reliable beers of all shapes and styles. This brewery has a wonderfully creative image and this eye-catching can offers an IPA with a lot of flavour punch – from citrussy bitter hops to fresh florals, which make up for the lower ABV. It might be too soapy and punchy flavour-wise for some drinkers, but traditional IPA drinkers should love it. What's great about this is you can just pick it up and chuck it in your trolley when you are in the supermarket and it won't cost you a fortune. So, it makes drinking 'low' easy and accessible. Summer in a glass! Mid-strength Val De Loire Blanc 75cl, 8.4% ABV, £7.75, Sainsbury's Taste The Difference - 4/5 SAINSBURY'S was the first supermarket to create its own range of mid-strength wines, and this tangy little number is lower on the alcohol – but to drink it's fab. Reduced-alcohol vino doesn't have the best reputation, but this one is made with the prettily perfumed, local grolleau gris grape variety from France's Loire region. The Loire is known for its naturally lighter wines. In the glass, it delivers a tipple that is crisp, clean and fruity. Served well-chilled and you can hardly tell it's a lower ABV. A great bottle if you like the idea of a glass of proper wine in the evening or at a party but don't want a high booze count. McGuigan Mid Rosé 7% ABV, £4.50, Tesco - 5/5 THIS middle-strength rosé from Aussie winemakers McGuigan has been hit and miss in the past, but this year's version is the best so far – so this summer is the time to sip it. Slightly off dry, it comes across as very fruity with notes of summer fruit and strawberry jelly. Light and luscious, it's perfect for poolside parties in the sun. Serve very cold with a handful of strawberries and it's practically pudding! A great way to enjoy a lovely glass of 'pool plonk' without going overboard on the alcohol. It's a nice daytime option too, if you are having a bottle with lunch. What's not to like? Quarter Proof Vodka Light 70cl, 15% ABV, £22.99 on offer, Amazon - 3/5 LOWER ABV spirits are becoming more common but opting for big brand 'low or no' versions of their bestsellers is not always your only option. The clue is in the name with Quarter Proof, a firm that makes spirits which are exactly that – one fourth of the ABV compared to the original mainstays. This lower-proof vodka grain spirit splits the critics – at just 15%, many ask why wouldn't you just pour a smaller measure of the proper stuff into your glass – but this has a tad more flavour than most vodkas. This means you don't feel too short changed. There's something luxurious about pouring from a proper bottle too. Worth a go if this is your tipple. Hayman's London Light Gin 70cl, 12.5% ABV, £18.99, Tesco - 5/5 IF G&T is your favourite tipple but you want to trim the ABV level of what you measure over ice then this is the spirit I would recommend. The gin masters at Hayman's came up with this light gin concept way before it was trendy and, honestly, it works brilliantly – and it's cheaper than regular gin, too. The key here is doubling down on the juniper and botanicals so that when you mix it with tonic, you really have no idea that the ABV is lighter. You get all that gorgeous gin taste, it pairs perfectly and it's very pretty too. Pour this into your balloon glass and it'll hit the spot even for hardened gin connoisseurs. The pretty packaging also means it makes a great gift.
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Everyone's drinking mid-strength – but what actually is it?
News! News that may confirm fears! News that may present new opportunities! A report, published by KAM Insights, has found that, when out at the pub with friends, 50% of UK consumers would rather have two so-called 'mid-strength' drinks than one full-strength one. The report, entitled The Mid Strength Opportunity, also finds that 13% of consumers are 'coasting', meaning they're drinking more mid-strength drinks throughout the evening, so they can stay out for longer and keep tabs on how much alcohol they're consuming. There's talk that this presents an 'opportunity' to develop the mid-strength category to meet this demand, but what defines a 'mid-strength' drink? Well, there's no legal definition, and the report doesn't land on an official ABV range, either. It focuses on drinks that are two-thirds the strength of a full-strength beer (let's say 2-3% ABV) and around half the strength of full-strength wine and spirits (6-7% ABV and around 20% ABV, respectively). Not to mention the fact that this report is brought to us by the Mid Strength Collective, a group of 12 businesses that produce and sell mid-strength drinks. I always feel a little cynical towards brand-funded reports whose findings seem to promote – surprise, surprise – a demand for the very brands that funded it. That said, The Mid Strength Opportunity does feel relevant and timely. As the wine industry bites its nails over decreased alcohol consumption, this report is just the latest that lays bare why. The modern preoccupation with health and wellness, both physical and mental, is detailed as one of the main reasons behind a new interest in mid-strength drinks: the report finds that 38% of us are moderating our alcohol intake for a healthier liver, 25% for weight loss and 15% for better mental health. This is, of course, great news for anyone who already makes lower-alcohol beverages, or for those with the equipment and means to create them (take a look at my earlier piece on low- and no-alcohol wines to see some ways that this is achieved). And, as temperatures rise due to global heating, alcohol levels in wine are rising, too, and some wines that are under a protected designated origin may by default be subject to a minimum alcohol strength, which may automatically rule them out from the mid-strength category. The Mid Strength Opportunity coincides with a new proposed Drink Mid-Strength in March campaign (a new Dry January?), which I can see stretching out indefinitely as consumers seek different ways to moderate without compromising on the importance of the post-work drink with friends, that great British cornerstone of public life. Bersano Monteolivo Moscato d'Asti DOCG £9.99 Waitrose, 5.5%. Moscato d'Asti has been mid-strength since way before it was cool. Sweet, sparkling, floral. Small Beer 'The Original' Lager £13.20 for six (350ml) Majestic, 2.1%. I'm a big fan of Small Beer. Once only in bottles, but now also in cans. Crisp, classic. Session Spirit 70cl £25.15 Master of Malt, 25%. Apparently makes 'G&Ts the strength of a beer'. Which kind of depends on how strong you like your beer. Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett Schloss Lieser 2021 £16 The Wine Society, 7.5%. Another naturally mid-strength drink. Medium-sweet, with notes of peach and orchard fruit.
