Surrey-based Hogs Back Brewery is raising a celebratory glass after Gold Medal wins in two prestigious beer competitions for its Little Swine 0.5% ABV pale ale this month.
Golds for Little Swine 0.5% in both the European Beer Challenge and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) National Independent Beer Awards are testament to the Hogs Back brewing team's determination to brew a low alcohol beer without compromising on flavour or quality.
Little Swine 0.5% is a full-bodied, flavourful pale ale, brewed with four speciality malts and three hop varieties, including aromatic Cascade from Hogs Back's own hop garden and dry hopped with Mosaic for a robust citrus finish. The result is a crisp, smooth, well-balanced beer.
Rupert Thompson, managing director of Hogs Back Brewery, said: 'We're delighted that Little Swine 0.5% has won these two important accolades. The European Beer Awards are judged by buyers, who know exactly what beers consumers are looking for, while the SIBA Awards are judged by experienced brewers and beer writers.
'When we set out to brew a low alcohol beer, we wanted it to deliver the same character and flavour as all our beers, without compromise. Some no and low alcohol beers from the big players use harsher methods such as dealcoholisation, reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation. In contrast, Little Swine 0.5% is naturally brewed, using a stopped fermentation method which gently limits the amount of alcohol in the beer.
'Our head brewer Miles Chesterman and his team took their time in getting both the process and the recipe right, and these awards are recognition of that commitment. Our approach leaves more of the hop character in the brew, as well as retaining a fuller, more complete mouth feel.
'In line with our overall approach to sustainability, it's lower-tech and less interventionist than mass-produced low and no beers, and these Gold Medal wins demonstrate that drinkers appreciate this more natural approach.'
Little Swine 0.5% pale ale is available in 330ml bottles and cans from the Hogs Back Brewery shop, as well as on draught in the Hogs Back Brewery tap room.