After the release of a no-abv weizen two months ago, Krombacher has brought another alcohol-free label to the UK.
The new Pils Alkoholfrei 0.0%, which is launching at Imbibe Live (Stand F50), has been available in its home country, Germany, for about three years, but it's only now making a debut in Britain to cater for the rising number of mindful drinkers.
'In Germany, we've seen that the 0.0% and the 0.5% [pils] have two different audiences,' Stephan Kofler, UK director of sales and marketing for Krombacher, told Imbibe. 'The new Pils Alkoholfrei 0.0% will be consumed by everyone, including people that don't drink for religious or health reasons and sportsmen and -women as a better alternative to water.'
As the 0.0% abv mark seems to appeal to a wider audience compared to 0.5%, Kofler stated that it will be replacing the older 0.5% abv expression in all Krombacher's export markets, including the UK.
Krombacher's zero-abv pils is brewed using the same ingredients as the standard version – two-row summer barley, Siegel hops and the brewery’s own cultivated yeast – brewed to full strength and de-alcoholised via reverse osmosis. The particularly soft water, as ideal for lager production, is sourced from a number of wells found within three kilometres of the brewery.
The aroma is pleasantly bready, while the palate – surprisingly rich – shows a pleasant balance of sweet malty notes and herbaceous, hoppy flavours.
Kofler revealed that Krombacher is also planning to replace the 0.5% abv weizen with a 0.0% alternative within the next year or so.
