Once laughed out of bars, will the new wave of 0% beer shift Australia's drinking culture?
Written by Courtney / Mustard FlatsCanberra born beer Heaps Normal has led the way in making non-alc options normal. Now other brands are following and in turn lifting the stigma around going extra light.
Struggling to get through Dry July? Maybe try a normal one, Mustard Flats caught up with Heaps Normal and their marketing director Tim Snape to see why it’s gotten so popular.
From stories of pregnant women enjoying a drink at celebrations to those with health issues still being able to down their favourite bevvy - there are many reasons to have a beer without the alcohol. This is the obvious audience for this product, but what about everyone else? Having the option is the most important part. Having the option to either emit the alcohol completely or alternate between non-alcoholic and full strength to reduce a hangover or simply being able to drive home after work.
Tim mentioned stories of fresh 18-year old’s reaching for Heaps Normal purely because they like the taste and don’t really care for the alcohol. He believes that the development and constant improvement of non-alcoholic beverages can shift the Australian drinking culture for the better. The brand is big on simply just doing your best, especially during Dry July so the overall goal is reduction of alcohol, not the removal of it all together.
For Heaps Normal it wasn’t an easy road to success. They’ve gone from being laughed out of bars in 2018 to being a staple can in venues and at home. They have chalked up their success to having a few bars and boutique liquor stores trusting them at the start.
“The margin that venues are making on our product is one of many things that contributed to our initial success, but we’ve really seen it driven by increased demand for non-alcs, particularly amongst younger and seasoned drinkers. We’re really seeing Australian drinking culture evolve and bars, restaurants and bottle shops are doing a great job of keeping up.”
Credit: Heaps Normal WebsiteIn the last 6-12 months Heaps Normal has been on the shelves at mainstream stores like Liquorland, Dan Murphy’s and even Coles - yes, due to its 0.00 alcohol content it can be stocked at Coles. Their success has also seen them place 20th in the GABS hottest 100 craft beers. This is a huge win considering they are the first non-alcoholic beer to rank this high amongst alcoholic beer. Now other brands are promoting craft non-alc beers including Capital Brewing Co and Better Beer. Once thought of as shameful it’s now much more acceptable to crack a 0% amongst friends.
For those of you wondering how they do it - don’t worry, we were too! Tim explained that the reason Heaps Normal tastes just like normal beer, is because it is made the same way with pretty much the same ingredients. The only difference is they use a strain of yeast that’s developed in a lab which ferments an extremely low level of alcohol.
“The beer ends up having a similar alcohol content to a bread roll or a banana.”
This process of producing non-alcoholic beverages is fairly new with most companies removing the alcohol after the fact which can result in less flavour. With innovative companies like Heaps Normal focusing on quality and making the non-alcoholic experience as good as possible, more and more people will switch to this way of drinking.
Credit: Heaps Normal WebsiteA 2021 IWSR Drinks Market Analysis study showed that 71% of Australian consumers intend to increase or maintain their no- or low-alcohol consumption next year. The money is pouring into the category, with Heaps Normal raiding $8.5M late last year in their Series A funding round.
A huge thank you to Tim Snape and Heaps Normal for sharing their story with the flats. When you get the chance, pick yourself up a can of Heaps Normal and enjoy Dry July!
This story is in no way sponsored by Heaps Normal, we were very keen to hear from a Canberra success story and how it’s changing the game.
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