This campaign, which encourages people to abstain from alcohol for a month in February, has had an interesting side effect: the exponential growth of the non-alcoholic beer market.
We brew, can and bottle your beer without limits.
The Rise of Dry February in Belgium
The Evolution of Non-Alcoholic Beer in Belgium
While non-alcoholic beer was often dismissed as a bland alternative in the past, it has undergone a true revolution in recent years. Both traditional breweries and contract breweries have played an important role in this. Contract breweries have been particularly important because they can flexibly respond to new trends and produce smaller volumes for brands wanting to explore the non-alcoholic market.
Modern Brewing Techniques
The biggest breakthrough came with new brewing techniques such as:
- Vacuum distillation at low temperatures, which better preserves the original beer taste
- Stopped fermentation, where the fermentation process is interrupted before alcohol is formed
- Specific yeast strains that produce less alcohol
Contract breweries have played a pioneering role here through their flexibility in production and ability to offer different techniques to their customers.
The Result
These innovations have led to non-alcoholic beers that increasingly match the taste of traditional beer. We’re seeing more and more brands launching their own non-alcoholic variants through contract breweries. This has resulted in a diverse market with plenty of choice for consumers.
Other interesting posts
- Can you launch a craft beer brand without brewing it yourself?
- Spring and summer: anticipate the demand. Get ready for peak season with flexible, tailor-made brewing solutions.
- The Quality Laboratory at BCB (PART 2) Can Seam Control
- The importance of the quality laboratory at BCB: for a best-in-class contract brewery! (PART 1)
