Surrey-based Hogs Back Brewery is raising a celebratory glass after winning gold medals at 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 SIBA National Independent Beer Awards is testament to the Hogs Back brewing team’s determination to produce low-alcohol beer without compromising taste or quality.
Little Swine 0.5% is a full-bodied, flavorful pale ale made with four specialty malts and three hop varieties, including an aromatic Cascade from Hogs Back’s own hop garden and dry-hopped with Mosaic for a strong citrus finish. The result is a crisp, smooth, balanced beer.
Rupert Thompson, CEO of Hogs Back Brewery, said: “We are 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 – the awards are judged by experienced brewers and beer writers.
“When we set out to make a low-alcohol beer, we wanted it to bring the same character and taste as all our beers without compromise. Some non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers from the big players use harsher methods, such as alcohol removal, reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation. In contrast, Little Swine 0.5% is made with a naturally stopped fermentation method , which carefully limits the amount of alcohol in the beer.
Our head brewer Miles Chesterman and his team took the time to get both the process and the recipe right, and these awards are recognition of that commitment. Our approach leaves more hop character in the beer and preserves a fuller and fuller mouthfeel.
“In keeping with our overall sustainability approach, it’s lower technology and less interventionist than mass-produced low and no beers, and these gold medal wins show that drinkers value this more natural approach.”
Little Swine 0.5% pale ale is available in 330ml bottles and cans from the Hogs Back Brewery store and on draft from the Hogs Back Brewery tap room.
