Can Low ABV Beers Catch On In U.S.?
Muskegon's Pigeon Hill Brewing is excited about a 2.5% IPA
More than 11 years ago, I made my way to Muskegon to chat with a new brewery that was opening.
It was then I met Michael Brower, one of the co-founders of Pigeon Hill Brewing, and a fellow history nerd — particularly when it comes to beer.
He’s also an avid ultra runner, and that’s always been something crazy to think about while owning a brewery. But it also helps explain why the brewery is now launching Damp Low-Alcohol IPA.
It has 2.45% ABV and just 70 calories, which is lower than many non-alcoholic beers.
This is an interesting release to me as the world continues to see the surge in N/A options we talked about last month. Naturally, I reached out to him to find out why Pigeon Hill was dropping this new brand.
A new version of small beer
In England, drinkers often turn to small beer, very low alcohol ales that allow them to drink more!
It was at the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Conference last year that Michael Brower, co-founder of Pigeon Hill Brewing, received confirmation that his idea could find a place in the U.S. beer market.
Charlie Bamforth, a renowned beer scientist, keynoted the conference. He lamented the rise of non-alcoholic beers.
“He just didn’t get it,” Brower said. “Coming from England, he loves small beer. He would say, ‘If you want to drink quantity, you just drink lower ABV.’”
“Hearing him put it that way, it resonated.”
That’s because a few years prior, in 2020, Brower was in Phoenix drinking a low-ABV IPA from Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company. He had two liters of the beer over approximately two hours, then stood up.
“I’m fine, that’s really cool. I just had two really good IPAs, and I’m fine, and that just stuck in my head,” he said.
So he returned to Muskegon and began experimenting with lower-alcohol beers with the brewing team. They realized that the market wasn’t there yet, and the U.S. had yet to begin the significant sober-ish movement that is underway now.
But it remained a pet project of sorts for Brower until Bamforth’s talk last year.
As they iterated, they released a version of Damp on tap during the company’s anniversary party last year. It all lined up to see how it fills a lot of holes in the world where so many beer companies are trending to bigger ABVs or none.
“We see it as a product for ourselves,” Brower said. “But it’s also tapping into trends of moderation and health consciousness. We started realizing it fills holes for so many demographics.”
Brower said that often he’d see himself pick up a six-pack of regular beer and a six-pack of something N/A, looking to better moderate or pace himself.
And he sees many other people looking to do the same now. Brower said that the sober-ish movement has affected the brewery business, but in many ways, it’s unquantifiable. Still, the trends are there.
But the Pigeon Hill team hopes Damp can help fill a new spot in the world of beer, and Brower hopes the trend catches on with other breweries too.
“There are other variables, but we have seen changes in the way people drink,” he said. “The data tells us the drinking habits are changing. We definitely see it, but at the same time, our distribution is up, and in this climate, that was amazing.
“So it’s not all doom and gloom. We’re relatively cautiously optimistic about what the future holds. There are trends, but they come and go. If you can ride those out, you have a place in the world.”
Literary Libations
Hi - this is Alyssa dropping in with your book-and-drink pairing recommendation. Thanks for all your feedback and talking books with us!
We are throwing it back for this edition of Literary Libations, as I recently tuned in to John Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley in Search of America on audiobook, originally published in 1962. Pat read this book last year after being gifted it by a friend (hi Mike!) and spoke highly of it, not least because of Charley and our shared love of dogs with a bit of personality. I will say it felt strangely eerie reading a travelogue that takes place in 1960 and recognizing so many similarities to present-day America regarding attitudes toward racial tension and immigration. Being reminded of the steps back we are taking in this way hit me like a slap in the face, and certainly doesn’t qualify this book as the escapist entertainment most of us are looking for in our reading right now. However, one element of the book I particularly enjoyed was Steinbeck’s ability to connect with anyone across the country over an offer of whiskey in the back of his camper, Rosinante.
I am pouring a glass of Jim Beam and raising a toast to Steinbeck’s journey while I leave you with the following quote from the book to mull over:
“I wonder why progress looks so much like destruction.”
Interesting reads of the week
Speaking of the non-alcoholic trend, Fast Company looked into the question, “Does the non-alcoholic craze just keep us drinking?”
It's not beverage-related, but I would never have guessed that the Meat Stick industry is as big as it is. How big? Well, Wall Street Journal dives into “America’s $3 Billion Habit.”
VinePair asked 21 bartenders across the US what the most underrated whiskey is. There are some fun answers on here, including one of my favorites: Frey Ranch Rye.