Abstract
Although the trend in craft brewing over the past several decades has been toward bigger, bolder brews, often positioned as a specific counterpoint to bland, light-colored, mass-distributed macro brands, “small”, low gravity, and nonalcoholic beer varieties are on the rise. Using examples from the United States (US), this paper explores the increasing demand for low- to no-alcohol beer, surveying the sociocultural motivations for, and contemporary patterns of, the production and consumption of “near” or “session” beer. Based on a review of scholarly and popular literature, social media mentions, and regulatory restrictions, this paper identifies and describes the factors driving the growing demand for low gravity beers, such as: dietary and health preferences, regulation and taxation, mounting awareness and acknowledgment of the dangers of drinking and driving, and an overall decrease in social stigma associated with non-alcoholic beverages. In the competitive craft brewing industry, it is imperative that producers understand their markets. Indeed, the benefits of expanding low- to no-alcohol beer production could be significant for breweries of any size. This paper explores both opportunities and challenges associated with the rise in popularity of low- to no-alcohol beer, and traces the contours of who stands to gain from growth within this particular beer segment.
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Notes
- 1.
Researchers are tapping into pre-existing or “found” materials like social media to spatially map data for exploratory analysis, each source providing specific opportunities (albeit accompanied by a host of unique problems) (Pauwels 2019).
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
Here, we use “craft breweries” to reference breweries that brew craft beer, an umbrella category that includes nanobreweries, microbreweries, brewpubs, contract breweries, regional breweries, and large breweries that brew craft beer, such as the Boston Beer Company (Kleban and Nickerson 2011).
- 5.
“Teetotaling” is a colloquial term that refers to a complete abstinence from alcohol.
- 6.
Thompson and Thompson (1996) find that social (“subjective”) norms are a strong indicator of consumption.
- 7.
There are several methodologies for removing or reducing the alcohol present in beer and/or arresting fermentation to prevent increases in alcohol due to fermentation (Catarino and Mendes 2011; Catarino et al. 2006; Pfisterer et al. 2004). For example, Sohrabvandi et al. (2010) and Brányik et al. (2012) describe in detail how to dealcoholize beer or arrest fermentation to prevent alcoholization in the first place. Sohrabvandi et al. (2010) define four types of nonalcoholic beer production: fermentation-free brewing, dilution procedure, alcohol removal/dealcoholization, and restricted alcohol fermentation. Similarly, Brányik et al. (2012) provide thorough descriptions of several different mechanisms used to produce low alcohol beer, including ethanol removal (both thermal and membrane processes) and restricting ethanol formation.
- 8.
Lipinski (2012) opines that Budweiser is not given enough credit for brewing a consistent, relatively palatable, low alcohol product—especially at the scale at which it is produced.
- 9.
Note also that the regulation drives up price in Norway, thus consumption differences are affected twofold.
- 10.
We hypothesize the hotspots in these areas reflect the phenomena identified in a pilot study we conducted, which investigated the regulations on beer and alcohol by volume. For example, laws governing the sale of beer with ABV >5% drive consumers from Utah to Wyoming to seek out more alcoholic beverages. Similarly, we investigated beer-related festivals and conferences and found a high concentration of those events by participants in Oregon, California, Colorado, and North Carolina. Future research is needed for a robust examination of these patterns.
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Acknowledgements
This paper represents a sometimes overwhelming but, nevertheless, wholly collective effort by the research team. In addition to acknowledging the challenges and thrills of working with new collaborators, we would also like to applaud the formal and informal research assistance provided by Dr. Vaughn Bryan Baltzly and Mr. Colton Coiner. Many thanks are due to the brewers and bartenders who have helped us along the way as we explore—and find inspiration in—the world of beer(s), big and small.
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Myles, C.C., Goff, P.D., Wiley, D., Savelyev, A. (2020). Low Gravity on the Rise: A Sociocultural Examination of Low Alcohol Beer in the United States. In: Hoalst-Pullen, N., Patterson, M. (eds) The Geography of Beer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41654-6_7
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