- Ghost Ship 0.5% launched in 2018 from Southwold-based brewery
- Popularity has surged and now 26% of Ghost Ship gross sales are for low-alc model
- Head brewer says 0.5% model has broadened its attraction
Habit shift: More Britons are turning to low-alcohol beers, together with Ghost Ship 0.5%
1 / 4 of gross sales of one of many nation’s favorite ales is now for its low-alcohol various, as Britons flip to their again on alcohol past Dry January.
Adnams’ Ghost Ship 0.5 per cent, which launched in 2018, now accounts for 26 per cent of gross sales of the ale, the Southwold-based brewery says.
Sales have surged a lot that it’s now the second-best promoting beer in its total vary, solely behind the 4.5 per cent model of Ghost Ship.
There has been a gradual decline within the variety of Britons consuming alcohol lately.
A latest report by hospitality analysis organisation KAM discovered 5.2million fewer UK adults drank weekly in 2023 than in 2021.
Young persons are additionally more and more moderating their alcohol consumption, or shunning it utterly – with two in 5 aged under-25 saying they’re non-drinkers.
Fergus Fitzgerald, head of manufacturing at Adnams mentioned: ‘It appeared like a giant leap in 2018 to put money into the know-how to have the ability to brew a 0.5 per cent model of our best-selling beer, however we wished to verify we captured the flavours as carefully as we may.
‘It was clearly the precise factor to do as Ghost Ship 0.5 per cent is now our second-best promoting beer and remains to be rising.’
He provides: ‘When we first began promoting Ghost Ship 0.5 per cent it was actually prospects of Ghost Ship 4.5 per cent that purchased the beer.
‘But that appears to have modified, and it is now attracting prospects who do not actually know the unique beer it was primarily based on, and I feel the brand new can format will assist it broaden its attraction even additional.’
Lucky Saint, the UK’s largest devoted alcohol free-beer model, has additionally spearheaded change within the class and is now a staple in 1,000 pubs and venues throughout the UK.
It has reportedly double its gross sales within the final 12 months.
Its boss just lately mentioned in an interview that it would not depend on Dry January drinkers – and that gross sales are regular throughout the 12 months.
Changing tastes, which have helped to catalyse this growth in non and low-alcohol drinks, imply main brewers additionally need a piece of the motion.
Heineken and Peroni’s no-alcohol alternate options stay the most well-liked drinks within the class, whereas Guinness’ 0.0 per cent possibility has additionally proved successful.
Last summer time, proprietor Diageo introduced it could intention to triple manufacturing of its zero-alcohol model in response to altering tastes.
The drink was launched in 2021 and Diageo predicts it’s heading in the right direction to account for 10 per cent of all Guinness gross sales in Ireland within the coming years.
However, the abundance of low and no-alcohol drinks has led some to accuse supermarkets of cashing in by mountaineering costs.
The price of some alcohol alternate options is up by 50 per cent or extra, in keeping with analysis, with some costs on par with large manufacturers which include alcohol.
A 500ml Erdinger Alkoholfrei Wheat Beer rose 75 per cent from £1 to £1.75 in Waitrose, whereas Sainsbury’s 12-packs of Heineken 0.0 lager jumped 64.3 per cent, from £7 to £11.50.
Figures compiled by The Grocer journal reveals there was a median improve of 13.3 per cent throughout the class, whereas costs of alcohol rose 10.4 per cent.