Big Drop “Lager” review – low-alcohol (0.5%) lager

Now that more people are cutting down on their drinking, most of the big brands like Beck’s, Cobra, Heineken, Budweiser, Carlsberg and San Miguel have had a stab at a non-alcoholic lager.

These bigger breweries tend to remove the alcohol in their non-alcoholic lagers after brewing. This requires less skill. It also negatively affects the flavour because it often involves heating the beer to burn off the alcohol.

So if you want a better-tasting non-alcoholic lager, it’s usually better to hit up one of the smaller breweries that are less likely to use this technique.

• My top 20 best alcohol-free beers and lagers

• Why you can’t get drunk on 0.5% alcohol-free beer

• Is 0.5% ABV alcohol-free?

One of these is Big Drop Brewing Co. Instead of heating its lager, its brewers use a recipe that doesn’t produce a lot of alcohol during fermentation. This leads to a low ABV beer.

Big Drop’s simply titled “Lager” (0.5%) is one of four core beers the brewery produces. The other three are ales – “Stout“, “Winter Ale” and “Pale Ale” (all 0.5% ABV).

These three beers already have the Steady Drinker seal of approval. How does Big Drop’s lager fare? And is it any better than alcohol-free lagers such as Budweiser’s Prohibition that have their alcohol stripped out after fermentation?

Aroma, mouthfeel and taste

“Lager” pours, well, like a lager – clear and golden. It has a decent head, which attracts a quaffing. The head doesn’t last long but there’s always a little foam on top as you sip it.

Aroma wise, there’s a touch of citrus. Have a deep whiff, and you might pick up aromas of pepper and biscuit too. It doesn’t smell like your typical lager, which is fine with me.

As with its other non-alcoholic brews, Big Drop uses lactose to give this lager the body and mouthfeel you’d expect from a higher-ABV one. This means it’s not suitable for vegans. The carbonation consists of lots of small bubbles and it doesn’t feel overly gassy.

On tasting, there’s a little bitterness but not much of the malt comes through. I also detected a chemical taste, which reminded me a bit of soluble aspirin. I can’t say this made this beer unpleasant though.

Overall, the lack of big flavours makes it refreshing, despite a dry finish. This makes it a good option as a beer for a hot summer’s day or as a post-exercise drink.

Verdict

This is a pleasant beer, despite the presence of flavours that you might not want to find in a lager.

It reminded me more of a top-fermenting ale than a bottom-fermenting lager. So this might not be for you if you’re on the lookout for that classic lager taste.

It’s a good option if you’re looking for a little variety in your low-alcohol beer collection. Maybe save it for the summer – when it finally arrives.

"Lager" (0.5%) by Big Drop Brewing Co

6.8

Aroma

5.5/10

Mouthfeel

9.0/10

Flavour

5.8/10

Pros

• Low calorie
• Refreshing

Cons

• Not suitable for vegans
• May not appeal to lager die hards