Small Beer Brew Co.

The Small Beer Brew Co. (also known as Small Beer) is a London based brewery that specialises in brewing lower alcohol beers. It was established in 2017 by two ex-Sipsmith colleagues, James Grundy and Felix James.[1] The company operates from a brewing facility in South Bermondsey, London, close to the 'Bermondsey Beer Mile,' a small London district containing many microbreweries.[2]

Small Beer Brew Co.
IndustryBrewing
Founded2017
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
ProductsBeer
Websitetheoriginalsmallbeer.com

Small Beer Brew Co. is the first known brewery that is dedicated to the production of small beer,[3][4] a category of beer defined as having an alcohol by volume (ABV) content that is between 0.5% and 2.8%.[5]

Products

Small Beer Brew Co. first produced a Pilsner style, combining Maris Otter malt with Saaz Hops, which is brewed at 2.1% ABV. The lager contains less than one unit of alcohol per 350 millilitre bottle.[6] The company produces four other beers, all of which are lactose-free and suitable for people on a vegan diet.[7]

History

Small beer as a concept dates back to the 1700s when beers with a lower alcohol by volume content became a staple everyday refreshment because clean drinking water was so scarce.[5] It typically refers to beers brewed between 0.5% and 2.8% ABV.[8]

Small Beer Brew Co. was launched in November 2017 by James Grundy and Felix James, who met while working together at Sipsmith gin company in London.[3][9] The pair first brewed beer together in late 2016 and came up with plan to re-introduce the concept of small beer to a modern audience.[10]

In October 2020, Small Beer Brew Co. launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Crowdcube platform. The company raised £750,000 from 555 investors, which resulted in a valuation of £9 million.[11] Following another crowdfunding campaign, Small Beer Brew Co. raised almost £700,000 from over 580 investors, increasing the valuation of the company to £16 million.[12][13]

Sustainability

Small Beer Brew Co. achieved B Corp certification in November 2019 in recognition of its sustainable business practices.[14][15]

The company enforces a "dry floor policy" at its brewery in Bermondsey, which has helped to reduce the amount of water required to produce a single pint of beer from the industry standard of 8-10 pints of water to 1.5 pints of water.[16] The brewery is powered purely by wind, water and solar energy and the brewing kit has been designed to capture, recycle and recirculate water.[4]

References
  1. "Ex-Sipsmith duo break into lower alcohol beer sector". Drinks Retailing News. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  2. "Bermondsey Beer Mile's craft beer crawl". Evening Standard. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  3. "Ex-Sipsmith Gin duo launch 'first' brewery dedicated to 'small beer'". The Drinks Business. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  4. Sherriff, Lucy. "This Beer Is For People Who Don't Want To Get Too Drunk". Forbes. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  5. Brown, Pete (22 March 2013). "In Britain, beer is much more than just a drink | Pete Brown". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. "8 Best Low-ABV Beers Brewed In London". Time Out London. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  7. "Bar magazine | Small Beer Brew Co grows low-ABV beer portfolio". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  8. "The big rise in small beer is the beginning of the end for hangovers". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  9. "james and felix, small beer brew co. | ldners". London On The Inside. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  10. "Small Beer founder says lockdown could change our drinking habits for good". inews.co.uk. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  11. Devlin2020-10-30T17:04:00+00:00, Edward. "Low-alcohol brewery Small Beer smashes crowdfund campaign". The Grocer. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  12. Devlin2022-03-14T15:36:00+00:00, Edward. "Small Beer to ramp up brewing capacity as demand for low & no booms". The Grocer. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  13. "Small Beer smashes funding target as it ramps up brewing capacity". The Drinks Business. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  14. "Small Beer Brew Co. ltd - Certified B Corporation - B Lab Global". www.bcorporation.net. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  15. "Small Beer Brew Co awarded B Corporation status". The Drinks Business. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  16. "London's Small Beer Brew goes from strength to strength". The Drinks Business. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
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