why so few low ABV beers in NZ?

[Peter Smith]

Look at these great beers

http://www.drinkmallinsons.co.uk/our_beers.htm

Why are there so few (yes there are some but not many) low ABV beers in NZ?

[Willem Truter]

That is very true, we need more session beers sold in bars and pubs, it's a more sociable way to drink responsibly, and you get to drink more beer and we all agree with more beer. Galbraith's for example I like to go for a beer once a week and have to go for the lower ABV beers so I can have two, I cant try crucifixion or any of those really strong ones, I'll have to bus to town to be able to do that, not saying that they should stop brewing them or anyone should stop brewing what they brew but yea I agree we need more "good" low alc beers in New Zealand.

[Mark Weusten]

On the rare occasion I head out for a beer after work in Auckland CBD they are the minority in craft beer bars. Could be a good thread to list some good ones. I think we are still too influenced by the US scene which seems to be obsessed with big abv. I prefer lower abv when out and about and have the odd monster beer on the couch relaxing. I bought an example of why not to drink low abv craftbeer on the weekend. Fullers Wild River, was supposed to be an English brewery using American hops. Problem was it had no malt, it was thin and horribly bitter. I am keen to try some good ones.

[Peter Smith]

Three boys best bitter was good at about 3.8%. I am looking forward too soba city of ales for Lowrider. I haven't seen it on tap yet... And I had a dark mild last week that was a good at vulture...

[Samuel Loader]

City of Ales is going to be great!!, if you haven't seen the beers list here it is

City of Ales 2014:

Hallertau Joppa Stout
Hallertau Maximus
Zeffer Hopped up Pippin (hopped cider)
Mike's Whisky Porter
Schippers Maverick (hoppy strong ale)
Garage Project Bourbon barrel aged baltic porter
ParrotDog Barrel-aged Otis
Liberty Darkest Days 2014
Epic Hop Zombie
Yeastie Boys The Sly Persuader
Brewaucracy Effective Measure (spiced Saison)
Panhead Ales Vindicator
Steam Tyrion (barrel-aged imperial stout)
Behemoth Milk Will Help (chilli milk stout)
Weezledog DickleDoi (on handpump)
Bach Brewing Hopsmacker
North End Brewing Southerly Front (handpump)
Isthmus Ménage à Trois IPA (Brett-fermented IPA)
Laughing Bones Cream Ale
Galbraith's Old Glory
Deep Creek Tsar Bomba
Good George Biere de Garde
Hot Water Brewing It's About Time IPA
Croucher Lowrider

[Willem Truter]

Woah that does look great !

[Damon Colbert]

You can find Lowrider on tap at Hopscotch fairly often.

[Jason Highet]

I'd love to see more in the 3-4% range also. Personally, I'd also like to see good quality premixed radler/shandy as well, like they have in many central European countries during summer. So far, no one has taken my 'craft shandy' pitch seriously though.

[Ralph]

Cant call it a Radler here mate. DB trademarked one of their beers as this and stomp on anyone else using the name... 

Somehow it seems ok to drink something called a Radler, but not to drink a Shandy!

Craft shandy... I could see something like that working. Real lemonade + craft beer. If you went half and half on some of the current IPA's you would still end up with something about 4%! I am guessing a 2% would be a better option.

I guess the craft beer bars could get some decent lemonade and sell craft shandies quite easily too. Would be a good option for drivers and summer time with a drink that was more like 2 or 3%

[Ralph]

From talking to some people about this previously I came to the conclusion that part of the reason that there are very few low alcohol craft beers around is that the craft brewers have trouble moving the low alcohol beers at the craft pubs.

Places in Chch like Cassels and the Twisted Hop make low alcohol beers and have them on tap all the time (Golding Bitter is great at 3.7% or something). However the I have seen kegs of low alcohol beer lasting waaay longer than anything else on tap at other craft beer places. Get a big hoppy IPA and it sells in a week or 2, but the low alcohol keg takes a month or two...

Maybe the kiwi consumer just is not quite there yet? If people go out for a pint of craft beer I think they want something that wows them, not something that is nice and easy drinking... or maybe there have just not been that many good low alcohol beers and people are not willing to try the new low alcohol ones due to bad experiences?

[Matt Smith]

I wonder if its a price point issue. In places like the UK and the US it is much more affordable to go to the pub for a session. Here in NZ, when we're paying $9 - 12 a pint, perhaps we tend towards the beer that will leave the biggest impression. I know I very rarely have the $ spare to have more than 2 pints at a pub, so I tend towards bigger beers whilst out, and lower abv beers in 4 and 6 pack formats for home. 

[Ralph]

For sure. I definitely think the price point has something to do with it. If a 3.5% beer was half the price of a 7% beer and was still a tasty brew would you have 2 x pints of the 3.5% or one of the 7%??

3.5% must be about half the ingredients and not as much excise tax. How come the low alcohol beers cost almost as much as the high alcohol ones?

[Mark Weusten]

I agree and I think a big ipa would actually cost more like 3 times what a  session beer would to make so its taking the piss really.