Award winning Mornington Peninsula Brewery announces its first non-alcoholic pale ale. Mornington Free will be the brand’s first foray into the non-alcohol sector with the launch just in time for summer, as many Australians look to reconsider their drinking habits in light of global mindful drinking movements.
Recent trends show that nearly half (46%) of Australian men are consuming less alcohol, and this is observed predominantly in those over 40.[1] When exploring the reasons behind the reduction in alcohol consumption, 32% of beer drinkers have revealed that they simply want to live a healthier lifestyle.[2]
In light of these increasing statistics, and the fact that many organisations are now gaining a lot of momentum in the space such as Dry July, The Mindful Drinking Festival and Flow Festival, MPB are thrilled to introduce Mornington Free Pale Ale to their range, offering an alternative solution for those who are sober-curious yet still want the familiar taste of their favourite drinks.
MPB were acquired by Tribe Breweries in 2018. Tribe’s Head of Innovation, Roland Thiemann says, “People’s drinking habits have changed so much in just 2020 alone, that there is a new demand for non-alcoholic alternatives to taste just as good as the real thing.
"The great thing about the way we created Mornington Free, is that it is brewed to be less than 0.5% alcohol, as opposed to mainstream non-alcoholic beer brands, who brew to higher strengths and then completely strip the alcohol out altogether. The beauty of our method, is that it helps the beer maintain its crisp flavour and is not a disappointment on the palette for beer lovers.”
The acquisition of MPB by Tribe Breweries has allowed them to grow their independent craft portfolio and facilitate the introduction of wider production, including the move into the no alcohol sector.
Co-Founder and CEO of Tribe Breweries Anton Szpitalak says, “The development and introduction of low-no alcohol beers into our range of brands has been a top priority for Tribe over the past year. MPB has a very strong heritage and reputation in the craft space, making it an ideal collaboration as we explore this new market.
Anton continues, “With more people wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption, the market has widened completely. Our focus has thus been to work hard with the team at MPB to ensure that our drop is not just another ‘alcohol-free’ beer, but actually tastes, feels and drinks as sessionably as any standard pale ale.”
Mornington Free Pale Ale is brewed using a unique recipe and fermented with a special yeast, where instead of producing regular alcohol it produces esters, which are extremely important in giving beer its distinctive taste and mouthfeel.
Unlike lagers, Pale Ales use aroma hops to give the beer a fruity flavour, which MPB believe makes it the perfect beer variant to transition to non-alcoholic. Due to the hops profile of citrus and passionfruit in Mornington Free, these bold flavours stand out and help minimise the taste (or lack thereof) of the alcohol.
Mornington Free is now available to purchase at a range of independent retailers. For more information and list of stockists, visit here.
[1] Being gender-aware in health and wellness advertising 2019
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