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]
 | |
| Industry | Brewing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Products | Beer |
| Website | theoriginalsmallbeer |
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
- ^ "Ex-Sipsmith duo break into lower alcohol beer sector". Drinks Retailing News. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ "Bermondsey Beer Mile's craft beer crawl". Evening Standard. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Ex-Sipsmith Gin duo launch 'first' brewery dedicated to 'small beer'". The Drinks Business. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ a b Sherriff, Lucy. "This Beer Is For People Who Don't Want To Get Too Drunk". Forbes. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "8 Best Low-ABV Beers Brewed In London". Time Out London. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Bar magazine | Small Beer Brew Co grows low-ABV beer portfolio". Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "The big rise in small beer is the beginning of the end for hangovers". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "james and felix, small beer brew co. | ldners". London On The Inside. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Small Beer founder says lockdown could change our drinking habits for good". inews.co.uk. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ Devlin2020-10-30T17:04:00+00:00, Edward. "Low-alcohol brewery Small Beer smashes crowdfund campaign". The Grocer. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 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.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Small Beer smashes funding target as it ramps up brewing capacity". The Drinks Business. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Small Beer Brew Co. ltd - Certified B Corporation - B Lab Global". www.bcorporation.net. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Small Beer Brew Co awarded B Corporation status". The Drinks Business. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "London's Small Beer Brew goes from strength to strength". The Drinks Business. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2022.