Heineken is again responding to global trends, with the release of a specially-brewed no-alcohol beer.
The all-new Heineken 0.0 was launched last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, with an integrated marketing campaign and tagline ‘Open to All’ – based around the inclusiveness of the zero-alcohol beer.
Willem van Waesberghe, Heineken Global Craft & Brew Master, believes the brew has more promise than previous or existing no-alcohol beers, as it was specifically crafted to be one.
“Removing alcohol from regular five per cent Heineken would have been easy, but it wouldn’t deliver the best tasting non-alcoholic beer.
“Heineken 0.0 is brewed from scratch and has a perfectly balanced taste with refreshing fruity notes and soft malty body.”
The final result is reportedly a product of two different brews, not good by themselves, each with their alcohol removed before being blended for a great result.
Heineken is one of the world’s largest brewers, competing with massive conglomerates largely out of the US, such as the biggest of them all, AB InBev, maker of Coroner and Budweiser, and owner of SAB Miller, owner of Carlton & United Breweries.
Significantly, AB InBev recently announced that by 2025 a quarter of its beers would be low- or non-alcoholic.
Heineken 0.0 enjoys far lower tax than its boozy brethren, and the brewer hopes to compete in the realm of alternatives to sugary softdrinks and juices, suggesting the new beer has just 69 calories (330mL) – half that of alternatives, including full-strength beer.
0.0 is being released in Europe, Russia and the middle-east, where the market for alcohol-free beer has grown considerably in recent years. The iconic green label is instead blue, the colour associated with the alcohol-free category.
Heineken brand manager, Candice Bush, today confirmed to PubTIC there are “no plans at the moment” to bring the no-alcohol beer Down Under.