Harnessing UK hops for sustainable non-alcoholic beer production

University of Kent

Project objectives

Currently, Wantsum Brewery predominantly imports high-flavour profile hops grown in the United States and New Zealand. Importing hops is not only costly for the brewer but costly for the environment, too. This project is seeking to develop a new, sustainable, non-alcoholic beer using UK-grown hops. This would offer conscientious drinkers the opportunity to enjoy a beer containing a high-quality real ale flavour profile, without the alcohol. It would also reduce the beer’s carbon footprint by using locally grown hops. The University of Kent will analyse the chemical profiles of the hops and enable comparisons between UK and imported hops, and alcoholic vs non-alcoholic beers. This data will also be complemented with data from taste panels.