Post by Victoria University of Wellington

Demand for beer and wine that tastes great but has low alcohol is growing at an exponential rate, fuelled by new products and discerning consumers. More people are seeking out low- or no-alcohol drinks than ever before. But how do you create truly complex and delicious-tasting alcohol-free beverages? The answer might lie in a cutting-edge collaboration by researchers from the University, who are investigating how to make beer and wine the traditional way, but that packs all the usual flavour but has none of the punch. Dr Peter Bircham, who is Head of Research and Development at Wellington brewery Garage Project and Associate Professor Simon Hinkley of the Ferrier Research Institute are leading this project, which is a great example of an industry-academia collaboration. The project is focused on how to create yeast strains that are tailored for non-alcoholic beer production, and the team is using non-GMO techniques to select for brewing yeasts with an enhanced ability to produce non-alcoholic beers. “We’re going for a yeast solution, to retain the complexity of the fermentation process so that New Zealand’s craft beer and premium winemakers can create a really high-quality product” says Dr Bircham. Read more about the project below.