Hogs Back Brewery is celebrating gold medal wins in two prestigious beer competitions for its Little Swine pale ale, which is brewed to 0.5% ABV.
Hogs Back managing director Rupert Thompson (left) and head brewer Mike Chesterman with Little Swine’s gold awards
The awards came from the European Beer Challenge and the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates’ (SIBA) National Independent Beer Awards.
Little Swine is a full-bodied, flavourful pale ale, brewed with four speciality malts and three hop varieties. These incude aromatic Cascade from Hogs Back’s own hop garden. The beer is dry-hopped with Mosaic for a robust citrus finish.
“We’re delighted that Little Swine 0.5% has won these two important accolades,” said Rupert Thompson, managing director of Hogs Back Brewery.
“The European Beer Awards are judged by buyers, who know exactly what beers consumers are looking for, while the SIBA Awards are judged by experienced brewers and beer writers.
“When we set out to brew a low-alcohol beer, we wanted it to deliver the same character and flavour as all our beers, without compromise. Some no- and low-alcohol beers from the big players use harsher methods, such as dealcoholisation, reverse osmosis, or vacuum distillation. In contrast, Little Swine 0.5% is naturally brewed, using a stopped fermentation method, which gently limits the amount of alcohol in the beer.”
He added: “Our head brewer, Miles Chesterman, and his team took their time in getting both the process and the recipe right, and these awards are recognition of that commitment. Our approach leaves more of the hop character in the brew, as well as retaining a fuller, more complete mouthfeel.
“In line with our overall approach to sustainability, it’s lower-tech and less interventionist than mass-produced low and no beers, and these gold medal wins demonstrate that drinkers appreciate this more natural approach.”
