Headquartered in Ipswich, Big Drop was launched in October 2016 by the-then City lawyer Rob Fink, along with his school-friend/bandmate and kindred spirit, James Kindred. The idea for a brewing business that only made alcohol-free beer was conceived by their own lifestyle changes (e.g. fatherhood) and born out of the frustration of there being no decent tasting low alcohol craft beer available to quench their thirst. Along with renowned experimental brewer, Johnny Clayton (formerly of Wild Beer), they’ve perfected techniques to make alcohol-free craft beer without the need for artificial removal of alcohol.

Even as recently as 2016, you’d have been in a minority of people who thought that giving up a well-paid job as a lawyer in the City to start a brewery making alcohol free beer was a good idea. However, by May 2017 Rob was focusing on Big Drop full-time (the same year he had twins, moved house, and lost his best friend to cancer). Fortunately for Rob, though, he wasn’t the only one looking to moderate his alcohol intake.

To brew craft beer naturally, without the need to artificially extract alcohol, Big Drop have had to turn the rules of brewing upside down. They use a lazy yeast which is not very good at converting sugar to alcohol. They also brew at slightly higher temperatures at various points to further inhibit alcohol production. And they use less grain (meaning less sugar).

Awards & Accolades 

• Big Drop’s Stout has won a Gold Medal at the International Beer Challenge and a UK Silver Medal at the World Beer Awards, when judged against full-strength stouts and porters.
• Its Citra IPA was crowned King of Craft at the 2019 Casual Dining Show, again when judged against full-strength beers. It also won a Championship Trophy at the International Beer Awards (non and low alcohol category).
• Its Pale Ale was named World’s Best Pale Beer (low strength) at the World Beer Awards 2017.
• Big Drop was also named as one of three ‘Best Drinks Producers’ in the 2018 BBC Food & Farming Awards.
• “Big Drop specialises in alcohol-free beer and it’s all good. I tried the pale ale and the lager, too, and both are excellent, but the stout really is the business.” —  Adrian Chiles, The Guardian
• “The most impressive no/low alcohol beer I have ever tried; no argument, it just is.” — Melissa Cole, British Guild of Beer Writers
• “In my view, by far the best of the low-alcohol brigade is Big Drop Brewing Co. All its beers come in at just 0.5%, and all of them are excellent – the stout in particular is a jaw-dropper. Superb flavour without compromise.” — Olly Smith, Mail on Sunday