Innis & Gunn creates alcohol-free beer for '˜Dry January'

A CITY-based brewery has created a new alcohol-free beer to help residents detox this January.

Scottish craft brewer Innis & Gunn has brewed the first detoxing beer of its kind. Innis & None. Picture; contributed

Innis & None has been created by craft beer company Innis & Gunn to help those committed to reducing their alcohol consumption this month.

More than two million people are expected to start the new year with a push for a healthier lifestyle.

The new drink is a 0.0 per cent ABV pale ale containing vitamin C and ginseng, which the maker says will boost the immune system and improve energy levels.

It also contains guarana, which Innis & Gunn says could “aid weight loss and enhance athletic performance”, helping lead to a healthier mind and body following the over-indulgence of the festive period.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn, said: “Great beer does not necessarily have to contain alcohol. We approached brewing Innis & None as we do with any of our beers, using quality ingredients to produce a bold, flavoursome taste.

“Taking the alcohol content down to zero is part of our belief that beer is for everyone, even those who don’t or can’t consume alcohol.

“I believe this pale ale stands up to the best of them.

“With the added vitamin C and ginseng, you’re now also getting a boost to the immune system for the new year.”

Innis & Gunn, whose beer is stocked all over the country, describes its business as being “discovered by accident”.

A spokesman for the company said: “In 2002 a famous whisky distiller approached us for help.

“They were seeking to season some of their oak casks with the sweet, malty character of a full-flavoured beer. All the previous attempts had failed.”

Eager to assist, the brewery came up with a custom-made recipe and the resulting brew was put in their barrels.

The spokesman added: “Thirty days on, our beer was thrown out and the whisky went in.

“During its maturation, the Scotch acquired extra qualities from the beer-infused wood, resulting in a greatly admired dram and many repeats of the successful experiment.

“Then, months later and quite unexpectedly, our Master Brewer, Dougal, received an exciting call – this time it wasn’t the whisky getting rave reviews.

“Some inquisitive souls at the distillery had sampled our beer after its time in casks. We did likewise... and the taste was remarkable. It had been transformed by the oak into an unusually refined brew.

“Ever since that heady day we’ve dedicated ourselves to sharing the unique flavours of our oak-aged beers with the world, proving that a little luck can go a long way.”

Innis & None is now available in 330ml at the Innis & Gunn online shop and The Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchens in Edinburgh (Lothian Road), Dundee and St Andrews.

They have released the drink in support of “Dry January” which sees millions of Britons attempt to reduce their alcohol intake.