Tinnies Ultra-Low Alcohol Hoppy Ale has just been crowned Best Non-Alcoholic Beer at the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) – the largest annual beer competition in the world for draught and packaged beer.

Among the Aussie brews that took out Silver medals in the Non-Alcoholic Beer category were Free Time from Bridge Road Brewers, Nort from Modus Operandi Brewing and CUB’s Great Northern Zero. Love All from Holgate Brewhouse and Prohibition Non-Alcoholic Pale Ale from Hawkesbury Brewing Co took home Bronze medals.

IWSR Drinks Market Analysis reports that Australia is among the countries where growth of the low and non-alcoholic beer market is projected to be the highest over the next four years.

The group has forecast that volume growth in Australia until 2024 in the category is expected to be about 16%.

Tinnies Ultra Low Alcohol Hoppy Ale is crafted differently to most low or non-alcoholic beer offerings, which are brewed like any other beer and then have the alcohol removed by filtration. Instead, the Hoppy Ale is brewed using a specially-selected yeast and careful temperature control so that the fermentation process naturally produces almost no alcohol, clocking in at 0.5% ABV – so nothing needs to be removed and the brew retains all of the flavour.

The win at the AIBA adds to a rising collection of accolades for Tinnies Ultra-Low Alcohol Hoppy Ale, which was also named Low Alcohol Beer of the Year at the 2020 Melbourne International Beer Competition, and topped the World Beer Awards 2020 competition as the Country Winner.

Coles Liquor took home a total of seven accolades at the AIBA; Gold for stablemate Tinnies Pacific Ale; Silver wins for Tinnies Hazy Pale, Smithy’s Dry Lager and Smithy’s Mid Strength Lager; and Bronze for Tinnies Pale Ale and Smithy’s Draught.

Coles relaunches Tinnies range

The latest wins come as Coles Liquor relaunches the entire Tinnies range this week, adding new flavours and an on-trend minimalist packaging design reflecting Tinnies’ craft taste and nostalgic Aussie feel.

New analysis from Coles Liquor shows that demand for craft cans continues to surge across Australia, as brews once considered a niche market for connoisseurs find favour with an ever-expanding audience.

Across the Coles Liquor network including Liquorland, Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor Market, craft beer sales are growing at almost 20% year-on-year, with Coles Liquor adding around 100 new craft beer lines to shelves in the past year.

The shift to “quality over quantity” is part of a global trend towards moderation, with UK market research finding 60% of beer drinkers would rather drink small amounts of premium beer than a larger amount of standard beer, and 18% of Australians aged 18 to 34 saying they want to cut back on their alcohol intake as one of their post-COVID-19 resolutions.

While 20 years ago the typical Aussie beer drinker would be loyal to a single brew, the growth of craft beer reflects a more experimental attitude among consumers, with 32% of 18 to 34-year-old Australians saying they look for new flavours to try most of the time, while 29% of international beer buyers say that a flavour they have not tried before would prompt them to buy a new product.

Richard Bryant, Coles Liquor Business Category Manager for Beer, said: “Our customers are moving towards locally-made products and interesting flavour options. Focusing on these insights and global trends, the new Tinnies range has been developed to make enjoying craft beer and supporting Australian production as simple as the sleek, new packaging.

“We’re incredibly proud of our award-winning Tinnies range. Our team works hard with the best brewers in the country to bring fantastic, great quality brews to our customers, and these latest accolades show our customers can enjoy the best of the best without compromising on value.”

The Tinnies range includes the award winning Ultra Low Alcohol Hoppy Ale as well as an IPA, Pacific Ale, XPA, Pale Ale and Hazy Pale Ale.

Alongside the permanent range, seasonal releases are anticipated to be introduced by Tinnies throughout the year, allowing for customers to expand their craft beer palates to unique, new flavours that demonstrate a high level of craftmanship. The first new flavour will include Hot Craft Bun Ale, with other flavours set to be released in coming months.

“The Tinnies range is a straight to the point, no fuss way to enjoy craft beer and the updated look emulates this while holding onto the nostalgic idea of drinking from a tin can. The packaging is not only sustainable but maintains the remarkable craftsmanship of the product and makes the experience of drinking Tinnies quintessentially Australian,” Richard said.

Tinnies is a crafty beer range with an old school feel and contemporary approach to flavour. The new look cans and brand-new flavours can be found on shelves in Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market, and Vintage Cellars stores Australia-wide.