Big Drop Galactic Milk Stout has taken out Best No & Low Alcohol Stout & Porter at the 2021 World Beer Awards. The brewer also won World’s Best No & Low Alcohol Speciality for its Paradiso IPA.

After a successful launch into the Australian market last year, Big Drop Brewing Co. introduced Galactic Milk Stout and Paradiso IPA to Australia in April.

Big Drop, founded in 2016 and based in the UK town of Ipswich, is one of the trailblazers in the ultra-low alcohol beer category. The brand launched in Australia late last year with its Uptown Craft Lager and Pine Trail Pale Ale. 

Following the win, Big Drop said: “It’s not just us that says our beers are good. We are always proud to be a part of the World Beer Awards but we are even MORE proud when our beers get some awards! We also want to give a massive shout out to all the other non-alcoholic beer brands that are working to change drinking culture. We are being recognised and this space is growing rapidly. Cheers to the future!”

Darren West, Country Director Australia & New Zealand for Big Drop added: “It has been a whirlwind 12 months since we began brewing in Australia and in that time the quality of no-low beer offerings has grown tremendously. There are some fantastic brands now emerging, which stand shoulder to shoulder with full strength beer. It’s great for the category and it ensures we keep pushing ourselves to brew the best beer we possibly can.   It’s wonderful to get two of our beers recognised as ‘World’s Best’ but we certainly won’t rest and will continue to innovate and deliver the highest quality no-alc beers that our consumers will love.”

West claims the secret to Galactic’s success is its ‘brew-to-strength’ or Reduced Amylase Brewing technique, pioneered by Big Drop. This technique allows the beer to be fully fermented without the need to extract alcohol once it has been brewed. By remaining under the ‘alcohol free’ threshold of 0.5% ABV throughout the whole process, Big Drop can retain the flavours and texture that would have traditionally been stripped out by removing the alcohol.

Drinks Digest beer editor Saint Barbara describes Galactic Milk Stout as having “rich, strong coffee and chocolate notes at the start, followed by a surprising sweetness, and then a gorgeously creamy lingering taste. It’s full bodied and delicious to the last (big) drop. An absolute pleasure to try.”

Paradiso IPA is for fans of fruity, crisp beer – pale in colour, but robust in flavour and very refreshing. The brewer notes: “This IPA radiates citrus fruit from the moment you pour it to the second you finish that last sip with a satisfied sigh. The bright, sharp twist of bitterness on the end makes you want to dive back in for one more. Food matching suggestions include grilled or BBQ’d meats and burgers.”

Big Drop’s Galactic Milk Stout, brewed in Melbourne, can be found in most good online no-alcohol and beer retailers, as well as on https://au.bigdropbrew.com/.