Sol 4.3 > 3.4%

[LeeH]

It’s piss already.

Heineken to cut alcohol strength in one of its popular beers​

Dutch brewer Heineken will be lowering the amount of alcohol in its Sol lager from tomorrow.

The strength of the drink will be reduced from 4.2% ABV to 3.4%.

Although the lower alcohol version will go into production tomorrow, it won't appear at the bar or in supermarkets immediately.

The change could mean that drinkers pay slightly less for Sol lager as Heineken will drop the wholesale price.

Beer brands have been lowering the strength of some of their drinks because of soaring alcohol duty costs.

That's due to a change the government made in 2023 which allowed a lower duty band for products with an ABV between 1.3% and 3.4%.

Other beers such as Stella Artois, Foster's, Carlsberg, Spitfire, Old Speckled Hen and Bishops Finger have also all been reduced in strength to cut costs.

https://news.sky.com/story/major-brewery-to-cut-alcohol-strength-in-popular-beer-money-13040934

 

[obscure]

And of course

Heineken said in statement that the abv reduction on Sol was motivated by consumer moderation trends.

It said: “We know consumers are increasingly choosing lower ABV products as part of a balanced lifestyle.

“In line with this trend, we continue to evaluate the ABV of all our products, and as such, we will be reducing the abv of Sol, from 4.2% to 3.4%.

“Our master brewers have taken great care to make sure that consumers will notice no change, and we have spent many months perfecting the beer and testing it with drinkers.

Maybe I’m just getting old and bitter but I’m pretty certain most people who drink beer like Sol or Carling (another one who cut their ABV recently) do so with the aim of getting as drunk as cheaply as possible.

 

[Rwilts]

Couple of thoughts .

1. I can see some justification for reducing the ABV if it's directly related to the cost to consumer.

2. I don't drink it so it won't effect me.

3. Most consumers are not on top of ABV as we are and may not be aware (untill they have less hangovers)

4. How will this effect the taste ? ABV does have an impact on user experience and taste in my opinion.

 

[jof]

Well it's due to accountants isn't it.
Those at HMRC that changed the way beer duty is calculated & those at the brewery who are maximising the profit at the expense of taste & tax payable

 

[Chippy_Tea]

How will this effect the taste ? ABV does have an impact on user experience and taste in my opinion.

I drink Old Speckled Hen and Bishops Finger fairly regularly and i haven't noticed a change in flavour, i never drink Stella Artois, Foster's, Carlsberg as they have always tasted awful.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

If they've reduced the alcohol content of Stella they've done us all a favour!

 

[Leon103]

I drink Old Speckled Hen and Bishops Finger fairly regularly and i haven't noticed a change in flavour, i never drink Stella Artois, Foster's, Carlsberg as they have always tasted awful.

Do you know if you have drank the lower abv version?

 

[jof]

Do you know if you have drank the lower abv version?

An interesting question.
Having thought about this, I don't think I would know or care if it was lager or pale ale.
But with darker beers I find it noticeable, to the point where I have removed some beers from my acceptable list as they taste like they've been watered down.

 

[Stu]

And of course



Maybe I’m just getting old and bitter but I’m pretty certain most people who drink beer like Sol or Carling (another one who cut their ABV recently) do so with the aim of getting as drunk as cheaply as possible.

Sol is far from cheap. Far as I know, it's overpriced bottles only.

If you wanted to get drunk as cheaply as possible, I'd suggest drinking bitter.

 

[LeeH]

And of course



Maybe I’m just getting old and bitter but I’m pretty certain most people who drink beer like Sol or Carling (another one who cut their ABV recently) do so with the aim of getting as drunk as cheaply as possible.

Correct. In used to like Meths but the price of that now is crazy….

 

[Graz]

Sol - A beer so terrible the only way to make it vaguely palatable is to add a wedge of lime to it.

 

[Tickles58]

Just a thought guys if what you say is the basis of making beer cheaper why is it that ALL alcohol free beers are so expensive?

 

[Stu]

Just a thought guys if what you say is the basis of making beer cheaper why is it that ALL alcohol free beers are so expensive?

Because sadly, it's actually really expensive to remove alcohol.

To make a beer weaker as the above, you simply remove some of the grain bill.

For example, making 15 litres of Stout with 10kg of malt and a stepped mash will make a 10% beer.
Making 23 litres of Lager with 3.5kg of malt will make a 3% lager.

By this method, if you want a 0% beer, you don't put any malt in.

Hence why they normally make a 3-5% beer, then spend ages removing it to make an AF beer (and hence why it's not much cheaper)

 

[obscure]

Just a thought guys if what you say is the basis of making beer cheaper why is it that ALL alcohol free beers are so expensive?

Duty on beer below 3.5% is charged at £9.27 per litre of alcohol in the product above this (but below 8.5%) it’s charged at £21.01 per litre of alcohol in the product, this is at least part of the reason why Sol (and beers like Carling) have dropped the ABV to below 3.5% (but it’s unlikely they are dropping the price) so their margins in turn improve.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

Just a thought guys if what you say is the basis of making beer cheaper why is it that ALL alcohol free beers are so expensive?

Because people are prepared to pay for them at that price and they are not price sensitive - people buy the ones they like rather than shopping around. And the companies are likely to make more profits on these drinks as a result (albeit from a smaller market). I can't believe it costs the same to make Guinness Zero and normal Guinness (taking into account tax), but they cost about the same.

Increasing taxes on an ABV basis CUTS profits for beers with higher alcohol which is why companies have responded the way they have.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

Because sadly, it's actually really expensive to remove alcohol.

To make a beer weaker as the above, you simply remove some of the grain bill.

For example, making 15 litres of Stout with 10kg of malt and a stepped mash will make a 10% beer.
Making 23 litres of Lager with 3.5kg of malt will make a 3% lager.

By this method, if you want a 0% beer, you don't put any malt in.

Hence why they normally make a 3-5% beer, then spend ages removing it to make an AF beer (and hence why it's not much cheaper)

Is that what they do though?

I thought they made beer with a very, very low gravity, kept the bittering low and tried to 'balance' it with unfermented sugars (Guinness) or 'natural flavourings' (Heineken) or hops (craft beers). 'Alcohol free' beers usually have a small amount of alcohol.

Interested to know if I'm wrong on this,.or if some breweries do actually remove alcohol, and if they do why is there always a little bit left?

 

[Bitter_Dave]

Is that what they do though?

I thought they made beer with a very, very low gravity, kept the bittering low and tried to 'balance' it with unfermented sugars (Guinness) or 'natural flavourings' (Heineken) or hops (craft beers). 'Alcohol free' beers usually have a small amount of alcohol.

Interested to know if I'm wrong on this,.or if some breweries do actually remove alcohol, and if they do why is there always a little bit left?

I seem to be wrong on Heineken - they do seem to remove alcohol I found out from a quick Google!

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Probably going off topic, I find Guinness zero to be the nearest alcohol free to the actual product taste wise, could nitro be a factor in this and would a NA cream ale or the likes on nitro be a winner??