Drop Bear Beer

Drop Bear Beer Co. started in 2019 with a saucepan and a Swansea apartment. Joelle Drummond and Sarah McNena, a Welsh-Australian married couple, were frustrated by the dire state of alcohol-free beer. Sarah had stopped drinking and found the options ranging from bland to insulting. So they did what any sensible craft beer lovers would do: learned to brew their own.

From those kitchen experiments in Mumbles came beers that actually tasted like beer. Word spread. Awards followed. By 2023, they had acquired a site to build what is now the UK's largest dedicated alcohol-free brewery.

The range covers proper craft territory. Their Yuzu Pale Ale brings Japanese citrus to an American-style base, sharp and refreshing. The Tropical IPA delivers hop-forward punch with mango and passionfruit notes. Bonfire Stout goes dark with espresso and smoke. A Peach Cut Lager adds something lighter for those who want fruit without the cloying sweetness some AF beers lean into.

Drop Bear stands out for more than the liquid. They were the first alcohol-free brewery to achieve B Corp certification and carbon neutral status. The founders have been recognised for breaking ground as the first female-founded and LGBT+ owned alcohol-free brewery. None of that would matter if the beer was average, but the competition results suggest otherwise. They have taken top honours at European alcohol-free brewing awards on multiple occasions.

Availability has expanded steadily. Morrisons now stocks them nationally, Tesco carries the range in Wales, and specialist AF retailers like Dry Drinker and Wise Bartender have them in their catalogues. The brewery offers direct shipping with next-day delivery across the UK.

The beers are all 0.5% ABV, vegan, and naturally low in gluten. Everything is purpose-built for the category rather than adapted from alcoholic production, which shows in the results.

At a Glance