Add malt, hops, water and, er, fruit

Some wags at The Juice Brewery have decided that now is the time. It's Spring, it's sunny, and it's no time to launch a new alcoholic drink that'll be taxed off the shelves quicker than you can say 50p per unit. So they haven't. What they have launched instead is what they wittily refer to as 'the world's first soft-brew'.


Tucked behind the Old Vic Theatre behind London Waterloo is The Juice Brewery -- and they're churning out a new range of non-alcoholic soft drinks brewed with the malts and hops you'd expect from a thirst-quenching real ale, but without the alcohol or the hangover. These aren't beer replacements, but a refreshing alternative choice available at your local, provided your local is in London, mind.

The two flavours I tried are Blackcurrant and Citrus -- there is a crisp fruitiness that comes through in both flavours which is derived from the hops, while the malts add bitterness. The sweetness is controlled and not sickly and it's relatively flat, which avoids any bloatedness. Is it as good as beer? No. But then it's not meant to be. But they would probably make an excellent alternative at the pub to any of the other non-alcoholic drinks available. To get your hands on some, click here for a list of outlets from The Juice Brewery website, which incidentally includes The Natural Kitchen on Marylebone High Street in London -- a fantastic deli and cafe which has a great range of beers and real ales too. Click here to go to The Natural Kitchen website.