Brewing is a craft that constantly pushes you to think, experiment, and evolve, and brewing a non-alcoholic beer? That’s a whole other level.
At Harbour, we pride ourselves on making beers that are full of flavour & character whether they’re pouring at your favourite pub or in a can cracked open after a surf. So when we set out to create Resurface, our non-alc beer, we knew it had to live up to everything people expect from Harbour.
So I sat down with Rob Orton, our Head Brewer, to chat about what it takes to create a non-alcoholic beer that’s as good as the real deal. Here’s what he had to say.
The Biggest Challenge - Flavour, Body, and Balance
“Keeping the depth of flavour and body is probably the hardest part,” Rob explains “Alcohol plays a huge role in a beer’s balance, texture, and taste. Take that away, and you’ve got to work extra hard to make up for it.
Then there’s the science of brewing itself. Alcohol naturally helps preserve beer by making it harder for bacteria to survive, so everything has to be absolutely spotless from start to finish. And then there’s the small matter of avoiding those “off” flavours that yeast usually cleans up during fermentation. “You’re breaking all the norms of brewing and asking ingredients to behave differently”
For Rob, creating a non-alc beer isn’t just about following a recipe “You have to consider everything, even the tiniest details that you’d normally take for granted in an alcoholic brew. It’s a steep learning curve, but that’s part of the fun.”
With Resurface, we started by loading up the mash tun with rich base malts like Munich, Dextrin, Wheat, and Best Pale. These malts help create the body and mouthfeel that alcohol would normally provide. Brewing a non-alcoholic beer doesn’t mean you can just skip the fermentation step. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. “We use a specialist yeast strain that produces minimal alcohol but still ferments the beer,” Rob shares.
For the hop heads out there, Resurface is a dream: “We’ve gone heavy on the dry hopping with El Dorado, Simcoe, and Citra. It’s all about keeping that crisp, drinkable vibe Harbour beers are known for.”
One common complaint about non-alc beers is that they can taste, well, a bit thin. Rob’s approach? Layer on the flavour. “I get it - without alcohol, it’s easy to end up with something thin and uninspiring. That’s why we’ve spent the last 15 months working on recipes, tweaking, experimenting, and learning from every batch.”
“The key is layering flavour and building structure with the right ingredients. Every malt and hop has to work harder in a non-alc beer. I’d love to share all our secrets, but hey, where’s the fun in giving everything away?”
Why Non-Alc?
The demand for non-alc beers has exploded in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. Whether it’s for health reasons, or just wanting to mix in a non-alc sometimes, more people are reaching for no-and-low beers.
But there’s a stigma to tackle too. “We need to get past the idea of ‘It’s good… for a non-alc.’ The goal is for people to judge it as a great beer, full stop.”
“The best part of brewing Resurface has been seeing how much the team loves it. Some were genuinely surprised by how good it was.”
And the feedback from customers has been just as exciting. When someone tries Resurface and tells me they’d never have guessed it was non-alc, that’s the ultimate win.”
And what’s next? “We’re experimenting with a non-alc lager and even thinking about a darker beer - something bold and stormy. Watch this space!”
Riding the Non-Alc Wave
Brewing non-alc beer is tough, but it’s also one of the most exciting things we’re doing right now. With Resurface, we’ve created something we’re proud of - a beer that fits right into the Harbour lineup and offers the same big, bold flavours we’re known for.
So next time you’re looking for a sessionable, alcohol-free brew, give it a go.
