Big Drop Brewing Review 2026 - Taste, Ingredients & Honest Verdict
Quick Facts
| Brand | Big Drop Brewing Co. |
| Products Reviewed | Reef Point Lager, Stout, Galactic Extra Dark, Sour |
| ABV | 0.5% (all products) |
| Calories | 13–102 per 330ml (varies by product) |
| Gluten Free | Some products (<20ppm) |
| Vegan | Not all (some contain lactose) |
| Price (approx) | £2.00–£2.50 per 330ml can |
| Available | bigdropbrew.com, Dry Drinker, Wise Bartender, select retailers |
| Trustpilot | No reviews |
What Is Big Drop Brewing?
Big Drop was founded in 2016 by Rob Fink and James Kindred, making it one of the earliest dedicated non-alcoholic breweries in the UK. Head brewer Johny Clayton develops all recipes. The company’s entire range is 0.5% ABV or below - they do not brew alcoholic beer at all.
This is their key differentiator: Big Drop is not a lager brand with an AF extension. Every product they make is non-alcoholic from the ground up. They have won multiple brewing awards across their range.
The brand has a craft focus and a wider style range than most AF competitors - stouts, sours, IPAs, lagers, and limited editions. Distribution is primarily online and through specialist AF retailers, with some presence in craft beer shops.
Product Range
Reef Point Craft Lager - Honey aroma, robust malt backbone, gentle noble hop bitterness with a citrus lift. Gluten reduced (<20ppm). Their most accessible product. 13 kcal per 330ml - extremely low.
Stout - Dark and rich with cocoa nibs, oats, and rye. Contains lactose (not vegan). Bramling Cross hops. The most ambitious product in their range.
Galactic Extra Dark - Milk stout with Ghanaian cacao. ~0.4% ABV. Limited availability.
Sour - Citrus-forward sour ale. Gluten-free. Uses malic, lactic, citric, and tartaric acid for the sour profile. The most divisive product - sours are an acquired taste even with alcohol.
Brown Ale (seasonal) - Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Contains lactose.
The range is broader than most AF competitors, but several products are limited editions that come and go.
Ingredients & Brewing Process
Big Drop uses a specialist fermentation approach: selected yeasts and carefully designed grain bills that naturally produce minimal alcohol during fermentation. Unlike most AF beers, they do not brew a full-strength beer and then remove the alcohol. The beer is brewed to be low-alcohol from the start.
This is the same approach as Days Brewing but applied across a wider style range. In theory, it preserves intended flavour better than post-brew dealcoholisation.
Ingredient complexity varies by product:
- Reef Point Lager: Water, malted barley, vegetable glycerine, Hallertau Hersbrucker hops, yeast
- Stout: Water, barley, oats, rye, lactose (milk), Bramling Cross hops, cocoa nibs, yeast
- Sour: Water, barley, wheat, yeast, acidity regulators, black tea, malt vinegar
Note: several products contain lactose (milk sugar) for body and sweetness, which means they are not vegan. The Sour uses multiple acid regulators - purists may feel this is a shortcut rather than a true kettle sour.
Taste & Drinking Experience
Reef Point Lager: - Clean and crisp with a honey note - Light-bodied but not watery - the vegetable glycerine adds some texture - Gentle bitterness, easy drinking - At 13 kcal per 330ml, remarkably low calorie
Stout: - The strongest product in the range - Chocolate and roasted notes from cocoa nibs - Fuller mouthfeel than most AF stouts thanks to oats, rye, and lactose - Genuinely dark and rich - a credible AF stout attempt
Sour: - Sharp and citrusy - The acid blend creates a convincing sour tang - Refreshing in summer but not for everyone - Some may find the acidity artificial compared to naturally soured beers
Galactic Extra Dark: - Rich, sweet, with clear cacao influence - Dessert beer territory - not an everyday drink - Limited availability makes it hard to assess consistently
Big Drop has no Trustpilot reviews, so customer feedback comes from specialist AF beer review sites and forums. Reception is generally positive for the Stout and Lager, more mixed for the Sour and limited editions.
Nutrition Breakdown
| Per 330ml can | Reef Point Lager | Stout | Sour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 13 | ~102 | ~60 |
| ABV | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Gluten | <20ppm | Contains | Free |
| Vegan | ✓ | ✗ (lactose) | ✓ |
The calorie range is wide - from 13 for the Lager to ~102 for the Stout. This reflects the diversity of the range rather than any inconsistency.
What Customers Say
Big Drop has no Trustpilot profile. Customer feedback from specialist retailers and forums:
Positive:
“The stout is the real surprise - dark, chocolatey, and you genuinely forget it’s alcohol free.” - AF beer review site
“Big Drop’s range is the most interesting in the UK AF space. They’re actually trying different styles.” - craft beer forum
Mixed:
“The lager is fine but unremarkable. The stout is where they shine.” - consumer review
“Some of their limited editions are great, others feel like experiments that didn’t quite land.” - Reddit
Common themes: - The Stout is consistently praised as a credible AF dark beer - The Lager is seen as competent but not distinctive - The broader range is respected but not all products hit equally - Price is a factor - premium for products you cannot try in a supermarket first
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Widest style range of any UK AF brewery - stouts, sours, lagers, IPAs, limited editions
- Brewed alcohol-free from the start, not dealcoholised
- The Stout is a notable product - a credible AF dark beer available
- Some products are gluten reduced (<20ppm) or gluten free
- UK-based - no import premium
- Award-winning across multiple styles
Cons
- No Trustpilot presence - hard to find independent consumer reviews
- Several products contain lactose (not vegan)
- The Sour uses acid regulators rather than natural souring - purists may object
- Limited retail distribution - online and specialist only
- Product range changes frequently - limited editions disappear
- No functional ingredients - a craft beer experience, nothing more
- 0.5% ABV, not 0.0% - not suitable for strict zero-alcohol requirements
Who Is Big Drop Best For?
Big Drop suits people who want variety in their AF drinking:
- Stout fans - their Stout competes with Guinness 0.0 and arguably beats it on complexity
- Style explorers - if you are bored of AF lagers, Big Drop has options
- Gluten-conscious drinkers - some products are reduced or free
- UK craft beer fans who want to support a dedicated AF brewery
How Does Big Drop Compare?
Big Drop’s differentiator is range - no other UK AF brewery covers as many styles.
- Lucky Saint focuses on one product (unfiltered lager) and does it well. More widely available.
- Days Brewing also brews alcohol-free from the start but with a smaller range and more polarising taste.
- Athletic Brewing has a similarly wide US range but only 4 products are available in the UK, at higher prices.
- IMPOSSIBREW approaches the category from a different angle entirely. Beyond style variety, IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Lager contains 375mg of the Social Blend - L-Theanine, Ashwagandha, Vitamin B1, and Magnesium - designed to promote genuine relaxation. Big Drop gives you craft AF beer in multiple styles. IMPOSSIBREW gives you the feeling of having had a drink. [→ Compare with IMPOSSIBREW]
Big Drop is the AF brewery with the widest range in the UK for people who want to explore beyond lager. Whether individual products match the ambition of the range is a product-by-product question.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Big Drop completely alcohol free?
How many calories are in Big Drop beer?
Is Big Drop gluten free?
Is Big Drop vegan?
Where can I buy Big Drop?
How does Big Drop compare to IMPOSSIBREW?
Verdict
Big Drop deserves credit for ambition. They are the only UK AF brewery seriously exploring multiple beer styles, and their Stout is a notable product that belongs in any conversation about the best AF dark beers.
But a wide range means inconsistency. Not every product in the lineup hits the mark, and the online-only distribution makes it hard to try before you commit to a case. The lactose in several products limits the audience, and the Sour’s acid regulators may not satisfy craft purists.
If you want variety in your AF drinking and are willing to order online, Big Drop is the widest-ranging option in the UK. If you want a single product that consistently delivers both taste and the feeling of a real drink, that is a different proposition.
→ See our full IMPOSSIBREW vs Big Drop
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