Deschutes Brewery’s installation of BrewVo® Technology gives them an edge in fast growing beer category

Deschutes Brewery is doubling down on their investment in the non-alcoholic beer category with the installation of new technology and equipment to their Bend, Oregon production facility to relaunch NA Black Butte Porter, and introduce an NA version of Fresh Squeezed IPA.

Deschutes started their journey into non-alcoholic beer with an NA Irish Stout in 2020, and followed up with NA Black Butte Porter in 2022. Both beers could be hard to get at times, partially because the costly brewing equipment used for brewing these beers properly had them farming out production to a Colorado facility.

First announced in 2023, Deschutes has now confirmed that their NA beer production is now entirely in-house through a partnership with Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT.) Utilizing the company’s patented BrewVo® technology in combination with Deschutes’ proprietary brewing methods, this groundbreaking technology allows Deschutes to create what they think is the best-tasting flavor-forward non-alcoholic beer on the market. The introduction of Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA comes on the heels of a rebrand of Deschutes’ first packaged non-alcoholic beer, Black Butte Non-Alcoholic, which quickly became the brewery’s highest rate-of-sale six-pack.

The non-alcoholic beer category is the fastest growing segment of the beer industry and grew 163% in dollar sales from 2019 to 2023. According to a Mintel study, 75% of Gen Z and Millennials are interested in non-alcoholic options with taste and flavor being the number one attribute they’re looking for in products, and a separate nationwide survey shows that 94% of non-alcoholic beer drinkers also drink beer with alcohol.

“We believe that our fans deserve non-alcoholic options that taste amazing. At Deschutes, we are all for beer and proud to make beer for all,” said Julie Galbraith, CMO of Deschutes Brewery. “Our two brands, Fresh Squeezed IPA and Black Butte Porter, are top-performing brands for a reason and we’re thrilled to be able to give our customers the flexibility they deserve without sacrificing the craft beer experience they love by introducing them to our non-alcoholic versions of their favorite Deschutes IPA and Porter.”

Launch of Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA

Crafted using Sustainable Beverage Technologies patented BrewVo® equipment and a proprietary non-alcoholic brewing process, Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA is brilliantly balanced and features the same Citra and Mosaic hops as the original, delivering refreshing notes of bright citrus and tropical fruit, with less than 0.5% ABV. Both Fresh Squeezed brands’ packaging designs have recently been updated and now feature a similar but lighter and brighter look, with changes to accent colors, fonts, and graphics. The result of over five years of research, development, and equipment investment, Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA has been meticulously perfected and is now available nationwide at major retailers and online at DeschutesBrewery.com in six-pack 12oz cans.

Reintroduction of Black Butte Non-Alcoholic

Inspired by America’s favorite craft porter, Black Butte, Black Butte Non-Alcoholic was Deschutes’ first packaged non-alcoholic beer. Brewed using a specialty chocolate malt, it presents a velvety texture with creamy foam and delivers surprising flavor complexity with tastes of chocolate, a malty aroma with a touch of coffee sweetness. Black Butte Non-Alcoholic has already secured eight international Awards, including a 2022 World Beer Cup® silver medal in the ‘Non-Alcohol Beer’ category. The original Black Butte Porter and Black Butte Non-Alcoholic both feature updated packaging artwork with illustrations by artist Sam Larson.

This is a milestone in Deschutes work on innovation in the non-alcoholic space and is the result of over five years of research and development and over $5 million invested. Deschutes says they are the first brewery of scale to have installed BrewVo® technology along with the necessary end-to-end technical capabilities which enables the brewery to gently remove alcohol from the beer while preserving the sensory elements that contribute to a full-fidelity craft beer experience. Deschutes has also installed a 65,000-pound tunnel pasteurizer, a necessary step to ensuring the safety and quality of its non-alcoholic beers, giving the brewery a unique advantage to maintain full control of supply which enhances their ability to deliver on consumer demand; many other non-alcoholic brewers rely on third-party cross-brewing, co-packing and off-site tunnel pasteurization.

“Crafting a full fidelity non-alcoholic beer that delivers the flavor, aroma and mouthfeel of a great craft beer involves a lot more than just removing the alcohol. When we began our research and development five years ago it became clear to us that the technologies in broad use to produce non-alcoholic beer all led to certain degrees of sacrifice on sensory experience of the final product. We didn’t want to accept sacrifice in the beer drinking experience and sought a better way. Our patented and proprietary process, rooted in decades of brewing experience, ensures that our non-alcoholic products offer an excellent craft beer experience without the alcohol,” said Peter Skrbek, CEO of Deschutes Brewery. “With the launch of Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA and the installation of the BrewVo® technology, as well as our tunnel pasteurizer, we aim to redefine the craft beer experience for our fans. We want our non-alcoholic beers to be excellent when compared to any beer with or without alcohol. Gone are the days of our fans and customers needing to make trade-offs in their beer drinking experience based on whether a beer has alcohol.”

Deschutes Brewery’s Fresh Squeezed IPA, Fresh Squeezed Non-Alcoholic IPA, Black Butte Porter andBlack Butte Non-Alcoholic are available nationwide at select retailers, bars, and restaurants. For more information, use the “beer finder” to find the closest retailer or visit DeschutesBrewery.com to purchase the new non-alcoholic options online.