Damm

The brewery was established in 1876 by August Kuentzmann Damm and his cousin Joseph Damm in the Catalan capital. Damm has a longer history in alcohol-free beer than almost any other major European producer: the brewery launched its first alcohol-free beer, Damm Bieck, in 1968, decades before the category attracted mainstream attention. The Free Damm range was reformulated in 2018 to bring it closer to the character of a conventional lager.

The production method behind Free Damm is well-documented. Damm uses vacuum distillation, a technique that removes alcohol by reducing the surrounding pressure to lower its boiling point, allowing the alcohol to evaporate at a temperature gentle enough to protect the beer's aromatic compounds. The aromatic components lost during this step are then recovered and reintroduced into the finished product. Damm has been specific about this process as a point of differentiation from more common AF production methods. The brewery also operates its own malting plant, giving it end-to-end control of raw material supply.

The AF range covers multiple lager styles, from a core lager through to flavoured variants. Estrella Damm, the brewery's flagship Mediterranean lager, also has an alcohol-free version with the widest retail distribution in the range. Both are widely stocked across mainstream supermarkets and through specialist alcohol-free retailers. The mid-range price point and broad retail footprint make the Free Damm range a practical option for sober-curious and fitness-focused drinkers. Few major European breweries can point to AF production dating back to 1968.