Williams Bros.

The brewery began in a family homebrew shop in Glasgow, where Bruce Williams was handed a 16th-century recipe for a heather-based ale. That moment set the tone for a brand built around reviving ancient Scottish gruit traditions, most notably through Fraoch Heather Ale. By 2004, Williams Bros. had outgrown its origins and relocated to Alloa, where it remains today as a family-owned and run business.

The AF range launched in 2021 with an alcohol-free version of the brewery's flagship IPA. What distinguishes the approach is the use of a naturally low-yielding yeast strain (Saccharomyces ludwigii) that produces very little alcohol during fermentation, preserving body and flavour rather than stripping them out after the fact. This is a documented part of the brand's identity, not a generic category technique, and it sits comfortably alongside Williams Bros.' broader reputation for unconventional brewing. The range expanded in 2023 to include a fruity IPA and a low-ABV lager, giving sober-curious drinkers a compact selection that mirrors the brewery's most popular full-strength styles.

Distribution is multi-channel, spanning direct-to-consumer sales through the brewery's own site, specialist alcohol-free retailers, and mainstream supermarket listings. Williams Bros. is one of a small number of Scottish independent craft breweries to have committed to a growing AF range built around a proprietary brewing technique.