Innis & Gunn

The brewery's origin story begins in 2002, when a whisky distiller approached Sharp to use his ale for seasoning oak casks. The beer that came out of those casks had been transformed by the wood, and that discovery became the founding principle of the Innis & Gunn oak-aged range. In 2017, the LVMH-backed private equity firm L Catterton acquired a minority stake in the business.

The 0.0% Lager, launched in 2020, is brewed using a process that prevents alcohol from forming in the first place, rather than removing it after fermentation. This puts it in a distinct position from dealcoholised beers, where a full-strength beer is brewed and the alcohol stripped out afterwards. The 0.0% offering was developed in response to growing consumer demand for high-quality AF options and is available through mainstream supermarket retail, giving sober-curious drinkers straightforward access without requiring specialist channels.

Innis & Gunn operates as a mixed-range brewery: the 0.0% Lager sits alongside a substantially larger alcoholic portfolio. For a brand whose reputation was built on the patience of barrel-ageing, the move into alcohol-free represents a considered extension of the range rather than a departure from its core identity.