Buxton Brewery

Geoff Quinn started the brewery in his family garage before the operation moved in 2012 to a 7,000 square foot facility at Staden Lane, where the brewery now runs three to four brew sessions per week at approximately 3,500 litres per batch. The Buxton Tap House opened in 2013, followed by the Cellar Bar, giving the brewery a physical presence in its hometown alongside the production site.

The alcohol-free IPA takes an unusual production route: rather than removing alcohol after fermentation, it is brewed using Saccharomycodes ludwigii, a yeast strain that naturally produces very little alcohol during fermentation. Unlike conventional yeast strains, Saccharomycodes ludwigii does not fully convert available sugars into alcohol, which means the beer reaches its low-alcohol character through the fermentation process itself rather than through any post-production treatment or dealcoholisation step.

For sober-curious drinkers who want a recognisable craft pedigree behind their AF choice, the brewery's established reputation in the hop-forward beer market carries over into the single AF product. Distribution is through specialist alcohol-free retailers rather than mainstream channels.