Otter

Otter Brewery has been making traditional ales from the same farm in the Devon hills since 1990. David and Mary Ann McCaig founded it in Luppitt, near Honiton, naming the brewery after the River Otter that runs through the valley below. More than three decades on, it remains a family business, and the farming roots show: they've invested heavily in renewable energy and waste reduction, picking up a sustainable brewery award along the way.

The core range runs from the sessionable Otter Bitter at 3.6% through to the robust Otter Head at 5.8%, with an Amber and a Bright sitting in between. There are lagers, a cider, and a gin in the mix too. Good Pub Guide named them Brewery of the Year in 2013, and their beers have found their way into pubs across the South West and beyond.

The alcohol-free side of things is relatively modest. Otter Zero is their main entry into the category, an IPA sitting under 0.5% ABV with the citrus notes you'd expect from the style. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but it carries the same no-fuss approach as the rest of the range.

Otter isn't chasing trends. They're a traditional regional brewery that has added an alcohol-free option as the category has grown, rather than pivoting their identity around it. For drinkers who like their AF beer to come from somewhere with a proper brewing heritage, that context does a lot of the work.

The Collection

Zero IPA