Williams Bros.

That founding story sets the tone for everything Williams Bros. does. Based in Alloa at the Forth Brewery, they are the last remaining brewery in what was once one of Scotland's great brewing centres. The heritage is real, not marketing — their early ales used heather flowers, bog myrtle, elderberries, Scots pine shoots, and seaweed, drawing on Scottish produce that most brewers would not look twice at.

Alongside their range of heritage ales and modern craft beers, Williams Bros. have built a credible alcohol-free line. Joker AF is the AF version of their Joker IPA, brewed using a thiolised yeast that amplifies tropical fruit character while keeping the bitterness honest. Alien Form Fruity IPA takes a similar approach: citrus-forward, fuller-bodied than many AF pale ales, and made to hold its own against the alcoholic version. Caesar AF rounds out the range with a lager-IPA hybrid. At the 2025 Scottish Beer Awards, the three beers took gold, silver, and bronze in the no-alcohol category, a clean sweep from a brewery that had been making serious beer long before the AF category existed.

Williams Bros. is not an alcohol-free specialist. They came to AF brewing as an extension of a well-established craft operation, and it shows in the results. The beers carry the same character as their main range: Scottish, a bit wild, and not trying to be anything other than good beer. Products are available through specialist AF retailers online and direct from their own shop.