Impossibrew pale ale
Summary
Drink – Impossibrew
Type – non-alcoholic pale ale
Alcohol content – 0.5%
Rating– 65/100
Review – At the end of the day, I like what Impossibrew are trying to do with their ‘social blend’ as I genuinely felt more chilled after drinking the pale ale. My issue is that it simply didn’t have the fruity, hoppy intensity I would expect from an alcohol-free pale ale. That said if you’re looking for a drink that’s a bit different then I reckon this is worth a try.
The first time I heard about Impossibrew was when I saw their founder, Mark, on TV show Dragons Den. He did a sterling job in front of the dragons and piqued my interest as to his new alcohol-free offering – Impossibrew … but what exactly is it? Well, firstly the name comes from the fact so many doubted that Mark’s plant-infused non-alcoholic beer would work in the first place … boo hiss to those cynics.
They have gone on to produce two alcohol-free beers – either Impossibrew’s lager or their pale ale which is what I tried today. Impossibrew uses their own proprietary mix they call their ‘social blend’ which uses plant-powered ingredients designed for boosting serotonin and making you feel more chilled (its a bit like the Three Spirits idea I reviewed a while back).
In Impossibrew’s pale ale they use a standard beer brewing ingredients – water, malted barley, wheat, hops and yeast. However, there is also the addition of their social blend which includes L-Theanine (a superfood to create calmness), ginseng, lemon balm and Griffonia seed (which helps to soothe the mind).
So is Impossibrew a moment of madness or a genius idea? Well, you’ll need to read my review below to find out.
Is Impossibrew Pale any good?
Taste
Given the hype around the addition of all the extra ingredients, I was expecting a beer that had much more flavour and impact than what I tasted. To me, it was a bit too watery and light and there was only a subtle background flavour of fruit and hops which ideally would have been stronger. Look, it wasn’t unpleasant – it was just a bit meh! Non-descript (especially when compared to other alcohol-free pale ales I’ve had).
Aroma & Appearance
I found the aromas from this beer to be more impactful than the taste. You can pick out bitter hops as well as mango and peach. In the glass, it pours out like a typical pale ale with a light, hazy amber look and has a short frothy head.
Bonus points
Impossibrew gets extra bonus points for the addition of the extra herbs and vitamins it uses. To be fair, 15 mins in, I did feel a bit more chilled than normal so it felt like the ingredients were having a pleasant effect on my mind. Note that this alcohol-free beer is suitable for vegans but not for gluten-free drinkers. Availability-wise you can find this from a number of online retailers or from Impossibrews own site.
Where can you buy Impossibrew’s pale ale?
At the time of writing, you could get this alcohol-free beer from either the Impossibrew site or from the online retailer below.
The Alcohol Free Co has one of the best collections of non-alcoholic drinks online. From wine and beer through to spirits, ciders and CBD I am sure you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
COST (at time of publication) – £3.15
Key information
– per 100ml
Brewery – Impossibrew
Country – UK
Alcohol content – 0.5%
Calories – 14
Ingredients – Water, Malted Barley, Hops, Wheat, Social Blend™ (L-Theanine, Ginseng Extract, Griffonia Seed Extract, Lemon Balm Extract, Vitamin B1), Yeast.
Vegan friendly? – yes
Gluten-free? – no
Availability – Medium
“Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.”
-Seneca, AD 50 BC
