Low-alcohol beer could lead to high spirits for UCC researchers

UCC researchers have developed a taste-retaining low alcohol beer, and caught the attention of the interest of one of Europe’s leading brewers.

Microbiologists John Morrissey and Rob Karreman and their colleagues have developed a novel strain of yeast that produces less alcohol than yeasts normally used in brewing. The new yeast model imitates certain aspects of non-alcohol producing yeasts.

Their yeast-led approach to low-alcohol brewing retains the taste while avoiding the processing costs incurred in reducing alcohol levels as an add-on process. This may lead to a new low-alcohol bottled beer reaching consumers within three years.