Evolution of "Light" Low Alcohol Beer

Image via WikipediaMiller Brewing Company launched the first reduced alcohol beer, "Miller Lite" in 1973. Now, almost 40 years later, every major and micro brewing company offers a reduced alcohol product and it accounts for an ever growing percentage of the annual 180 million barrel US market.

To be considered a “light” or reduced alcohol, beer must contain no more than 3.5% "alcohol by volume" (ABV). This compares with "regular" beer that, generally, contains between 5% and 6%. A recent testing of the best selling US light beer, Bud Light showed it to have about 100 calories in a 12 oz. can compared to about 142 in Budweiser's regular beer. The spelling "Lite" is a trademark of Miller brewing company and should not be used to refer to reduced alcohol beer in general.

The states of Utah, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Kansas, and Colorado will allow convenience stores and supermarkets to only sell beer with ABV of 3.2%. Higher alcohol content beer may be sold only in liquor stores licensed by the state. Interestingly, Oklahoma further mandates that beer over 3.2% ABV must be sold only at room temperature. Some classify this reduced alcohol beer as "near-beer" but that term originated much earlier, during the prohibition era.

Originally, "near-beer" was a name for malt based beverages with little or no alcoholic content. These brews sprang up as soon as prohibition outlawed the brewing of any alcoholic beverage. These brews were officially classified as "cereal beverages" to distinguish them from the illegal recipes. These brews proved to be popular with the public and about 300 million gallons were produced in the early 1920s and provided a much needed revenue source for many breweries.

One of the most important reasons for near-beer's popularity was that it was easily spiked with grain alcohol and soon acquired yet another nickname; "needle beer" because of a needle was often used to inject the alcohol through the cork (this was a time before pop-top cans or screw top bottles).

Preceding near-beer was a product called "small beer" which was widely produced both in colonial America and even earlier in Europe. Small beer is an extremely low alcohol drink that is flavored with different ingredients such as molasses. It was often served to children and servant along with meals, including breakfast. At the time, it was a safer drink than water because of the brewing process which boiled the wort, which killed the water born diseases of the time such as cholera.

Small beer has fallen out of favor with today's drinkers and is mostly brewed by home brewers and some microbreweries. However, Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco still produces "Anchor Small Beer" which is listed with an ABV of 3.3%

Read more about beer and home making beer at Brew Beer Today

Specific tips on home making beer are available home brew beer