UK: Sol the latest beer to experience abv cut in the UK

Sol is the latest beer to experience an abv cut in the UK market, with brewer Heineken UK planning to reduce the lager’s strength from 4.2% abv to 3.4%, Drinks Retailing reported on January 15.

The change means the company will pay less duty on the beer, as it moves into a new lower tax band for products from 1.3% abv to 3.4%, brought in during 2023.

It follows similar moves by other brewers to take advantage of the duty change.

However, Heineken said in statement that the abv reduction on Sol was motivated by consumer moderation trends.

It said: “We know consumers are increasingly choosing lower ABV products as part of a balanced lifestyle.

“In line with this trend, we continue to evaluate the ABV of all our products, and as such, we will be reducing the abv of Sol, from 4.2% to 3.4%.

“Our master brewers have taken great care to make sure that consumers will notice no change, and we have spent many months perfecting the beer and testing it with drinkers.

“As a responsible brewer we have a long-held position of promoting moderation, and we are proud that over the last few years, we have removed millions of alcohol units from consumption in the UK.”

Carlsberg lager was one of the first to move to the lower duty band when it’s abv was cut from 3.8% abv to 3.4% in the summer of 2023.

Heineken reduced the abv of John Smith’s Extra Smooth from 3.6% abv to 3.4% a year ago, at the same time as launching Foster’s Proper Shandy at 3%.