The beers produced by the Rothaus Brewery in Grafenhausen, Germany, are considered to be among the best in their field. Imported into the UK by Sandip Patidar and his Black Forest Beers business, he’s seen the industry develop a fair bit in the last decade. And with the increasing appetite for low and no-alcohol beers, he’s confident that the quality of what Rothaus produce shines through, alcohol or not.

Cast your eyes across the low and no-alcohol landscape and there’s surely never been a better time to be a beer drinker.

There’s more choice than ever before, not just in terms of ABV but the styles being produced, too. 

Very few people though, if any, know this part of the industry better than Sandip Patidar, the owner of Black Forest Beers. 

Patidar founded Black Forest Beers for one reason. He loved the beers produced by the Rothaus Baden State Brewery, located in Germany’s Black Forest. He loved the beers and knew drinkers in the UK would, too. 

And as the famous quote goes: “If you want something done, do it yourself”.

So he did. 

And what started with nine cases of the beer has become an operation that distributes a fleet of more than 3,500 kegs in the UK alone.

“Rothaus is the number one brewery in Germany,” beams Patidar. “There are more than 2,000 breweries in the country but how many are listed on the German Retail Price Index (RPI)? Only one, and that’s Rothaus.”

He adds: “It’s the beer that others are measured against. Other beers might end up in a price war but if you’re buying a case of Rothaus then you know what you’re expected to pay. There’s no compromise on quality.”

Patidar, in his own words, has been “banging the drum” of Rothaus beers for years now. Beers such as its Tannenzäpfle, a 5.1% Pils and 5.4% Hefenweizen have long-established themselves as popular, quality beers easily recognisable thanks to the vibrant bottle labelling or grand keg fount.

According to Patidar, beers such as Tannenzäpfle have grown in quality for a number of reasons.

“Consumers have changed,” he explains. “Gone are the days where people don’t travel abroad. The advent of low-cost airlines have enabled people to travel more and experience new sights, sounds and tastes.”

He says: “Palates have developed and people want more from the food they eat and beverages they drink. It’s hard to believe but only a few decades ago the idea of going out for a curry was alien to most. Now look where we are.

“In beer, people want more than the selections the supermarket can offer them. Consumers are seeking new experiences, informed by travel and the ability to sample more of what the world has to offer.”

And just as Patidar has helped increase the visibility and availability of beers such as Rothaus Tannenzäpfle and Hefenweizen in the UK, he’s a long-standing advocate for their no-alcohol counterparts, too.

While ‘Low and No’ can rightfully be considered a drinks trend for 2020, the founder of Black Forest Beers has been bringing these beers into the UK market for nearly seven years.

“The landscape has changed, of course. There are many consumers that want a beer without the alcohol. There’s a lot of choice out there and some are, of course, better than others,” he explains. 

He adds: “I’m not surprised that people’s approach to drinking has changed. There’s far more information out there than there was 20 years ago and consumer lifestyles are changing with that.”

Patidar recalls early sales calls of being told “where to go” when regaling accounts with the no-alcohol Rothuas beers he had available to order. But he’s also validated by the increased year-on-year demand he’s witnessed since.

“Simply removing the alcohol does not make for a palatable brew. Nor does excessive filtration,” he says. “Rothaus is in the position where it can do things in a comprehensive manner that results in excellent beers, without the alcohol.”

The non-alcoholic Tannezäpfle successfully retains the well-balanced characteristics of a Rothaus Pils owing to its dealcoholization process. The beer is actually brewed with a higher original gravity (14.5 %) and lower IBU’s (25).

Likewise, the non-alcoholic Hefeweizen is brewed with wheat malt and brewer’s yeast, which is typical of the variety. Aside from the light bitter hop flavours of 14 IBU’s, it also has an original gravity of 14.5%. As with its alcoholic counterpart, a hand-selected top-fermented yeast is used as op-posed to one that’s bottom-fermented.

Both the non-alcoholic Tannenzäpfle, and non-alcoholic Hefeweizen goes unfiltered to the bottling process.

“There is a great history behind Rothaus. I’m enamoured by the way the beers are made with pure mountain spring water, organic malt, hops and yeast,” says Patidar. “But what’s more important is looking to the future. And I’m fully confident that these beers are the finest around whether you want alcohol or not!”