In 2025 Thornbridge Brewery, the Derbyshire-based awarding-winning brewery, will have been in business for 20 years. During the last two decades the brewery has produced a growing range of what can only be described as a stunning range of beers.
The brewery was originally based at Thornbridge Hall (near Ashford-in-the-Water in the Peak District National Park), which launched in 2005 with Lord Marples, a classic beer weighing in at 4% ABV, which has gone on to become one of their core beers.
A few months after releasing Lord Marples, the brewery owners – Jim Harrison and Simon Webster – took the decision to produce what looking back was a ground-breaking and brand-defining beer.
Jaipur, the name of the company’s second beer, was a 5.9% ABV IPA, which was made using American hops and was like nothing else available in the market at the time.
If there was any doubt that the market wasn’t ready for a heavyweight, American-hopped IPA (which was launched years before the subsequent IPA renaissance), demand for Jaipur was soon outstripping supply, to the extent that much larger brewing facilities were needed.
Jaipur put Thornbridge Brewery firmly on the map and was received to critical acclaim in the UK and overseas, and has won over 100 awards. In 2009 the company relocated to new facilities in Bakewell and by 2015 the company was selling to 33 countries across the globe.
Jaipur became, and has remained, the company’s flagship beer and so it was with great interest that we heard about Jaipur Alcohol Free.
Over the years we have reported the variable successes that breweries have had producing low- and no-alcohol beers, but in general the quality is only heading one way: up.
Unlike alcohol-free wines and alcohol-free spirits, which still have a long way to match their ‘full fat’ counterparts, zero alcohol beers generally manage to retain the depth of flavour and overall taste of the original version.
We were sent a number of bottles of Jaipur Alcohol Free and couldn’t wait to to see what their brewers had produced.
Jaipur Alcohol Free is a very convincing alternative to the brewery’s original 5.9% IPA, to the extent that you really do have to keep reminding yourself that you’re not consuming any alcohol.
You get the citrus notes of the original, which come to the fore, and there are the fine bubbles, which enhance the mouthfeel. The finish sees the citrus notes receding and a slight bitterness coming through, which rounds off the joyful experience.
This is only the company’s second alcohol free beer, the first being Green Mountain Alcohol Free, but this sector is growing in line with the demand as an increasing number of consumers look to reduce their alcohol consumption, but don’t want to compromise on the quality of what they drink.
For those who want to enjoy award-winning beers, but don’t want the alcohol, it seems that with Thornbridge Brewery you can have your cake and eat it.
For more information visit their website