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Published by Programme B
TORONTO, April 21, 2022 /CNW/ – Canadians can now get their hands on a game-changing product in the beer category: the first-ever carb-free beer in Canada. Developed by Ace Beverage Group, one of Canada’s fastest growing beverage alcohol companies, Ace Hill Carb Free is available in LCBO stores across Ontario starting this week, just in time for summer.
“For anyone following a carb-conscious or keto diet, beer has historically been off limits,” said Mike Wagman, CEO, Ace Beverage Group. “In general, today’s consumers are more conscious than ever about their intake of carbs, calories and sugar. We are proud to be the first to offer Canadians a beer with no carbs, no sugar and just 80 calories, meeting consumers’ nutritional preferences with an incredibly satisfying beverage.”
Driven by consumer demand for better-for-you alcoholic beverages, the development started as a passion project for Ace Beverage Group’s VP Operations, Ben Toffelmire, who set out to create a zero carb beer that tasted as good, or better, than traditional light beers. Toffelmire’s background in amateur brewing, combined with the company’s focus on innovation, drove him into the research, which revealed that creating a zero-carb beer was theoretically possible, but practically improbable. Excited by the challenge, Ben brewed his first test batch at home in 2020.
Two years and dozens of iterations later, health-conscious consumers can try the end result, guilt-free: a super crisp beer with 0g of carbs, 0g of sugar and just 80 calories (vs. over 6g of carbs and 110 calories in existing light beers), all while preserving 4% ABV and a classic beer taste.
“We were encouraged by early feedback from our consumer trials of the Ace Hill Carb Free Beer – taste testers couldn’t notice a difference between our prototype and their favourite light beer,” said Ben Toffelmire, VP Operations and product developer at Ace Beverage Group. “We are excited to have this product out ahead of the summer season so consumers can embrace a refreshing beer that meets their nutritional expectations.”
Beer continues to have a substantial impact on Canada’s economy and in 2020, 85 per cent of the beer consumed in Canada was brewed in Canada1. Yet due to oversaturation and the recent shift towards healthier beverage options in the Ready-to-Drink sector, the beer category has been declining. The best performing segment of the beer category has been light beers, and the global market for light beers is estimated to grow at a rate of 2.9 per cent between 2021 and 20262, demonstrating consumer demand for a carb-free beer option in this climate.
“Our team believes better-for-you beverages signal a generational shift in the beverage alcohol industry,” said Wagman. “We are focused on delivering beverages that both taste amazing and have the most compelling nutritional profile. This approach has allowed us to be an innovator in the industry and we will continue to be the leading company in Canada that provides premium, better-for-you alcoholic beverages.”
The company’s leading brand, Cottage Springs, is the #1 premium, better-for-you RTD brand in Canada with more than 225% growth over the past three years. This year, the company is projecting to sell more than 2.5 million cases (9L cases) across its portfolio.
The company is also launching several new product offerings across its portfolio this spring, including Cottage Springs’ new Iced Teas: Vodka Iced Teas in four thirst-quenching flavours with just 100 calories and only 1g of sugar (some alternatives have upwards of 23g of sugar per can). Known for selling out of their popular mix packs, this product is also sold in a 4L boxed format.
For more information and updates please visit: https://www.acebeveragegroup.com/
About Ace Beverage Group
Ace Beverage Group is a fast-growing, innovative and leading beverage alcohol company in Canada. Its flagship brand, Cottage Springs, is Canada’s #1 premium, better-for-you ready-to-drink brand. Additional popular brands include Ace Hill and Cabana Coast. The company’s mission is to provide consumers with the most progressive and compelling product offering for The Way We Drink Today.
SOURCE Ace Beverage Group