The Future of Beer & Alcohol-Free Cider | John Logue | Slurp or Skip

Strawberries and cream lager, an IPA with added fibre, and a lime and sea salt beer. In this episode of Slurp or Skip, we explore how drinks brands are experimenting with flavour and function to reach new audiences.

Jessica is joined by John Logue, founder of Chance Clean Cider, to taste three beers and discuss the opportunities behind them. From Stella Artois’ Wimbledon-inspired release to BRULO’s fibre-focused innovation and Lucky Saint’s distinctive flavour combination, each offers a different perspective on what drinkers want.

The conversation also explores the next chapter for alcohol-free cider. John explains the production challenges that have slowed its development compared with beer, and why he sees an opportunity as more people embrace moderation.

For anyone building a drinks brand, John shares his advice on knowing your audience, making decisions quickly and creating a business that reflects your own interests.

Watch the episode for the full conversation and our Slurp or Skip verdicts on:

• Stella Artois Strawberries & Cream: A fruit-flavoured take on an established lager, linked to the brand’s Wimbledon partnership.

• BRULO All Good IPA: An alcohol-free IPA with added fibre, bringing functional ingredients into the beer conversation.

• Lucky Saint Lime & Sea Salt Lager: A 0.5% lager that prompts a discussion about flavour, drinking occasions and the boundaries between beer and other drinks.

Transcript:

00:00 | Introducing John Logue

Jessica: Welcome to Slurp or Skip. Today I’m joined by John Logue, founder of Chance Clean Cider, to try three beers exploring fruit flavours and functional ingredients.

00:30 | Stella Artois Strawberries & Cream

Jessica: This feels quite different from Stella’s established image. What brings a brand like this into fruit-flavoured beer?

John: The Wimbledon partnership gives it a clear connection, but there’s also an established appetite for fruit flavours. Flavoured cider offers a useful example of how those flavours can make a category more approachable.

03:00 | Bringing new drinkers into beer

John: Fruit can appeal to people who don’t usually enjoy beer’s flavour. It also gives existing drinkers something different to try. Colour and presentation can spark interest before someone has even tasted the drink.

Jessica: Craft beer has also helped make cans a stronger canvas for branding and design.

07:00 | Stella: the verdict

Jessica: I’m pleasantly surprised by the taste, although it’s a skip for me personally. I can see the appeal for the right audience.

John: It’s a skip for me too, but the combination makes sense. Fruit beers have a long history, and the Wimbledon connection gives this one a clear story.

09:20 | BRULO All Good IPA and functional beer

Jessica: BRULO brings added fibre into an alcohol-free IPA. What do you think about combining beer and functional ingredients?

John: Moderation is about more than reducing alcohol. People are thinking about sugar, calories and how they feel afterwards. Adding ingredients that fit those priorities is a logical area for brands to explore.

12:45 | Can added fibre still taste like a good beer?

Jessica: It tastes like a good alcohol-free beer. I don’t know why I expected to taste the fibre.

John: Taste still matters. BRULO also has a consistent visual identity, using colour to distinguish the beers while keeping the range recognisable.

15:15 | John’s advice for drinks founders

John: Find something you personally enjoy. Building a brand is demanding, and understanding the category helps you stay motivated and make decisions.

Make a liquid you like, build a brand that makes sense to you, and think about where you want people to enjoy it. For Chance, food, music and bringing people together reflect my own interests.

Jessica: Having a specific audience in mind gives the brand a clearer identity and helps guide how you communicate.

18:00 | Founder stories and authenticity

John: One advantage of being a founder is being able to tell your own story. Keeping the brand close to your interests and personality makes that easier.

You also have the advantage of speed. A clear sense of what fits your brand helps you decide which opportunities to pursue.

21:00 | BRULO: the verdict

Jessica: A slurp from me. It delivers on taste and offers an interesting approach to functional beer.

John: A slurp from me too.

21:15 | Lucky Saint Lime & Sea Salt Lager

Jessica: The lime comes through immediately, followed by the sea salt. It’s a really distinctive combination.

John: It’s beautifully balanced. It still tastes like beer, but the flavour is different enough to feel like it could occupy a space of its own.

24:00 | New flavours and new drinking occasions

Jessica: Could a drink like this compete with more than other alcohol-free beers?

John: It fits an occasion where someone wants something more interesting than a soft drink without choosing a full-strength beer. Distinctive flavours give brands another way to broaden their appeal.

27:00 | Lucky Saint: the verdict

Jessica: A definite slurp. It’s my favourite of the session.

John: A slurp. Alcohol-free beer has improved considerably, and this shows how brands can keep building on that progress through flavour.

28:10 | Why alcohol-free cider has developed more slowly

Jessica: Why hasn’t alcohol-free cider reached the same stage as alcohol-free beer?

John: There are barriers around both supply and production. Making cider at scale requires relationships with growers and producers, and reducing alcohol while retaining flavour and body presents its own challenges.

31:00 | How Chance makes its cider

John: We start with a higher-strength cider, dilute it down and blend in unfermented apple juice to restore body. Working with an established cider producer has been an important part of making that possible.

33:00 | The opportunity for alcohol-free cider

John: Major cider brands introducing alcohol-free options help familiarise consumers with the category. That creates an opportunity for dedicated brands too.

Cider already has an approachable fruit flavour and appeals across different drinking occasions. We see plenty of room for the category to develop.

36:10 | Competition helps drinks categories improve

John: Category growth needs consumer demand, availability in shops and pubs, and producers pushing each other to improve.

Alcohol-free drinks bring together competitive, creative people. As the quality improves, consumers become more willing to try them, and that encourages further innovation.

39:00 | Where to find Chance Clean Cider

John: Chance is available through independent stockists, online and in Prezzo nationally.

Jessica: Thanks for joining us, sharing your perspective and helping us explore what’s next for beer and cider.

Slurp or Skip is brought to you by Stir, the drinks specialist agency, helping brands speak to the Modern Drinker.