For 146 years, XXXX has carved out a deeply loyal following and become one of Australia’s most recognised beer brands. But even an icon must evolve to keep its currency and attract new followers. Kim Berry speaks to the team from XXXX’s parent company, Lion, about changing consumer tastes and how its launch of XXXX Ultra Zero Carb is rising to the challenge.
This year marks 100 years since XXXX Bitter was launched. Brewed at the Castlemaine brewery in Brisbane, Queensland, its recipe has remained unchanged as the XXXX portfolio has grown.
The latest release, XXXX Ultra Zero Carb, sees Lion venture into the Ultra category, reflecting the drinking preferences of today’s consumer just as XXXX Bitter did when it launched in 1924.
XXXX Ultra Zero Carb has less than 0.5 grams of carbohydrates per bottle serve and less than 0.1 gram per 100 millilitres on tap.
XXXX field sales director, Pat Donohue, says, “This new product not only aligns with the broader cultural movement towards mindful consumption, it ensures that enjoying a great beer doesn’t mean compromising on taste or quality.
“It also reflects our commitment to innovation that empowers Aussie drinkers to make choices to suit their lifestyle. Having pioneered the mid-strength category with XXXX Gold, we now aim to revolutionise the market once again with our new zero carb offering.”
Trend setting
In 1991, Lion launched XXXX Gold, a mid-strength lager, and ever since it has consistently been one of the top ten beers consumed by volume in Australia.
XXXX Gold was followed by Lion’s first low carbohydrate beer, Hahn Super Dry, launched in 2006.
The full strength, low carbohydrate Summer Bright Lager entered the scene in 2009, with two variations of the label launched in the 2010s. Lion has also launched zero carb options with its Tooheys and Byron Bay Brewing labels.
Lion senior marketing manager Core Beer, Sam Pulsford, says that since the launch of Hahn SuperDry the low carb and zero carb trends have “exploded” globally.
“We’ve seen it particularly in the US where the low carb segment does not appear to be slowing down,” Pulsford says.
“There is a huge trend locally and globally of consumers looking for more mindful choices of beverages both in and out of alcohol.
“As of July, reduced carbohydrate options account for 17 per cent of the beer category. IRI data found it is growing five times faster than the rest of the category.
“Excitingly, we’re seeing reduced carb propositions recruiting new shoppers into beer. Coles Synergy Shopper Data from July 2024 found almost one third of sales coming from new beer drinkers.”
The new brew
Lion Brewing COE Technical & Performance lead, Paul Van Der Vyver, says developing XXXX Ultra Zero Carb took several months from liquid brief to consumer tasting.
“The process was through a whiteboard session held to conceptualise what the ‘perfect’ Zero carbohydrate beer should taste like – a crisp, fresh, and non-bloating beer.
“We brewed several pilot scale brews to see how we could achieve the desired flavour profile with zero carbohydrates,” Van Der Vyver says.
After investigating a number of iterations, the brewers ultimately settled on Rho hops as the best suited for the beer.
“Initially we tried using pellet hop to mimic the XXXX Gold flavour; although this beer ranked very high on consumer testing, we could not package it into flint glass.
“I had done some research on light stable hop products that have smooth bitterness and after some meetings with Hop Products Australia we trialled Rho hop.
“This hop does not have a harsh bitterness that one gets from other light stable products. We also experimented with different levels of bitterness to eventually land on the end result,” he says.
Van Der Vyver also reviewed the site capabilities across Lion to determine the best brewery to produce the beer.
“Castlemaine was the most suitable. We had to re-commission previously decommissioned dosing equipment for Rho dosing pre and post filtration.
“We also had to optimise the Brewhouse Lautering recipe to accommodate this unique style of brewing,” he says.
The positive feedback from the market, tuning in to changing consumer preferences may see XXXX Ultra Zero Carb achieve category longevity like that of XXXX Gold.
XXXX Ultra Zero Carb is available in major liquor retailers nationally and across select stadiums in Queensland, for RRP $51.99 per case and $20.49 per pack.
This article first appeared in the October/November edition of Food & Drink Business Magazine.
