The buzz in booze-free beverages

WHEN Garage Project first opened its tap room in 2016, the New Zealand-based craft beer brewery challenged itself to develop a low alcohol beer. What started as an attempt to meet New Zealand's legal requirement of having at least one low-alcohol beverage on premise turned out to be a surprise hit.

The 2.2 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume) beer - Fugazi - flew off the shelves, prompting the brewery to take its research and development further and develop a booze-free beer called Tiny. Many batches of beer later, Garage Project is struggling to keep up with overwhelming demand.

Garage Project co-founder Jos Ruffell estimates the no-alcohol beer project cost some NZ$75,000 (S$67,102) in investments, but has been worth it because people consuming non-alcoholic beer tend to end up drinking more as long as it tastes good.