Stutt's Low-Alcohol Craft Beer Hits the Sweet Spot
Stutt's brews beer between 2 and 3 percent: a Crisp Lager and a Blond Ale, inspired by Australian mid-strength beer. Tasted, with caveats.
Stutt’s makes low-alcohol craft beer at a strength you rarely see in the Netherlands: between 2 and 3 percent, above alcohol-free and well below a 5 percent pilsner. The Dutch brand sent me a can of each, a Crisp Lager and a Blond Ale, and I wanted to know whether so little alcohol leaves enough flavour.
Short answer: more than I expected. With a few caveats.
An idea from abroad
The founder lived, worked and travelled abroad, from Africa to Australia. There he came to know mid-strength beer: lower in alcohol, but full of flavour. In Australia that’s a category of its own, and a big one. Back in the Netherlands he missed it, so he started brewing it himself.
The philosophy is short: maximum flavour, minimum alcohol. There are plenty of moments where that fits. I think of a long afternoon on a terrace, or a second glass at a barbecue. The beers are brewed in the Netherlands; the brand doesn’t say where exactly.
Crisp Lager, 2.5 percent
The flagship, and the beer where the concept works best. The body surprised me most: at 2.5 percent you expect something thin, and it isn’t.
Tasting Note
Appearance
Bright gold, with a white head that holds.
Nose
Clean malt with a subtle hop note.
Palate
Well balanced between malt and measured hop bitterness. Surprisingly full-bodied for its strength.
Quality
Technically well made. A solid piece of low-alcohol brewing.
Blond Ale, 2.2 percent
Lighter still in alcohol. Clean and crystal clear, yet not empty.
Tasting Note
Appearance
Pale gold, crystal clear.
Nose
Light malt with a fresh hoppy edge.
Palate
Clean, with delicate malt and balanced hops.
Quality
Approachable and clean, without feeling empty.
What to watch for
First, this isn’t alcohol-free beer. If you’re driving, pregnant or doing a dry month, this isn’t for you. Between 2 and 3 percent is roughly half a pilsner, but it’s still alcohol.
Second, the two beers sit close together. Clean malt, subtle hops, both of them. The Lager has more body, but if you expect a clear difference in style, you get two takes on one idea. Both play it subtle.
Third, check the can. Mine said 2.2 percent on the Blond Ale; Sterk Amsterdam lists it at 2.5 percent. Whether the recipe changed or the listing is off, I can’t say. My notes are on the 2.2 percent can.
Both beers cost €2.75 a can when I tasted them. That’s a craft price, not a supermarket price.
At the table
The Crisp Lager works with light seafood, a summer salad or as an aperitif. The Blond Ale is versatile with casual food, such as grilled chicken or fresh cheese.
What’s coming
An IPA is in the works. That will be the acid test: a hop-driven style leans on body and alcohol to carry the bitterness, and at 2 to 3 percent that’s hard. Curious how they pull it off.
My verdict
Stutt’s fills a gap between alcohol-free and regular craft beer. The Crisp Lager proves that 2.5 percent doesn’t have to taste thin. For a long afternoon when you want less alcohol than a standard pilsner, this is the beer.
- Brand
- Stutt's, brewed in the Netherlands
- Beers
- Crisp Lager, Blond Ale
- Alcohol
- Crisp Lager 2.5%, Blond Ale 2.2% (on my can)
- Style
- Mid-strength, after the Australian model
- Packaging
- Can
- Price
- €2.75 per can (when tasted, December 2024)
More information: stutts.nl
The price dates from when I tasted them, in December 2024. Check the current price with the seller.
Sources
- My own tasting notes
- Stutt’s (official): stutts.nl
- Sterk Amsterdam, Blond Ale product page: sterk.amsterdam
- Beer & Brewer, on mid-strength beer in Australia: beerandbrewer.com