At Reserve, we’ve always championed independently-made beer, quality low-alcohol alternatives, and fellow local businesses. So when Manchester's award-winning brewery, Cloudwater Brew Co., approached us to collaborate on a project that combined all three, we jumped at the chance.

The Spark Behind Red

Last autumn, Cloudwater's Tank Manager, Robyn, reached out about an exciting new brew they were developing. The concept was simple but bold: a low-alcohol drink inspired by red wine, built on a sour beer base.

The inspiration came from a real-world experience: a Cloudwater team member, dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant, was offered only Coke or cranberry juice as a non-alcoholic option, while their partner enjoyed expertly paired wines. This sparked the vision for Red - a premium, alcohol-free beverage that didn’t compromise on flavour.

Drawing on a previous brew from six years ago, Red was born: a 0.5% ABV lightly carbonated sour beer with Lambrusco-like vibes.

Creating the Flavour Profile

Robyn invited the team at Reserve to help shape Red’s flavour. Our suggestions focused on capturing the essence of red wine while remaining light and refreshing:

• Fruit-forward first impression:Fresh, ripe red and dark fruits take centre stage, never jammy or overly sweet.

• Bright, sour-edged freshness:A crisp, lively backbone keeps the palate refreshed.

• Mid-palate complexity:Gentle savoury and spicy notes emerging alongside the fruit, hints of clove, cinnamon and a touch of olive.

• Balanced structure:Soft, velvety grip rather than firm tannins, providing shape without heaviness.

• Refreshing finish:Lightly herbal or hoppy notes to add lift, making the brew thoroughly moreish.

Robyn transformed our notes into a recipe. Building on existing barrel stores of Cloudwater Fourdre Chuckleberry beer - a mixed-fermentation sour wild ale - she added botanicals, spices, and a combination of sweet, sour, and tannic fruit juices. She later told us she used a cafetiere to balance the ingredients before scaling up to commercial quantities.
 

Left: James immediately picked up on the aroma of the dried orange and lemon zest.

Right: Cloudwater brewer Jay and Nic discuss the changing landscape of alcohol-free products, and how wine is such a difficult product to produce with out alcohol. Could this blended beer offer a better solution than de-alcoholised wine?

 

Bringing Red to Life

Robyn invited us along on brewing day to help create Red. Joining her were Nic, our wine buyer, David our Ecommerce Manager, and James and Amy, shop managers at Didsbury and Picturedrome. We received a warm welcome and a tour before getting hands-on.

Cloudwater breweer Kate handled the brew itself. The sour beer base had already aged for four years in large oak barrels (foudres) and carried 'chuckleberry' flavours (a mix of redcurrant, gooseberry, and jostaberry).

To the beer, Kate added cherry and grape juice concentrate. The Ancho chilli, black pepper, blackberry leaf, ginger, and dried orange were measured and ready to be added. We jumped in to measure the larger quantities of cacao nibs and lemon zest.

Kate slowly heated the beer and juice blend to over 80°C, then added the spices, which only needed 20 minutes of infusing time to impart their flavours. Robyn suggested we try it just after the spices were added, so we could compare the result to the finished brew.

 

Top left: Ancho chilli flakes ready to be added. Top right: Amy adds cacao nibs to the 'tea bag'.
Bottom left: James measures frozen fresh lemon zest. Bottom right: The steamy brew kettle - our bag of spices is suspended inside, infusing the flavours.

 

Tasting the Almost-Finished Brew

With our simple involvement done, we enjoyed lunch before returning to sample the near-finished product. Red was not undergoing any further fermentation, so Kate had transferred the brew to conditioning tanks, and by this time it had developed a light carbonation, with fine bubbles and slight body.

We were thrilled that the brew already offered:

• Rounded fruit aromas
• Gentle richness from the cacao
• Subtle drying tannins on the finish

A huge thank-you to Robyn and the Cloudwater team for their hospitality. Experiencing this different production process up close was fascinating.

Pouring a sample direct from the kettle at the start of the brew.

Red: Your New Low-Alcohol Favourite

So there you have it. Red is a lightly sparkling red wine alternative, bursting with jammy red fruits and dark cherry, with light tannins and hints of cacao, black pepper, and blackberry leaf. At 0.5% ABV, it’s perfect for any occasion and any age.

If you like the sound of Red, it’s now available online and in-store in our Didsbury shop.

 

SHOP CLOUDWATER X RESERVE WINES RED

 

Red in all its glory, now online and pouring at Reserve Wines Didsbury.

 

SHOP OUR LOW & NO ALCOHOL COLLECTION