Are Low-ABV Beers Primed for Growth? One Under the Radar Brewery Hopes So

“No session beer allowed.”

That was the motto on a sign at Kevin Barnes’ former brewery in California over a decade ago. “Our flagship IPA became a double IPA, we were making imperial IPA, double stout. [But] all of us brewers just wanted a drinkin’ beer,” he says.

Fast forward to 2025, and Barnes and his cousin Brian Terra have started a brewery in Denver that makes nothing but “drinkin' beer.” The duo opened up Andiamo Brew last year. The name is an Italian word that means “let’s go" — Terra says that it’s like the word 'vamanos.' The pair further leans into that Italian heritage with the logo of a falcon (the family maiden name is Falco, which means Falcon). They were inspired by that heritage, combined with the styles of beers that the cousins wanted to drink — lower alcohol beers that still taste great.

With Terra in a sales and management role for the company and Barnes in the brewer role, the cousins are aiming to deliver session-strength beer to a growing number of consumers in Denver and beyond.

Barnes has experience at every level of the beer industry. He was head brewer for Green Flash Brewing in San Diego for years before brewing non-alcoholic beers for Two Roots. He’s leaning heavily on that experience when designing new beers for Andiamo on just a 5-gallon brew system at home. That comes in handy, as lower-alcohol beers are notoriously difficult to brew. Alcohol plays a major role in the balance of most beers that consumers drink, so it can be tricky when you're operating with a beer at a reduced alcohol level. 
After Barnes is confident that a small-scale trial has the right combination of flavor and drinkability, he scales his recipe to a 15-barrel (about 465-gallon) batch size and the beer is then brewed at Copper Kettle Brewing in Denver.

When it comes to culture in America, it is often one with excess extremes in both directions. From overinvestment in hot trends to panic when growth tapers off, we just cannot help ourselves from doing everything possible to avoid a balanced, tempered approach.

For years, a larger number of drinkers associated high ABV with value, chasing the most bitter or strongest-flavored beers they could get their hands on. In recent years, there has been a growing trend in the opposite direction — non-alcoholic drinks. Where things go next is anybody’s guess, but if a balance happens to be in the cards, Andiamo may be perfectly positioned to capture the upside.

There are signs that low-ABV beers are already beginning to grow in the UK. The market in the U.S. may be next, but it hasn’t quite started yet. “Low-ABV beers have yet to find a real foothold in the U.S., where they remain a sliver of a sliver of beer sales,” says alcohol industry expert Kate Bernot. “Drinkers in the U.S. have shown that when they want to moderate their drinking, they'll often choose to swap between non-alcoholic options and full-strength options rather than opting for a 2.5-4 percent beer."
Andiamo proudly offers a more balanced approach. The brewery is still quite small — Terra says that 2025’s production is expected to be at least 100 barrels of beer. That number could quickly rise though, depending on how fast cans start to sell. The team is approaching its recent launch of cans the same way it approached the launch of the brand about a year ago — testing the waters for proof of concept before scaling up. “Our first batch was a 5 barrel. It went really well,” says Terra, who then moved to 15-barrel batches. About 33 percent of the recent batch was canned, and the team will see how quickly those cans sell at liquor stores.

The draft beer can be found at popular bars like Walter's 303, First Draft Taproom, Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden and Two Penguins in Centennial — plus at least one brewery.

Stephen Monahan, owner of Monolith Brewing in Denver, recently added a keg of Night Music, the 3.7 percent ABV Czech Dark beer from Andiamo. While Monahan brews most of the beers for Monolith, he offers a few specific guest drafts, thinking strategically about what his customers want (he also offers NA beer, wine, cider and cocktails). Monahan is using Night Music to offer something a little lower in alcohol than his typical beers. “I think it’s a really interesting segment of the market that bridges the gap between NA and full strength options,” says Monahan, adding that he feels guests will really enjoy a low ABV option like Night Music.
Monahan, like many of Andiamo's accounts, decided to buy a keg after tasting the beer. "[Other people] are skeptical, I think; sometimes they see us as homebrewers," says Terra, who has to explain to them his cousin's professional experience and the serious nature of the company. "They taste it, and they're like, okay, it tastes good," says Terra. "They didn't know low-alcohol beer could be good."

The hurdle to a sale might seem high, but Terra says that it's starting to catch on and few places are turning him away. "Everybody has been interested in rotating taps," he says. "This year, I'm focused on getting permanent handles."

Andiamo’s flagship beer is called Piccolito. It was inspired by Pivo Pils, the iconic Italian-style pilsner from California’s Firestone Walker. While the initial batch used the same Saphir hops found in Pivo, subsequent batches opted for the German hop Hallertauer Mittelfruh. “The beer is [currently] right where we want it to be,” says Barnes.

Besides 15-barrel batches of Piccolito, Andiamo is rotating in a seasonal beer, and some collaborations as well. One of those was a beer they called a session doppelbock, a 3 percent ABV beer named Petite Bock. It was brewed with El Rancho Brewery and Barnett & Son Brewing. Session doppelbock is sort of a playful misnomer (doppelbock means "double bock," as in a stronger version of a bock beer) and it was well received, packing plenty of flavor without being overly sweet or watery.
Night Music is the more recently released seasonal beer. At 3.7 percent ABV, it's a bit lower in alcohol than the typical Czech dark lager, or Tmavé Pivo, which starts around 4.5 percent ABV and can land as high as 6 percent ABV. All of the components are all there though, with the Czech dark floor-malted barley, crystal and dark malts, as well as Czech Saaz hops. It's malty, rich and smooth — all just a bit lighter than what you'd normally expect. That slightly lighter, yet consistently flavorful experience is the entire point of Andiamo.

Both Terra and Barnes are in lockstep about leaning into their Italian heritage. The duo is planning a gelato series, including an espresso red lager for next winter. A rosé IPA made with pinot noir grapes is coming out sooner, set for this spring.

“We’re just trying to get more tap handles and continue growing the brand,” says Barnes.