Big Drop Poolside DDH IPA
By Big Drop · UK
Big Drop’s double dry-hopped IPA, “a classic hop-fest that fuses tropical flavours to recreate the intensity of a double IPA”, Big Drop said. It was named World’s Best No & Low IPA at the 2024 World Beer Awards, the Brewers Journal reported, and we score it 8.6 out of 10, but it’s no longer in Big Drop’s range.
At 0.5% ABV, this isn’t alcohol-free under UK guidance, which keeps the term for 0.05% or less. We list it with alcohol-free beers, as UK shops do. How UK labels work
What is Poolside DDH IPA?
Poolside started as a limited-edition summer special in June 2020 and became part of Big Drop’s range. Big Drop described “a classic hop-fest that fuses tropical flavours to recreate the intensity of a double IPA”, with “pineapple, citrus, pine and stone fruit aromas” and “an unapologetic slap of mango”. A retailer lists the hops as Azacca, Chinook, Mosaic and Motueka.
It did well with judges: the Brewers Journal reported it was named World’s Best No & Low IPA at the 2024 World Beer Awards, and it won gold at the World Alcohol-Free Awards the same year.
It’s no longer in Big Drop’s shop or current range, and a DDH IPA with the same description is in the “previous range” of Big Drop’s back catalogue, so it looks to have been discontinued. The latest cans, as listed by Ocado, are vegan, labelled gluten-free and 8 kcal per 100ml; an older version contained lactose. Ocado still listed it when we checked. For a hazy IPA that’s still made, see our best alcohol-free hazy IPAs.
Awards
- World Beer Awards 2024: World’s Best No & Low IPA
- World Alcohol-Free Awards 2024: gold
The World Beer Awards title is as reported by the Brewers Journal; the World Alcohol-Free Awards result is from the organiser’s website. October 2026.
Flavour Profile
A guide based on the style and our review and Big Drop’s description (pineapple, citrus, pine, stone fruit and mango), to help you compare at a glance — not a definitive tasting.
Nutrition
| Typical values | Per 100ml | Per 330ml can |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 34 kJ / 8 kcal | about 112 kJ / 26 kcal |
| Fat | <0.5g | <1.7g |
| of which saturates | <0.1g | <0.4g |
| Carbohydrate | <0.5g | <1.7g |
| of which sugars | <0.5g | <1.7g |
| Protein | 1.1g | about 3.6g |
| Salt | 0g | 0g |
Per-100ml figures from the label as listed by Ocado, checked October 2026. Per-pack figures are our own sums from the 100ml figures. An older version brewed with lactose was listed at about 27 kcal per 100ml.
Key facts
| Official name | Poolside DDH IPA |
|---|---|
| Brewery | Big Drop, UK |
| Style | Double dry-hopped IPA |
| ABV | 0.5% ABV |
| Pack | 330ml can |
| Calories | 8 kcal per 100ml; about 26 per 330ml can |
| Carbohydrate | <0.5g per 100ml |
| Sugar | <0.5g per 100ml |
| Ingredients | Water, vegetable glycerine, malted barley, wheat, hops and yeast, with sodium benzoate as a preservative (Ocado’s listing); an older version contained lactose |
| Hops | Azacca, Chinook, Mosaic and Motueka, according to a retailer’s listing |
| Bitterness | 62 IBU, according to a retailer’s listing |
| Allergens | Barley and wheat (gluten) |
| Vegan | The latest version, as listed by Ocado, is; an older version contained lactose |
| Gluten | Labelled gluten-free: Big Drop says every beer in its range is under 20ppm, the limit for a gluten-free claim |
| How it’s made | Brewed to 0.5% rather than de-alcoholised, Big Drop says |
| Brewed | Under contract in the UK; Big Drop doesn’t own a brewery |
| Awards | World Beer Awards 2024: World’s Best No & Low IPA; 1 more listed above |
| UK availability | No longer in Big Drop’s range; Ocado still listed it |
Sources: Big Drop’s website and shop, Ocado, Dry Drinker, Wise Bartender, the World Alcohol-Free Awards and the trade press, checked October 2026. The label on the can or bottle is always the final word.
How Poolside DDH IPA sits in the Big Drop range
| Beer | Style | ABV | Per 100ml | Unhopped score | UK status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galactic Milk Stout | Milk stout | 0.5% | 31 kcal | 8.6 | In stock online |
| Pine Trail Pale Ale | Pale ale | 0.5% | 18.5 kcal | 8.5 | In stock online and at Ocado |
| Paradiso Citra IPA | IPA (some shops list it as a pale ale) | 0.5% | 3 kcal | 8.2 | In stock online and at Ocado |
| Reef Point Lager | Lager | 0.5% | 4 kcal | 7.9 | In stock online |
| Poolside DDH IPA (this beer) | Double dry-hopped IPA | 0.5% | 8 kcal | 8.6 | No longer in Big Drop’s range; Ocado still listed it |
The Big Drop beers in our directory, checked October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10. Big Drop’s current range also includes a Brown Ale and Cloudburst Passion Fruit Lager, which aren’t in our directory.
About Big Drop
Big Drop was launched in 2016 by Rob Fink, then a City lawyer, and his school friend James Kindred, and its founder calls it the UK’s first alcohol-free-only brewery. It has never owned a brewery: its beers are brewed to 0.5% under contract, in the UK now by Renegade Brewery and Powderkeg. Big Drop says every beer it makes is labelled gluten-free.
See all Big Drop beers →Track every beer, discover your taste archetype, join the community.
About the hops: Azacca, Chinook, Mosaic and Motueka. Types of hops · What are hops? · What is dry hopping?
