Mash Gang Lesser Evil Stout
By Mash Gang · UK
A 0.5% cherry chocolate stout brewed with oats, cacao, vanilla and cherry. Mash Gang describes velvety dark chocolate, sweet and sour cherry and subtle roasted coffee, with a rich mouthfeel and a dry finish. It’s vegan, with no lactose, and Mash Gang sells it in 440ml cans.
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
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What is Lesser Evil?
Lesser Evil launched in December 2024, when Brewers Journal described it as a pastry stout: “a masterful blend of rich chocolate, velvety oats, and a generous dose of sweet and sour cherry juice”. The Morning Advertiser has described it as a seasonal beer, but it was on sale in Mash Gang’s shop, beside the core range, when we checked in October 2026.
Mash Gang’s tasting note promises “Velvety dark chocolate, sweet and sour cherry, vanilla, and creamy oats”, with “subtle roasted coffee notes” and “a rich mouthfeel with a satisfying dry finish”. The ingredients bear that out: malted barley, oats and wheat, maltodextrin for body, then cherry concentrate, natural cherry essence, cacao and vanilla.
There’s no lactose. Plenty of dessert-style stouts are made with milk sugar; Mash Gang credits “creamy oats” instead, and calls Lesser Evil “completely vegan-friendly”. If that matters to you, see our vegan alcohol-free beer guide too.
Beer Today reported in September 2025 that Lesser Evil won double gold at the International Non-Alcoholic Competition and was named its beer of the year. Mash Gang sells it in four-packs and 12-packs of 440ml cans, and The Alcohol Free Co in singles and sixes; Dry Drinker and Wise Bartender don’t list it. For more dark beers, see our ranking of the best alcohol-free stouts.
Awards
- Double gold and beer of the year, International Non-Alcoholic Competition 2025
As reported by Beer Today, September 2025.
Flavour Profile
A guide based on the style and Mash Gang’s description (chocolate, sweet and sour cherry, vanilla, a rich mouthfeel and a dry finish), to help you compare at a glance — not a definitive tasting.
Key facts
| Official name | Lesser Evil – Alcohol-Free Cherry Chocolate Stout |
|---|---|
| Brewery | Mash Gang, UK |
| Style | Stout |
| ABV | 0.5% |
| Pack | 440ml can, in 4- and 12-packs |
| Calories | Not published |
| Ingredients | Water, malted barley, oats, wheat, maltodextrin, cherry concentrate, natural cherry essence, cacao, vanilla (as Mash Gang lists them) |
| Allergens | Barley, oats and wheat (gluten) |
| Vegan | Yes: Mash Gang calls it “completely vegan-friendly”. There’s no lactose |
| Gluten | Contains gluten (barley, oats, wheat); not gluten-free |
| How it’s made | Brewed to 0.5% rather than brewed strong and de-alcoholised: Mash Gang says it uses specialist yeast and a mash designed for body, and “We never strip” |
| Brewed | The UK, with Mash Gang’s partner breweries (it has no brewery of its own) |
| Awards | Double gold and beer of the year, International Non-Alcoholic Competition 2025 |
| UK availability | On sale from Mash Gang and The Alcohol Free Co |
Sources: Mash Gang’s product page, Brewers Journal and Beer Today, checked October 2026. The label on the can is always the final word.
How Lesser Evil sits in the Mash Gang range
| Beer | Style | ABV | Per 100ml | Unhopped score | UK status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chug | Hazy IPA | 0.5% | 17 kcal | 8.4 | On sale from Mash Gang and Waitrose |
| Lesser Evil (this beer) | Stout | 0.5% | Not published | 8.5 | On sale from Mash Gang and The Alcohol Free Co |
| Glug | Cerveza-style golden lager, brewed with corn | 0.5% | Not published | Not yet rated | On sale from Mash Gang and The Alcohol Free Co |
| Cult | Hazy pale ale | 0.5% | Not published | 8.3 | Listed at Dry Drinker, sold out |
| HAWG | American pale ale | 0.5% | Not published | 8.3 | Past release, hard to find |
| Serpiente | Tepache-inspired pale ale | 0.5% | Not published | 8.2 | Past release, hard to find |
| Out of Nowhere | West Coast pilsner | 0.5% | Not published | 8.3 | Past release, hard to find |
| Siege Perilous | Bohemian-style pale lager | 0.5% | Not published | 8.1 | Past release, hard to find |
| Stoop | American pilsner | 0.5% | Not published | 7.9 | Past release, hard to find |
| Cheap Lager | Lager | 0.5% | Not published | 7.8 | Past release, hard to find |
The Mash Gang beers in our directory, checked October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10. Mash Gang’s Journey Juice fruited IPA isn’t in our directory yet.
About Mash Gang
Mash Gang began in 2020, during the first lockdown, as a home-brewing project between friends, and it makes only alcohol-free beer. It has no brewery of its own: its beers are brewed to 0.5% with partner breweries, which have included Northern Monk in Leeds and Fierce Beer in Aberdeen, and from 2026 Hall & Woodhouse in Dorset. The non-alcoholic drinks company DioniLife has owned it since 2024. Its core range today is Chug, Glug and Journey Juice, alongside Lesser Evil, a cherry chocolate stout.
See all Mash Gang beers →Read our Mash Gang review →Track every beer, discover your taste archetype, join the community.
One of our Christmas beers. Mash Gang Lesser Evil Stout is one of ten winter beers in our guide to alcohol-free Christmas beer, and our pick of the lot. For something to open every day in December, see this year’s alcohol-free advent calendars.
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