Mash Gang Review: The UK's Most Exciting Alcohol-Free Brewery
Published May 2026 · 7-minute read · by Rich, founder of Unhopped
Mash Gang are the alcohol-free brewery the rest of the UK craft scene actually rates. Their collaborations with full-strength brewers have produced beers indistinguishable from the original alcoholic versions. The range is as wide as any AF brewery in the world. And there's a clear, coherent identity — punchy, irreverent, design-forward — that sets them apart from the wellness-led AF crowd.
Who are Mash Gang?
Mash Gang is a UK alcohol-free brewery founded by Jordan Childs. They've built a reputation as the AF brewery the rest of the UK craft scene actually rates — partly because of consistent quality across a broad range, and partly because of Mash Gang's signature move: collaborations with established full-strength craft breweries to produce alcohol-free versions of recognised styles.
Those collaborations include the likes of Siren Craft Brew (Out of Nowhere Pilsner), Verdant, Mondo, and Track. The point isn't novelty — it's that Mash Gang have figured out how to brew AF beer that tastes like the original full-strength versions, and they're using craft brewery partnerships to validate that publicly.
Mash Gang's identity is punchy and irreverent. The branding leans into design-forward graphics, the beer names are unconventional (HAWG, Stoop, Cult, Lesser Evil, Serpiente Tepache), and the whole operation feels like it came out of the alcoholic craft scene rather than the wellness-led AF mainstream. That's a meaningful differentiator.
What makes Mash Gang different
Collaborations with full-strength craft brewers
Most AF brewers operate independently — they design recipes themselves and brew them. Mash Gang specifically work with established craft breweries to translate their full-strength beers into alcohol-free form. The Siren Craft Brew Out of Nowhere Pilsner is the highest-profile example: it's the AF version of Siren's pilsner, brewed under joint specifications. Other partnerships have produced AF hazy pales, IPAs, and stouts in the same model.
Range breadth
Mash Gang's range is as broad as any alcohol-free brewery in the UK — possibly broader. Lagers, pilsners, pale ales, IPAs, hazy pales, stouts, sours, kettle-soured experimental beers. The category-spanning approach matters because it means there's a Mash Gang for almost every full-strength beer style you might be missing.
Craft-first identity
Mash Gang's branding, design, and tone are unmistakably craft beer rather than wellness. That's deliberate — it positions them inside the conversation that craft drinkers are already having, rather than trying to appeal to a separate AF-curious audience. The result is a brewery that craft pubs are willing to stock alongside their full-strength beers.
The Mash Gang range: our top picks
Lesser Evil Stout (0.5%)
A milk stout — chocolate, coffee, rich body from oats and lactose. Highly rated among AF stout drinkers and a credible alternative to Big Drop Galactic or Northern Monk Heaven AF. Contains lactose so isn't vegan.
Chug XPA (0.5%)
An extra pale ale — hop-forward, juicy, drinkable. Strong everyday drinker, a beer that feels like full-strength craft pale ale rather than a compromise.
HAWG Pale Ale (0.5%)
A flagship — softer hazy pale ale character with tropical hop notes. The HAWG name is everywhere in Mash Gang branding for a reason: it's the everyday-drinkable beer that introduces drinkers to the wider range.
Mash Gang x Siren Out of Nowhere Pilsner (0.5%)
The standout collaboration — a craft pilsner brewed in partnership with Siren Craft Brew. Crisp, clean, hop-driven, more characterful than mainstream AF lagers.
How Mash Gang compares to the wider UK alcohol-free category
Mash Gang are top-tier UK alcohol-free craft alongside Big Drop, Brulo, Northern Monk, Drop Bear, and Jump Ship. Their distinctive contribution to the category is range breadth combined with craft-brewery collaborations — nobody else does both at this scale. For wider context, see our UK craft NA breweries guide.
Beers to explore
A selection of the Mash Gang range — the most-rated beers and the most distinctive ones:
