Queer Brewing Alcohol-Free Beers

Queer Brewing called itself “The UK’s first queer and trans-owned brewery”. Founded by the beer writer Lily Waite-Marsden, it brewed with other breweries before opening its own brewhouse in Leyton, East London, and it closed on 31 July 2026. Its alcohol-free pale ale, Bold, was 0.5%.

Who were Queer Brewing?

The brewery described itself as “The UK’s first queer and trans-owned brewery, making queer beers and beer queer since 2019.” It was “Founded by beer writer, editor, photographer, and ceramicist Lily Waite-Marsden”, its About page says; Beer Today and Londonist call her its founder, and CAMRA’s London Drinker its co-founder.

Des de Moor says it has been active since June 2018 and began with a one-off 2018 collaboration with Marble Brewery in Manchester, made for an art project during Manchester Beer Week; VinePair names that beer as a gose, Dinosaurs Will Die. The first beer released by the Queer Brewing Project, VinePair reported, was Queer Royale, a blackcurrant pale ale brewed with Affinity Brewing Co. in London. It launched at the same time in 40 bars and taprooms across the UK on Friday 26 April 2019, with 10% of its sales going to the charity MindOut.

From collaborations to its own brewery

It began as a collaboration project with other breweries and became a brewery in its own right, its About page says. Des de Moor names partners including Affinity and Brick in London and Cloudwater in Manchester, and The Grocer reported that the Cloudwater partnership produced “the first readily available beers from the brand”, a core trio.

In September 2024 it took on a unit beside its Leyton warehouse and began building its own brewery, Fat Gay Vegan reported. It installed “a 30hL refurbished (and probably slightly overengineered!) brewhouse from Gravity Systems”, with six 30hL fermenting vessels, a canning line and reverse osmosis water treatment, the brewery says. Des de Moor gives the address as D2 Leyton Industrial Village, Argall Avenue, E10 7QP, says it first sold its own beer in March 2025, with a taproom open intermittently since summer 2024, and names Andy Potter, previously at Fourpure, as head brewer.

What it brewed, and the cause

Londonist said it was known for Queer Joy! Queer Power! stout, Something To Put In You hazy pale and Glitter Veil IPA. Fat Gay Vegan wrote that “All beers from Queer Brewing are vegan suitable!”; the brewery’s own pages we read don’t say.

It “raised tens of thousands of pounds for LGBTQ+ charities”, the brewery says, and since 2024 it had given 10p from every pint and can sold. It was named Diversity Champion of the Year at the SIBA Business Awards, London Drinker and Beer Today report (London Drinker gives the year as 2026); we haven’t checked the organiser’s results.

The closure

The brewery’s site says: “we are sadly now closed—our last day was the 31st of july.” Its webshop stays open for merchandise. Londonist quoted Lily Waite-Marsden: “This is the announcement that we never thought we’d have to make”. Beer Today quoted: “We are in the fortunate position to be able to close on our own terms, instead of going into administration.”

Queer Brewing’s alcohol-free beers

Beer Today described Bold as Queer Brewing’s 0.5% core-range alcohol-free pale ale. We list it as Bold AF Pale Ale; Beer Today and the Guild of Beer Writers call it simply Bold. We haven’t found its ingredients, calories or a description of how it tastes.

In January 2026 it launched Brighter, Bolder, a 0.5% hazy IPA whose recipe blends Bold and Burst Into Bright, brewed under head brewer Andy Potter, Beer Today reported. Hop Burns & Black has listed a Queer Brewing Become Your Own God Low Alcohol Pale Ale at 0.5%, with Citra, Amarillo and Riwaka hops. “To us, great alcohol-free beer stands on its own—it’s not an afterthought or a replacement for ‘the real thing’,” Lily Waite-Marsden said.

How Bold compares

Alcohol-free pale ales from UK breweries in our directory. Calories as published; checked 1 November 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

The Queer Brewing beer in our directory

No published calorie figure found; checked 1 November 2026. We haven’t scored it.

Can you still buy it?

With the brewery closed, Bold may be hard to find: it wasn’t in stock at Dry Drinker or Wise Bartender when we checked in October 2026, and the brewery’s webshop now sells only merchandise. For others, see our guide to the best alcohol-free pale ale.

Facts checked against Queer Brewing’s own website, Des de Moor, VinePair, The Grocer, Fat Gay Vegan, Londonist, Beer Today, CAMRA’s London Drinker, the Guild of Beer Writers and Hop Burns & Black, 1 November 2026.