Vale Brewing have produced their lightest beer yet — but with flavour just as strong and the drive home even safer.

As the saying goes, less is more. In the case of Vale Brewing’s newly released and first-ever Super Session beer, the phrase rings true.

Vale’s Super Session Sunset Ale is the lowest alcohol beer they’ve ever produced, with an ABV of 1.75 per cent, yet bursting with flavour from its Mosaic hops.

It’s light and refreshing, making it a fitting drink for a summer day, and can also be enjoyed long into the night.

The beer has a Munich and Gladfield Aurora malt base, giving it a richness and complexity that you don’t usually associate with a session ale.

With the launch of their new McLaren Vale taphouse venue late last year, Vale Brewing brand manager Simon Habib says the brewery wanted to release a beer that offered a safer option for those driving home from the regional spot.

“It’s obviously important to look after our customers in terms of alcohol consumption and how much they’re drinking,” Simon says.

“We wanted to have a safe option for punters coming in to be able to have a couple of beers and not worry as much about the drive after.

“The challenge, however, with low- or no-alcohol beers is they often lack a bit of flavour, so we tasked the brewers in making one that didn’t lose its flavour.”

The brewers combated this by adding a lot more malt than a standard light beer would normally have, giving it a darker colour and weightier flavour profile.

Vale Brewing has had a great response to the more than 100 cartons produced during the Christmas period.

“It’s gone down really well, particularly with the guys or girls that are driving home from lunch,” Simon says.

“They might be able to have three or four, versus the one standard beer that they’d normally have to have.”

Aside from a small amount available online, Vale’s Super Session Sunset Ale is available exclusively at their new Taphouse venue overlooking Beresford Estate’s sprawling 28-hectare vineyards.

Since the new space launched, it has hosted a range of exclusive beers, such as a Red Lager, while also offering its core range amongst the 14 taps pouring.

Visitors can also find Vale’s Tropic Ale, which was named the World’s Best Pale Ale in 2022, along with Fox Hat and Three Oaks Cider for the non-beer drinkers.

The food menu is curated to pair well with the array of drinks on offer, with ingredients sourced and prepared fresh daily.

Simon says Vale’s Super Session Sunset Ale is a seasonal release fitting with the season’s current hot days.

While it will be on offer at the Taphouse over the next remaining warmer months, it’s possible the beer could give way to a winter option as the year cools down.

“The beer is very refreshing and easy drinking, but as we move into winter, you’re likely to see more dark beers, more hazy styles, and all those sorts of releases, as opposed to the summer release,” Simon explains.

With that being said, Simon recommends heading to the Taphouse for a cold drink on a hot day.

“You can sit out on the lawn of the Taphouse overlooking the yard,” he says.

“We’re coming up to vintage at the moment and the place is looking absolutely beautiful, so enjoying a nice refreshing beer with that view in the heat is where you want to be.”

Vale Brewing Taphouse is located at 128 Ingoldby Rd, McLaren Flat 5171.

Find out more by visiting the Vale Brewing website, and follow them on social media for more booze-related content via Instagram and Facebook.