BEER NEWS - November 2010

Brainwave's Beer Bonanza

Ever wondered when beer tasters find everything from lemons and peaches to toffee and chocolate in a beer and you don't? And what about the fact that the hop is a relatively recent addition to British Beer? Children's charity, Brainwave, is arranging an exclusive beer tasting at the Farmers Club in London on 30 November where people can find out a little more about the complex world of beer. It promises to be an entertaining and different evening but help a charity too. The tasting is being undertaken by Christine Cryne, who chaired CAMRA's

The Lancer's return

Fuller's Bengal Lancer will be making a return to pubs this autumn as part of London brewer Fuller's seasonal range. Unveiled for the first time in February 2010, Bengal Lancer is a full-bodied, traditional India Pale Ale and the cask version will be exclusive to selected Fuller's pubs in November before being available in the free trade. Bottled Bengal Lancer is available in Waitrose and Sainsbury's. Managing director of the Fuller's Beer Company, John Roberts, said: "Bengal Lancer was an instant hit when it was launched in February and has quickly become an established favourite in the Fuller's portfolio."

A Proper Pint

"With tongue firmly in cheek," Greene King IPA has unveiled a new national marketing campaign titled Man Deserves a Proper Pint. The campaign "celebrates men's everyday 'heroic' deeds." The �1m campaign recognises how men often feel they deserve to treat themselves for all the "arduous" jobs they do at home. Trapping scary spiders, blowing up the kids' paddling pool or clearing up dog mess - these tasks are undoubtedly deserving of the richest of rewards: a proper pint of ale. The ads are meant to "reinforce Greene King IPA's credentials as a 'proper' pint with real, natural ingredients."

It's cracking up north

Carlsberg UK has announced Tetley's Christmas cask ale Northern Cracker is again available for licensees to stock up on in preparation for the festive season. The 4.3% ABV cask ale was first launched into trade for last Christmas and "proved to be a big success with just under 1,000 stockists ordering the beer." David Scott, Director of Customer Marketing at Carlsberg UK, said: "We are really excited by the prospects for Northern Cracker this year. It established itself as a great tasting, high quality Christmas cask ale last year and we have no doubt it will go from strength to strength in 2010." Northern Cracker is described as a "distinctive, dark Christmas ale with a rich nutty and vanilla character, balanced by a hoppy aftertaste."

Who let the dogs out?

BrewDog, the "iconoclastic" Scottish brewery now has three of its craft beers available in Morrisons stores. The new deal, which sees three BrewDog brands on Morrisons shelves nationwide, follows national listings with Tesco and Sainsbury�s supermarkets. Outside the UK, BrewDog has also expanded its off-trade presence in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia. Morrisons now stocks Punk IPA, 5AM Saint and Trashy Blonde, all of which carry BrewDog�s bold and unorthodox branding. BrewDog's beers are now stocked in 19 countries and production has reached over 500,000 bottles per month.