Bass Brewers has announced the launch of an innovative premium draught lager and regional trialing of an additional four new brands.
Arc, initially available in London, has a five per cent ABV and is priced at around £3 a pint. It claims to be the world's first "super chilled" premium draught lager and is served with ice crystals which form on top of the lager.
Following more than two years technical research, Bass has engineered a clash of temperature and pressure within the lager that results in crystal growth - a natural phenomenon that Bass claims ensures the liquid stays cold to the bottom of the glass.
David Quain, Bass' technical head of research, said: "We've managed to reduce the temperature of the beer to below its natural freezing point and create conditions so that it stays a liquid when it should be frozen. "The soft lager crystals melt in the mouth giving a fresh, clean and smooth taste."
In order to ensure a consistent cold temperature, Bass has designed and patented a unique Arc dispense system.
Quain added: "There is an awful lot of science behind the specially designed font which marks a massive change in dispense technology. "It's not just there to create a 'theatre of dispense' but is necessary to ensure the correct pouring conditions from start to finish."
Each fully automated, push-button controlled font incorporates a glass cooling system that sprays cold water onto the glass prior to pouring.
This ensures that Arc is dispensed at between one and two degrees celsius before an ultrasonic trigger makes sure the lager crystals rise to the top of the glass.
Paul Wilson, senior brand manager at Bass, said: "Because Arc is so different, it doesn't threaten our existing portfolio, it improves it."
He said Arc has taken nearly three years to produce.In addition to Arc, Bass has embarked on a diverse range of regional trials for brands aimed at shaking-up a number of markets. Wilson said: "These new brands are not just tweaks."
He said every test product is intended to fundamentally challenge the market it is targeted at.