Anheuser-Busch (A-B) has unveiled its new "energy" beer - despite telling The Publican in February that it had no plans to bring it into the UK.
Be is a Budweiser-branded, five per cent bottled lager mixed with caffeine, ginseng and guarana. Following a successful launch in the US last year, The Publican predicted in an article posted on 11 February this year that it would be launched into the UK shortly.
It will hit UK bar shelves on July 18.
Jim Gorczyca, marketing director of Budweiser UK, said he hoped Be (pronounced "B to the E") would pick up customers from the faltering RTD market and said it would be an alternative to the hard alcohol and Red Bull market. "We are tapping into a new drinking occasion for contemporary adults," he said.
However, the product has left several industry observers be-mused - including Mike Benner, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale. "We've had alcopops, are we now to be faced with beer-pops too?" he asked.
"Brewers need to put their collective resources into promoting decent beer to younger drinkers, not into gimmicks which will fall out of favour in a couple of years."
It has also worried health professionals. Tom Sanders, professor of nutrition at King's College in London, believes the product sends out all the wrong signals. "By saying it has a high caffeine content it could potentially persuade drinkers that it will be all right to drive after drinking it," he said.
Be will be imported from A-B's New York brewery and, if it takes off, production is likely to be moved to the UK.
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No plans for caffeine-laced beer in UK yet (11 February 2005)