Canadian IPA mounts campaign

A draught IPA brewed in Canada is being launched in the UK, with real-ale pubs as its main target.

The 5.3% abv Sleeman's IPA is being imported by Specialist Brand Development (SBD), the London-based company best known as the distributor of Früli strawberry beer from Belgium.

SBD already handles Sleeman's bottled Honey Lager in the UK.

SBD sales director for the on-trade Adin Wener said: "We are going after keg taps in those pubs. Some great real-ale pubs are already selling imported beers in keg, and there is a big interest in North American IPAs.

"In a year's time, if we had 100 taps in bars, we'd be satisfied with that. We're not competing with the big boys."

SBD said it will also concentrate on a 65cl designer can for Sapporo, the Japanese lager for which it took the UK agency recently. Wener said: "We just want to do something a bit different. The size of the can will mean it will have an RRP of £4.95, so the margin is in line with a bottled beer, but it's a good cash margin. Someone ordering two cans can put £10 in your till."

Sleeman's is owned by Sapporo, and the beer imported by SBD will be brewed at source in Canada.