Greene King launches 2.8% abv beer

26-Sep-2011 - Last updated on 27-Sep-2011 at 09:18 GMT

Tolly English Ale: takes advantage of duty cut for beers below 2.8% abv

Greene King is set to launch a lower strength beer, named Tolly English Ale, to take advantage of the forthcoming Small Beer Duty Law for lower strength beer brands.

Speaking exclusively to The Publican’s Morning Advertiser, the Suffolk brewer revealed that the new 2.8% abv brew will only be levied with 50% duty, so that licensees will be able to choose whether to increase their margins or to pass on savings to their customers to help drive sales.

The new rules on duty levels come into force on 1 October, with beers below 2.8% receiving a duty cut and beers above 7.5% abv paying more.

Greene King’s head brewer John Bexon said: “The extensive trials we ran in our pubs showed us that introducing a quality lower strength beer would open up the category and make cask an attractive option for those looking to enjoy the great taste of a freshly-brewed proper pint without having to worry about it being too strong.

"That’s why we believe Tolly will be so popular with consumers because it offers them the best of both worlds.”

Tolly English Ale, which revives the classic English Tolly Cobbold brand, is being positioned as “the perfect choice for those looking to strike a balance between a midweek treat and moderation” and will be available in selected Greene King pubs from October.

Earlier this month, JW Lees announced it had also launched a 2.8% beer and other launches from breweries are expected in the coming weeks.