The brewer said it has been working on the 4.5% ABV lager, called Frontier, for over a year.
It is hoped the move into lager will bring new drinkers into the Fuller’s brand as well as tapping into the growth of craft beer from around the world, said Fuller’s head of marketing Wade Crouch.
“This is not another me too brand,” he told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser. “Its point of difference is that it has been developed for lager drinkers who want something a bit extra in terms of taste.”
Described as a “new wave craft lager” Frontier is made with all new world hops (Willimette, cascade and Liberty but is said to not be as powerful as some of the craft beers emerging out of the US.
Fuller’s will be pushing it into new “lager-led” venues as well as its own pubs, in a bid to drive business out of its heartland.
“For us this is about exploring new territories as we progress the business,” said Crouch.
It will be sold at a premium to other lagers and ales, as the beer is quite costly to make. Aside from the expensive hops the beer is lagered for five weeks, according to the brewer.
Last month the brewer unveiled a £3m marketing campaign for its flagship London Pride brand.