New fruit lager aims at cider generation

A new range of fruit lagers, which have been brewed to “bridge the gap between sweet cider and mainstream lager,” are to be launched by a new drinks company.

Premium Beverage Refreshment (PBR) has developed Freddies, a 4% ABV lager that comes in two variants - mango and wild berries.

It is aimed at 18 to 34-year-olds whose tastes have been shaped by sweet cider, cocktails and RTDs, says company director Daryl Moss, who previously worked for Kopparberg UK.

“Until now lager has played a peripheral role in the fruit alcohol phenomena but Freddies Fruit Lager aims to change this,” he said.

“As consumers continue to demand new tastes and sensations in alcohol, Freddies makes a refreshing change to the ‘me-too’ brands currently flooding the market in cider and also in spirit based lagers.”

The brand will be supported with a campaign, under the slogan “To taste the why not?” to run on social media channels and events and in–outlets.

There have been several lower-alcohol fruit lagers to hit shelves in the last 12-months or so, including Carlsberg’s Citrus and Blackcurrant offerings, Foster’s lemon-flavoured Radler and Carling Zest.