News of the brews

Wadworth​​

Wadworth's popular Dirty Rucker will be making a comeback for the 2016 RBS 6 Nations tournament after its successful launch for the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

The rich ruby English bitter has a fruity, malty sweetness and peppery finish and is very drinkable thanks to a 3.9% ABV.

Wadworth beer category marketing manager Ellie Alderton said: "There are many reasons Dirty Rucker was our most successful seasonal launch to date, its cheeky name and charismatic pump clip among them, but, in the end, drinkers decided they liked the taste and ordered it again and again."

Widely available via the free trade and throughout the Wadworth estate, the bitter will be available throughout February and March.

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East End Foods​​

East End Foods plc, one of the UK's leading importers of Indian foods, has announced plans to diversify into the alcohol sector with the launch of two new beer brands, Himalayan Monkey Beer and Shimla Indian Beer.

Uniquely, the beers benefit from being 'truly Indian' since they are brewed and bottled in India, along with their robust flavour, which works perfectly alongside strongly spiced dishes.

Himalayan Monkey has been priced and positioned to appeal to a younger audience while the Shimla brand is aimed at a higher-end, mature audience.

"The UK's current two best-selling beer brands, which strongly imply they are 'Indian', are actually brewed in the UK and are mass produced. Hence, we realised there was an opportunity to provide consumers with genuine Indian beer in the UK," East End's commercial director, Paul Deep, said.

"The company painstakingly worked on the quality of the recipes in India, which took more than a year to get right, and we are delighted with the outcome."

Asahi​​

Asahi Super Dry, Japan's number one lager, has released its dark lager brand extension to the UK market.

Brewed like a traditional lager, Asahi Super Dry Black uses the iconic Asahi no.318 yeast with the addition of roasted malt to give it a deeper, darker appearance.

Unlike a traditional stout or porter, Super Dry Black is light with a crisp refreshing flavour, derived from the addition of rice, along with a sweet nuttiness on the palate.

Asahi UK brand manager Samantha Catford said: "Super Dry Black offers a real point of difference in the UK Asian lager category. It will appeal to beer drinkers who appreciate a continental dark lager style: soft and elegant with a rich, mildly vanilla and nutty sweet palate.

"The darker end of the beer spectrum is typically fairly narrow in the on-trade – Asahi Super Dry Black offers something that's very refreshing from both a taste and brand perspective." 

Krombacher​​ 

Germany’s Krombacher Brewery has launched the Krombacher Radler brand to the UK on-trade.   

Imported by Morgenrot, Krombacher Radler is the number one best-selling Radler in Germany is made from 50% original Krombacher Pils and 50% bespoke-made lemonade, produced especially by the brewery. 

Yellow in colour with a backbone of citrus and Pils on the palate, the Radler is 2.5% ABV and available in a 33cl bottle. 

"Krombacher has seen tremendous double-digit growth over the past three years so it is important that we keep the momentum going and we believe our Radler brand can help us do just that," Stephan Kofler, Krombacher UK sales and marketing director, said.

"This year will be huge for German beer and we aim to be at the forefront of the German awareness and sales push."

Black Sheep Brewery​​  ​

Black Sheep Brewery is backing the Try January​ campaign with the release of its first seasonal beer for 2016.

Resolution, a 4.0% ABV ruby ale made with Cascade and Golding hops was created in Black Sheep's microbrewery in Masham, North Yorkshire.

Highlighting the 'Drink Quality Beer' message through a specially designed pump clip, it is available in pubs throughout January.

Black Sheep Brewery managing director Ron Theakston said: "Resolution goes to the heart of the industry's ambition to encourage people to experience new and innovative cask ales at this time of year. 

"For those that don't want to abstain from alcohol completely, January is actually a very exciting month to experience new tastes and enjoy what their local pub has to offer.

"Resolution is a quality pint and full of flavour. It's definitely a reason for drinkers to get to their local and try something new."

Jennings Brewery​​

Jennings Brewery has relaunched its 'Explore More' online promotion, which requires players to pull a virtual pint in order to win prizes.

The popular game racked up almost three million plays in 2015 and is set to be even higher this year.

Prizes include Lake District holiday breaks, digital equipment, homeware and, of course, plenty of Jennings beer and merchandise.

Jennings assistant brand manager Sarah Grave said: "After another fantastic response to our third year of Explore More, we decided to continue the promotion into 2016 and we have some really exciting prizes on offer."

The Jennings beer mat will be available in pubs nationwide from January 2016 and will include all the partner logos with details on how to register and play the Explore More promotion.