Greene King has launched a 0.5% abv version of popular bottled ale brand Old Speckled Hen ahead of the festive season. The brewer aimed to retain the rich and distinctive flavour of the parent brand in spite of the reduction in alcohol. It is brewed with Pale and Crystal malts alongside Challenger, First Gold and Goldings hops in a bid to allow the toffee malt…

Two Irish drinks producers have joined forces to launch an alcohol-free dry-hopped soda for adults. Yellowbelly Beer and Black Castle Drinks are introducing Designated Driver, which they describe as being “the first of its kind in Ireland”. The Wexford-based beer producer and the Wicklow-based soft drinks company said that a long-standing admiration for each others’ product ranges, together with shared values for using innovative recipes…

Dundee’s 71 Brewing has expanded its portfolio with the addition of an India Pale Lager (IPL) and a Munich Dunkel, Ferrous Red. The release of these new brews comes just six months after its flagship beer, 71 Lager, was launched. The 4.4% abv IPL, which is described as “a seasonal mash-up of lager and ale”, was borne from a robust combination of Polish Lubiner, American…

It sometimes seems like the whole brewing industry has gone daft for craft. The redrawn landscape of the British brewing industry has led many of the more established family-owned producers to rethink their approaches to the market. With hundreds of new breweries emerging in the past decade, the regional players that used to hog the packaged ale limelight are having to strike a fine balance:…

Morgenrot has boosted its craft beer portfolio with brews from a Barcelona-based brewery. The Manchester-based beer and wine importer has secured the UK distribution rights for Catalonia’s BeerCat Brewery, which is known for its innovative, internationally-inspired brews. The brewery, which is based in Barcelona, claims to celebrate the finest raw ingredients and it then expresses its take on favourite beer styles from around the world.

Meantime is re-launching an on-pack promotion offering shoppers the chance to win a trip to the Yakima Valley in Washington State. The brewer calls it the “global home of hop-growing” and has a core SKU called Yakima Red, a 4.1% abv ruby coloured ale using five different hops from the region. The promotion kicks off today (June 1) and runs through August on more 1.5…

West Berkshire Brewery (WBB) has launched a range of keg and bottled craft beers under a new brand name. The Renegade Brewery range, which includes keg and 330ml bottled craft beers, has been designed to be distinctly different from the brewery’s traditional Cask Ale Range, which includes its flagship bitter, Good Old Boy. The new line up comprises a range of contemporary craft brews, including…