Thwaites ales are due south

Daniel Thwaites has expanded its range of cask ales with the release of a new beer targeted at drinkers in the south of England.

Thwaites Reward, "brewed in the wild north west", is the latest addition to a cask ale portfolio that includes the flagship ale Thwaites Bitter, Thwaites Mild and Daniel Hammer.

Until now, the Blackburn-based brewer's traditional market has been predominantly based in the north of England. However, after clinching a sole nationwide agency agreement deal with Germany's Warsteiner Premium Lager, Daniel Thwaites has been able to cast its net further south.

Paul Winter, Daniel Thwaites sales director said: "We sell 10,000 barrels of beer south of Birmingham, and we realised that tastes differ across the country.

Customers in the south want something a bit different."We set out to craft an ale, with a specific ABV of 4.2 per cent and a full flavour ideal for the south." Prior to its official launch in London last week, Reward enjoyed a successful trial period in its native north west. Winter said: "It's done tremendously well in the north. We didn't want to make a beer with a traditional image that was too serious, hence the wild north west theme.

"Consumers seem to like the tongue in cheek image - it's a real point of difference."

It is hoped that Thwaites Reward, a ruby red beer brewed with added dry hops, will appeal to both serious beer drinkers and attract younger drinkers to the cask ale category.

Thwaites Reward will be available nationally and will be supported by a comprehensive Wild West themed POS material featuring a series of "Wanted" posters and drip mats.

Daniel Thwaites is in the process of signing a unique distribution agreement with Warsteiner, one of Germany's leading brands. If successful, the deal would see its beer being sold alongside the premium lager throughout Germany and across Europe.