Carling and Worthington head for the US
Coors is looking to give America a taste of the British beers it bought last year.
Both the UK's favourite lager Carling and the Worthington ale brand are being readied for their stateside debuts.
Parent company Coors, the third biggest brewer in the US, bought the beers from Belgian giant Interbrew late last year.
It also acquired a string of other brands including Caffrey's and Worthington, which Interbrew was forced to sell because of competition concerns following its acquisition of Bass Brewers.
Coors was the surprise name in the £1.2bn deal announced on Christmas Eve.
The US market is dominated by the world's biggest brewer Anheuser-Busch, owner of Budweiser.
Miller, recently acquired by South African Breweries, is second in the American beer market.
Coors' executives believes the British brands have potential in America. "We are interested in presenting speciality brands in the US," Coors chief executive Leo Kiely told one Sunday newspaper.
"That wasn't the prime reason for the deal but we think there is something there and our brand people have that under consideration."
The speciality brew sector is booming in the US and accounts for 10 per cent of the overall beer market.
Plans to take Carling across the Atlantic were at an early stage, but preparations to export Worthington were more advanced. "The provance of Worthington's is an authentic British ale," said Mr Kiely. "We have plans for that."
The company is also looking to introduce Coors Light to Britain. It is currently being trialled In Ireland and Scotland.
Related articles:
Carling re-named Coors Brewers (5 February 2002)
Coors wins battle for Carling (3 January 2002)
