Adnams lays claim to first 'carbon neutral' beer

Adnams has heralded the launch of East Green as the country's first carbon neutral beer.

On the back of the opening of the company's new eco-friendly brewery in March, the Southwold brewer has unveiled the new 4.3 per cent ABV golden beer.

And, according to Adnams managing director Andy Wood, it is 25 per cent less carbon intensive to produce than other beers.

"If this beer sold in comparative volumes to Broadside it would be the equivalent of taking sixty-five cars off the road a year," he said. "It is a great-tasting light golden beer and it is greener than any other beer on the market."

Wood added that the brewery collaborated with the University of East Anglia to develop the beer.

"We looked at the whole supply chain, from the farming of the malt, to brewing, the bottling process and logistics, movement to the warehouse and then delivery to the pub," he said.

"With the University of East Anglia we looked at the whole process and how we could make it carbon neutral. We focused solely on local ingredients and things like using a very light malt."

Adnams plans to spend several hundred thousand pounds on marketing East Green in the coming months.

However, the pub trade will have to wait for a taste, after Adnams confirmed supermarket giant Tesco had struck an exclusive six month distribution deal for the beer.

According to Wood, East Green will roll out to 508 Tesco stores nationwide from tomorrow - and then will move into on-trade, where it will be available bottled and on draught.