A year on from the launch of Fresh Ale, a cask-style keg beer poured through handpulls, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has repeated calls for Carlsberg to stop selling the “imitation cask beer brand”.
In addition, CAMRA accused the brewing giant of “damaging” the reputation of cask beer and “hijacking traditional handpulls”.
Last month, Carlsberg Britvic shared volumes of Fresh Ale had grown steadily since its introduction in March 2024.
Reinvigorate cask
While cask ale, which undergoes a secondary fermentation in the barrel, should be at its optimum quality for just three days, Fresh Ale stays at its peak for 14 days.
Carlsberg Britvic added an increase in the number of pubs and bars buying Fresh Ale could help “reinvigorate the popularity of cask”.
However, CAMRA has said it “strongly disagrees” with this, adding the product could instead mislead consumers and actually remove cask beer from pubs in favour of Fresh Ale.
Previously, the group has complained to Trading Standards about the product, stating it qualifies as misleading dispense.
Inferior substitute
CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “Enjoying a pint of cracking cask beer from your local pub is one of life’s great pleasures.
“Cask beer is the real deal – a fresh, live product crafted with great care by the UK’s best brewers.
“Our tradition of enjoying great cask beer is under threat from Carlsberg’s plan to keep rolling out their Fresh Ale - which we believe is an inferior substitute for proper cask beer.
“Instead of being open and honest about the new kegged beers they are selling, Carlsberg are undermining centuries of British tradition and misleading punters into thinking they are ordering cask beer from a traditional handpull at the bar.
“It also elbows out opportunities for independent breweries to serve their cask beer at the bar if pumps are taken up with Fresh Ale instead.”
