Craft Beer

The Cask Project

VIDEO FEATURE: ‘Cask’s challenges are linked with the post-Covid recovery’

30-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Adnams has a great tradition for brewing beer having done so for 150 years – but the business’s skills don’t end there.

EXCLUSIVE

BBG launches campaign to end harassment in on-trade

29-Mar-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I (BBG) has called for unity in the hospitality industry in taking a stand against harassment and discrimination with its ‘It Stops With Me’ campaign.

BrewDog boss to launch financing concept after Dragons’ Den failures

29-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog co-founder and chief executive James Watt is set to launch a concept that will give entrepreneurs a method of raising start-up finance born from rejection on Dragons’ Den.

The Cask Project

Sharp’s launches first nationwide hazy IPA on cask

28-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Cornwall-based Sharp’s Brewery has launched its first ever nationally available cask hazy IPA, Solar Wave (4.6% ABV).

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Pilsner to the people: Brooklyn Brewery brings good times, great pilsner and investment

27-Mar-2023 By Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company

A crisp, bright, and refreshing sessionable lager that’s inspired by Brooklyn, and brewed for all, is set to paint the UK yellow once again with increased investment in 2023.

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Variety is key to tapping into the premiumisation trend

27-Mar-2023 By Stephen Groucott, on-trade category controller, Molson Coors Beverage Company

Much has been made of the growing premiumisation trend in beer but tapping into this isn’t as simple as stocking your bar with as many premium options as possible.

BIG INTERVIEW

FEATURE: Customers are demanding super premium beers

23-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Pubs are seeing a significant switch of customers turning to high-end drinks and increasing spend per serve, according to Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG UK&I) on-trade director Jean-David Thumelaire.

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Menabrea – perfecting the craft of beer

21-Mar-2023 By Menabrea

It's said that the first Italian beer was created in pre-Roman times. Well, whoever first got the barrel rolling; it was the Menabrea family who endeavoured to perfect the craft.

Wildcard scoops best brewery title at SIBA awards

16-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Craft brewery Wildcard has been named Brewery Business of the Year 2023 at the SIBA Business Awards 2023.

SPRING BUDGET 2023

BrewDog boss: freezing duty worthless if you can’t heat your pub

16-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog co-founder and chief executive James Watt has branded the Spring Budget ‘underwhelming’ and issued a four-point plan for what should have been announced.

Local breweries key to thriving communities

16-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Communities are given a positive boost if a local independent brewery is operated well say 80% of people, according to a new report published today (Thursday 16 March).

Lakedown strengthens team ahead of new brewery opening

07-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

East Sussex-based Lakedown Brewing Co has appointed James Cuthbertson as a partner ahead of the opening of its new state-of-the-art brewery, which is due to open later this year.

The Cask Project

Bruha Brewery to roll out 9 seasonal cask beers

02-Mar-2023 By Gary Lloyd

East Anglia brewer Bruha Brewery will roll out a series of seasonal cask beers throughout 2023 with the aim of broadening the horizons of on-trade customers.

Video feature

VIDEO FEATURE: How Robinsons is making beer sparkle

28-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Beer is better in the north than the south.

Directors buy Bedlam Brewery out of administration

27-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

East Sussex craft beer brewer Bedlam Brewery has been acquired out of administration by several of the business’s directors but will be run with a skeleton staff.

East London NQ64 will be its biggest site

24-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Experiential retro arcade bar NQ64 will launch its biggest site to date in May 2023 with an opening in Old Street, Shoreditch.

B&K reports 5.3% lfl cask sales boost

24-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Brewpub multiple operator Brewhouse & Kitchen (B&K) is bucking the trend on declining cask beer sales by recording a 5.3% like-for-like (lfl) growth across its range.

The Cask Project - feature

FEATURE: The Northern star watching over cask

20-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

As more cool craft brewers turn their hand to making cask beers, Leeds-based Northern Monk admits there has been some clamour for it to do the same.

BrewDog signs deal for Budweiser to brew its beers in China

20-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog has inked a deal with Budweiser so the giant beer business can brew three of the Scottish company’s headline beers, in a bid to take advantage of the rapidly expanding market in China.

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Welcome to choice... it's not so black and white anymore

20-Feb-2023 By BrewDog

For years your customers have had just one choice when it comes to the black stuff – now there is another, and it might just be better.

Ossett to open Salt beer site with pizza offer

17-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Ossett Brewing Group is opening a new site under its craft beer brand Salt that will bring drinks and pizza to the North Yorkshire town of Malton.

Unity Brewing Co enters liquidation

14-Feb-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Hampshire craft brewery Unity Brewing Co has gone into liquidation, according to a tweet by the Southampton-based business.

Big Interview

EXCLUSIVE: A new strategy in the relationship with alcohol

01-Feb-2023 By Phil Mellows

Karen Tyrell smiles and shrugs as though the answer is so obvious the question really wasn’t worth asking. “Well, yes, I go to pubs. They’re nice places to be, aren’t they?” she says, sure that no one could doubt it.

The Cask Project

Shepherd Neame’s Cask Club returns

27-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has announced it is bringing back its real ale initiative Cask Club next month (February).

The cask project – opinion

Seeking the silver bullet(s) to save cask

23-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Writing and compiling stories for The Cask Project has led me to believe the under-threat category of cask ale could be improved vastly with a handful of changes.

Watt: Punk would be £27.50 if in line with energy costs

20-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

BrewDog’s James Watt has warned if its prices rose in line with its energy bills, a pint of Punk IPA would cost £27.50 and the price of a burger and fries would be an eye-watering £48.75.

SIBA calls for 20% draught duty discount

16-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has urged the Chancellor to expand the draught duty relief to 20% to help the ailing pubs and brewing sector.

Tracker launched to keep tabs on brewery numbers

13-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

The number of breweries in the UK will no longer be a mystery after the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) launched a tracker that shows how many active brewers there are.

BrewDog to open 100+ bars in India

13-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Scottish brewer and bar operator BrewDog is set to open more than 100 sites in India.

1 in 5 opting for alc-free beer

12-Jan-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Some 21% of UK adults would drink booze-free beer as an alcohol alternative at a social occasion where others were drinking alcohol, new research has found.

Fewer sites on sale pushes freehold prices up 41%

11-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Fewer pub sites have come to the market than expected because of sector resilience and Government support schemes while the average freehold sale price has risen by 41%.

Curious to ‘double in size’ after Wild Beer buy

09-Jan-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Curious Brewery will ‘double’ the size of its operations after acquiring Wild Beer Co’s range of beers after the Somerset brewer entered administration and reportedly made its workforce redundant.

North Brewing to open Manchester taproom

23-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Leeds-based brewer, bar and taproom operator North Brewing Co will open its first Manchester site on Tuesday 3 January.

The cask project

Four cask beers craft brewer Verdant is putting faith in

22-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

When people go into a pub or bar that serves craft kegged beer, often they are looking for beers from smaller brands such as The Kernel, Wylam and Deya.

New products round-up

New drinks in time for Christmas

16-Dec-2022 By Gary Lloyd

The latest new releases to the market include beers from Hook Norton, Theakston and Chevallier while spirits include Johnnie Walker and Elusive Expressions from Diageo.

Toast Ale raises £2m for growth

13-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Social enterprise brewery Toast Ale has raised more than £2m to grow the positive impact of its business.

The Wild Beer Co enters administration

06-Dec-2022 By Nikkie Thatcher

Somerset brewer The Wild Beer Co has entered into a period of administration, according to a statement released by the business.

BrewDog relinquishes B Corp status

02-Dec-2022 By BigH

Scottish brewer and bar owner BrewDog has given up its status as a B Corp less than two years after gaining the accreditation.

drinks list 2023

Craft sector is match made for Hells

02-Dec-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

The craft beer category has shown its strength once again with all brands on the top 10 increasing their growth in both volume and value by at least 59%.

Drinks List 2023

The Drinks List – top brands to stock in 2023

28-Nov-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

This year’s Drinks List has seen great strides forward in terms of volume and value sales versus last year because the on-trade has been operating on a much better basis than during the heavily restrictive phases of the pandemic.

Beer author and film-maker Garrett wins top prize

24-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Beer author and film-maker Jonny Garrett has been named Beer Writer of the Year 2022 at the Guild of Beer Writers’ Annual Awards.

The cask project

Cask beer doesn’t sell – debunking 5 myths

21-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Cask ale is difficult to keep and it doesn’t sell. Those are a couple of the 5 myths Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) on-trade category manager Kyle Le Vins has debunked about stocking cask beer.

Opinion

What trends will emerge from alcohol duty changes?

18-Nov-2022 By Barry Watts, Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA)

They often say that only a fool would try to make predictions, especially about the future.

big interview

BIG INTERVIEW: Blending modern and traditional ideals

17-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Diversification was arguably the byword of businesses during the pandemic.

Big interview

Big Interview: The brewery shining a light on Brixton

04-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Brixton may not be the first place one thinks of when visualising an area of beauty but it is to Jez Galaun.

the cask project

Anspach & Hobday capacity hits 1.76m pints per year

03-Nov-2022 By Gary Lloyd

London-based cask and keg brewer Anspach & Hobday has completed the expansion of its brewery following a crowdfunding drive that mean it is now capable of producing 1.76m pints per year.

Salt to open 8th taproom

27-Oct-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Craft and cask beer brewer Salt will open its eighth taproom this autumn with plans for a ninth mooted too – both in the business’s heartland of Yorkshire.

What’s trending in US craft beer?

25-Oct-2022 By Lotte Peplow

Beer festivals around the world come in many different iterations but none push the borders of innovation and discovery quite like the Great American Craft Beer Festival (GABF).

the cask project

Cask and keg brewers join for Theakston’s first collab

21-Oct-2022 By Gary Lloyd

Yorkshire-based brewery T&R Theakston has joined forces with Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Wylam Brewery to create Henry’s Pick – the first collaboration beer since the family brewer was founded almost 200 years ago.

the cask project

If you love cask ale, is it OK to flirt with keg?

20-Oct-2022 By Pete Brown

Since CAMRA’s foundation, some real ale devotees have insisted it’s the only style of beer worth taking seriously. But times have changed, and so has beer.