 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
home
about
features
A-Z
books
|
|
features - news
|
| |
New tasting scheme for beer
by Willard Clarke, 09/06
Taking lessons from the UK wine industry, CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale along with 14 breweries have launched a new initiative called 'Cyclops'. Cyclops aims to demystify real ale after research showed that one
in three people would try more real ale if its characteristics were made easier to understand in pubs. The new scheme takes its name from the single eye, nose and mouth imagery used on promotional material.
Declining beer sales in the UK have brought beer consumers and brewers together to revitalise the market for real ale, Britain's national pub drink. Following the success of the wine industry
in making wine more accessible to consumers through a simple to understand tasting notation, Cyclops
|
|
|
will use common language to explain what different real ales should look, smell and taste like.
Sweetness and bitterness are the two dominant taste qualities of real ale, and Cyclops uses a scale of one to five for each, enabling drinkers to work out how sweet and bitter they like their beers.
The new scheme was the brainchild of David Bremner, Head of Marketing at Everards Brewery in Leicester. Everards pilot scheme aimed to promote its beers to new consumers who may have never tried
real ale before or who had only tried a few pints in the past. By using attractive imagery and simplified language, real ales are described on promotional material such as beer mats, posters, tasting cards
and pumps to inform consumers of what they are buying. This information will also be placed on the back on beer handpulls to keep pub staff informed of what the real ale is like.
Tony Jerome, CAMRA's Senior Marketing Manager said, "Real ale is an incredibly complex drink with an enormous range of styles and tastes. Cyclops will demystify real ale. Research shows that drinkers who
are less familiar with real ale want to know in easy to understand terms what the beer tastes like. I am convinced that Cyclops will revitalise the real ale market by enticing younger drinkers, both male and female,
to try our national drink. They will quickly learn to appreciate its complex flavours and we are confident that they will soon become enthusiasts."
The market research
The market research shows some very interesting figures that suggest a universal scheme will encourage more consumers to give it a try:
- 32% of all adults polled agreed that a universal real ale scheme, similar to the wine industry, that simplifies real ale, would encourage them to try more real ale.
- 35% of female regular pub goers also agreed with this statement.
- 55% of those that said they drink real ale �often� said they would try more real ale if a scheme was introduced.
- 43% of those that said they drink real ale �sometimes� said they would try more real ale if a scheme was introduced.
- 40% aged 18-24 years old said they would give real ale a try if a scheme was introduced.
What it looks like
An example of the information a consumer will
find on the Point of Sale material in pubs:
Brewery: Everards
Beer Name: Sunchaser
Style: Blonde Beer / ABV 4%
See: Gold Straw
Smell: Delicate, Citrus Fruit
Taste: Subtle, Zesty, Sweet
Bitter: 1.5
Sweet: 3
|
|
|
|
|
home
about
features
A-Z
books
|