By Karen Peattie
A GLASGOW brewer is tapping into healthier drinking trends and consumer demand for low-calorie, lighter beers as it targets growth post-Covid and regains “lost ground” after a global aluminium can shortage last year forced it to switch to more expensive glass bottles, resulting in stock issues.
Genius Brewing has also launched a new India Pale Ale to meet the growing UK demand from beer drinkers who want the hoppy flavour traditionally associated with IPAs but with fewer calories and less alcohol.
Founded in 2018 by Jason Clarke and Charlie Craig, Genius Brewing is “on a mission to make healthier drinking a pleasure, not a compromise”. Its low-calorie craft lager is already popular with health-conscious drinkers but with IPAs now making up 57 per cent of all UK craft beer sales, according to Nielsen, the times is right to expand the brewer’s portfolio.
“India Pale Ales are the classic craft beer but traditionally have high ABVs, around 5% to 7%, and a ton of calories – not remotely healthy,” said Mr Clarke. “We wanted to offer IPA drinkers a lighter alternative which delivers that lovely citrus, hoppy flavour but with low calories and less alcohol.”
The healthier drinking trend, he noted, has gone “mainstream” with insight group CGA stating that 70% of drinkers are proactively trying to lead healthy lifestyles. Initiatives such as “Dry January” and calls for calorie labelling on alcohol are showing how attitudes to drinking are changing, he added.
Gen!us India Pale Ale, like its sister product Gen!us Craft Lager, has 3% ABV and only 79 calories per can – less than an apple – and equates to one unit of alcohol per can. Both are vegan certified and feature the calorie count on the front of pack.
The firm’s co-founder Charlie Craig said that while the craft beer revolution has raised people’s expectations of quality, it doesn’t always fit with their healthy lifestyle. “Gen!us light craft beers offer the best of both worlds – the pleasure of a true craft beer without all the booze and calories,” he added: “We call it #SmartDrinking.”
Covid, the duo said, has “pushed health and obesity to the top of the agenda which is helping drive the trend for better for you (BFY) options such as lower-calorie, light beers”. Last year, an appearance on BBC’s Dragons’ Den boosted the firm's brand awareness and its ambition to become the UK’s number one light craft beer brand.
While the ripples of the aluminium can shortage carried into early 2022, supplies are now back to normal. “People were drinking from home and other products were moving into cans to meet that demand, plus new products in cans have come onto the market,” said Mr Clarke. “There was a huge demand on cans.
“We are now regaining lost ground and are looking to also launch Gen!us India Pale Ale in draft kegs.”
Gen!us IPA is initially available via the firm’s website and Amazon before rolling out to the UK on-trade and off-trade over the coming months.
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