UK: Guinness launches rye pale ale within its Brewers Project range

Guinness has extended its Brewers Project range of beers with the launch of Guinness rye pale ale, the latest beer from its brewery at St James’s Gate, Dublin, FoodBev reported on August 22.

Available in the off-trade from September, Guinness rye pale ale brings the unique character of the stout to the world of pale ale, boasting a peppery bite and citrus and grapefruit notes that perfectly balanced with crystal malt to leave a toasted biscuit flavour. It is the latest new beer to be developed at the Open Gate Brewery, the experimental brewery at the heart of Guinness innovation.

The launch provides retailers with the opportunity to tap into the huge premium bottled ale category, which continues to grow ahead of total beer with £19 million year-on-year growth last year, brand owner Diageo said. The 5% ABV pale ale will also capitalise on the success of The Brewers Project portfolio, which has contributed £5.6 million to this total growth.

Peter Simpson, lead brewer for the Open Gate Brewery, commented: “In December a few of us at The Open Gate Brewery got together and made a rye pale ale as a Christmas gift for our friends and families. Everyone liked it so much we put it on tap at our Open Gate Brewery bar where it’s been getting rave reviews. Now, we’re moving production to the big brew house and sharing it with everyone.”

Nick Curtis-Davis, head of Guinness innovation for Europe, added: “With premium bottled ale booming, we’re looking forward to introducing a delicious new beer into the sector with the launch of Guinness rye pale ale. We see this as a great opportunity to further open up the category to new consumers, whilst also providing the opportunity for retailers to tap into the 257 years of brewing heritage of the Guinness brand”.

The new addition is the fifth new beer release from The Brewers Project, following Guinness Dublin porter and Guinness West Indies porter, which were the number one and two launches in 2015.

Guinness rye pale ale will be available across the UK in 500ml bottles from September 2016 with a recommended retail price of £1.99.

21 August, 2016