UK & Ireland: Grolsch beer no longer available in the UK and Ireland

Beer brand Grolsch, with its distinctive swingtop bottle caps, will no longer be sold in the UK after 35 years on store shelves, the Sailisbury Journal reported on November 9.

Bosses at parent company Asahi agreed to end a brewing contract with Molson Coors after the larger was "delisted" by Tesco and Asda in its supermarkets.

A spokesperson for Asahi said: "As a result [of the end of the brewing deal] the Grolsch brand is no longer available in the UK and Ireland."

Asked if Grolsch – founded in in Holland in 1615 – will return to the UK and Ireland, an Asahi spokesperson declined to comment.

The decision was first reported in The Grocer UK, which added that pub industry sources revealed supplies of the lager had dried up.

It is thought that Grolsch, which was once a popular choice with drinkers partially because of its unique bottle design, has been hit by the rise in popularity of craft beer, lower alcohol alternatives and cheaper rivals.

Asahi acquired the Grolsch brand from Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016.

10 November, 2019