A brand owner and a brewer are partnering to launch a 4% ABV cask ale that aims to restore the pride in England’s signature beer style.
LionHeart is being launched in time for St George’s Day — 23rd April — and is a collaboration between brand owner Brookfield Drinks and Norfolk brewer Woodforde’s. Made with traditional English ingredients, LionHeart is backed by a £2 million investment.
“Cask ale can only be enjoyed in pubs, clubs, and bars, and the trade needs well-supported, strong, national and regional cask brands to give both operators and beer drinkers confidence in the category,” said Nigel MacNally, managing director of Brookfield Drinks.
“Our aim with LionHeart is to restore the pride in England’s signature beer style and give pubs the support they need to stock cask ale with confidence.
“With the World Cup taking place this summer, the LionHeart brand is an opportunity to see football fans roaring with pride as they follow the England team’s progress in their local.”
The pmpclip is in the red and white colours of King Richard the Lionheart. Point of sale support includes drip mats, bar runners, and posters. The brand will be supported with broadsheet advertising to communicate its unique brewing credentials with drinkers.
LionHeart is brewed to a 12th century-style recipe, using open fermenters. It is made with English ingredients, including sweet gale, also known as bog myrtle, which was traditionally used as a bittering plant by English brewers for hundreds of years before hops were grown commercially.
McNally added: “Many beer aficionados have heard of sweet gale, but very few have actually tried a cask beer brewed using it. It adds an interesting flavour note to this classic English cask ale, which will appeal to established ale drinkers as well as the increasing number of younger beer drinkers looking for the confidence to try cask or order it more often.”
Nigel McNally’s extensive industry experience includes overseeing the growth of Bombardier cask ale from a regional to a national brand, alongside a high-profile campaign to make St George’s Day a public holiday.
Brookfield is targeting not simply independent pubs and bars, but also larger pub groups and national chains. McNally said: “Every pub operator, large and small, benefits when cask ale sales are strong. A little disruption to the status quo can be a breath of fresh air, and we’re confident that LionHeart is a brand that will revitalise the English beer sector as a whole.”
