The first HonestBrew import headliner for 2018 — CR/AK, from Italy — will be available to order by the end of April, the retailer has announced.
Union Birrai — the craft beer association in Italy — recently announced CR/AK as the country’s top brewer for 2018 after a blind taste test. The brewer was also awarded gold medals in three beer categories.
HonestBrew will be supplying CR/AK to a range of bottleshops including Ghost Whale, and pubs nationwide including the Rutland Arms and Dead Crafty, among other businesses.
In just three years since it launched, CR/AK has been incredibly influential in the Italian beer scene and has collaborated with international breweries, including Other Half, Cigar City and the UK’s Magic Rock.
CR/AK has been very vocal about the need to maintain fresh supplies of its beers throughout Italy and has implemented a system of ‘kegged on’ dates for its tap badges. To make sure the beer reaches the UK in the best condition, HonestBrew will be using chilled transportation for all UK shipments.
Innovation and passion
CR/AK has helped put Italy on the craft beer map through innovation, passion and world class craft beer expertise. The brewery recently made the decision to switch nearly all small pack to 400ml cans — a brave decision in a country still in love with glass. Plans in the UK includes showcasing at festivals.
HonestBrew recently launched a trade offering, supplying direct to bars, pubs, bottle shops, restaurants and other businesses. It works directly with buyers to develop a range of beers that suits their customer profile.
Off-trade buyers will be able to fully customise each order according to consumer trends. By working directly with the breweries listed, HonestBrew says it is able to offer competitive pricing on hundreds of leading craft breweries.
Cormac Wall, beer buyer at HonestBrew, said: “We are a proudly international team in the office and we are always open to new ideas and great beers from all over the world.
“Beer has changed so quickly in the past five years. We see Europe as one big co-operative beer scene just waiting to be explored, with great breweries and people to be found everywhere, from Valencia to Vilnius and everywhere in between.
“Italy has always been one of my favourite places to drink craft beer, and over the years I’ve built up a good knowledge of the best brewers from this part of the world. Whenever I’m in a bar in Italy my first order will be a fresh CR/AK beer if it’s on. It’s a pleasure to be able to introduce them to craft beer fans in the UK.”
