Minimalist cans from Bavarian brewery AND UNION, going on sale in Waitrose stores from May
Waitrose is to build on the success of its beer aisle by adding 25 new lines to its range next month, taking its total number of brews up to 95.
Waitrose is particularly investing in smaller breweries, including some beers which have never had a national listing before.
Sarah Hammond, Waitrose beer and cider buyer, said: “The diverse range will now include tea infused-beer, 750ml wild yeast beer with a wax cap, punchy ABVs and more styles of beer than ever before.”
Cans will also be more prevalent in the range, with 12 new additions, as sales of 330ml cans of beer are growing at a faster rate than their bottled counterpart.
New additions include Toast Ale, a beer brewed using fresh surplus bread from bakeries that would otherwise be wasted, and beers from Redchurch Brewery, an experimental brewery based in Bethnal Green.
As well as championing home-grown beers, the range will include beers from New Zealand and three new cans from AND UNION, in Bavaria, Germany. The trio of father, son and his long-time business partner work with four small breweries to produce craft beers with stylishly minimalistic packaging.
Other breweries new to Waitrose on a national scale include Wild Beer Co, Five Points and Alchemy.
Sarah Hammond added: “We are thrilled to be introducing so many new speciality beers to Waitrose customers, which definitely deserve to be on a national stage.
“To me, the craft beer movement is all about the re-discovery of old styles, giving them a modern twist and pushing the boundaries. We’ve seen some amazing innovation in the last year — it’s an exciting time for beer and cider drinkers.”
