---

PR AND COPYWRITING

E-mail to find out more

 

Oak ageing pioneer not phased by competition

l Dougal Sharp, the man behind sector-leading
Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer

March 12, 2008: You'd think that the owner and creator of a new category of beer would be far from pleased to see a competitor enter the market, but not a bit of it.

Dougal Sharp, the man behind Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer, has welcomed the arrival of Eiken Artois Oak Aged Lager (4.6% ABV) into the UK market. According to press reports, the beer has been developed by Stella Artois to an original continental recipe with special oak-ageing technology.

"When we launched our original Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer in 2003 we little knew that our new beer's international success would spawn a whole new category for beer in the UK," said Dougal.

"Oak ageing has its roots in history, as oak barrels were historically used to store all sorts, like fish, meat, jams, butter, wines and beer. But our innovation was to allow the delicious flavours of the bourbon oak to add their magic to our range of beers, rounding off their edges and adding flavour and complexity."

He insists that with surging consumer interest in hand-crafted beers with complexity of flavour, it is vital that brewers offer a wide range of flavours and styles, and he is "delighted" that such a major continental lager brewer has now followed Innis & Gunn's lead.

"Stella Artois' technologically advanced ways of exposing their beer to oak sounds like they differ from our own far more home-spun methods of oak ageing, which use thousands of oak barrels to mature the beer, resting for months in the cool Scottish mists," said Dougal.

"With this country's long tradition of using barrels for maturation, Scotland is one of the few places in the world so well qualified to carry out our unique production methods. I am delighted that they have decided to bring in a new variation under the oaked beer category, especially since we can now claim to be the world's favourite oak aged beer."

Innis & Gunn Original(6.6% ABV) is the world's best selling oak aged beer. It is widely available in the UK and abroad, and is the best selling Scottish bottled beer in Sweden and Canada.

Demand has driven an expansion of the range. Innis & Gunn Blonde was recently launched in Sainsbury's and will be joined there in April by a seasonal variant, finished in rum barrels.

In addition, Majestic Wine Warehouses are offering a special mixed case, including Original, Blonde and Innis & Gunn Cask Strength.