UK beer drinkers are getting fruity – with ale flavours from mango and pineapple to guava and strawberry proving a hit with British pub-goers.
More than two in five Brit drinkers – some 44% – said they now preferred a sweet beer over a traditional bitter-tasting bevvy, compared to 22% in France and 31% in Germany. Across the UK and the continent, customers aged 25 to 34 are most likely to have tried a flavoured pint, the new study shows.
But our island has become the European capital for sweet styles of beer with a 30% rise in flavoured brews in just five years.
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World famous for bitters, pale ales and porters, Britain’s beer landscape has been transformed with five times more flavoured beer launches than France, which follows the UK as the second most active market for tangy tinnies. On a world scale, only Canada’s flavoured ale market has grown faster with 48% growth in the hip sector, according to Synergy Flavours.
The manufacturer of essences and extracts for the global food and drink industry said more than a fifth of new beers in Europe since 2019 were flavoured. Mango, tropical, citrus and raspberry were the most popular varieties, followed by pineapple, guava, lime, strawberry and lemon.
Paola Bassi, marketing director at Synergy Flavours Europe, said: “Flavours like mandarin, lime, orange and grapefruit can complement the bitterness in beer and might represent the sweet spot in terms of product development. The under-35s, who are already buying flavoured beers more than the overall population, will be a key driver in the category’s growth.
“Catering to their flavour demands will be key for those brands wanting to gain market share.”
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