Czech beer Krušovice has been officially launched into the UK because of increasing demand for authentic traditional beers with heritage.
Two beers from the Royal Brewery of Krušovice – part of Heineken – have been introduced: Krušovice Imperial and Krušovice Černé. Distributed in the UK through SHS Sales & Marketing, they are positioned at the top end of the premium imported beer category.
Krušovice Imperial is a golden pilsner lager with an ABV of five per cent, while Krušovice Černé is dark, smooth and full bodied with a lower ABV of 3.8 per cent.
They are available in the UK on-trade in 330ml bottles, and SHS will be working with selected on-trade partners to develop draught sales. Krušovice has been available in Scotland for the past 10 years but it has not been widely distributed or marketed before.
Audrey Schillings, senior brand manager at Heineken International, said: “The retail sales value of the world lager category in the on-trade in the UK is now approaching £1billion, and over the past year value sales have grown by 18 per cent. The strong performance is being driven by the combination of a growth in the number of consumers buying into the world beer category and increases in frequency of purchase.
“We are seeing particularly strong interest from consumers and trade customers in European heritage pils that reflects a growing consumer desire for an authentic, traditional beer experience. It is these prevailing market trends which led to our decision to extend availability of Krušovice throughout the UK for those consumers who wish to enjoy a premium quality beer.”
Both beers are brewed to original recipes created at the Royal Brewery which was established in 1581 at its current location in the small town of Krušovice in the heart of the Czech Republic’s Rakovník brewing region.
On-trade wholesale stockists include Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants and Madison Drinks in London.
