Demand for these lighter beers (typical strength 4% ABV) has shot up over the past year, with Tesco reporting volume growth of 250% in 2024.
Tesco beer buyer Ben Cole said: “The soaring demand for fruit-led brews, particularly lager, has taken the UK drinks market by storm and is the biggest trend to hit the beer scene since the craft boom started more than 15 years ago.”
Already popular in western European countries such as France, Germany and Belgium, fruity style beers are often associated with ‘after sport’ refreshment – particularly skiing and cycling.
This demand has slowly trickled over into the UK, with European beers with fruity profiles gradually becoming more popular over the last 15 years.
UK success
Belgian strawberry brews Fruli and Bacchus Kriek, German shandy style beer Radler and Damm Lemon from Spain are just a few of the beers that have seen success with Tesco’s shoppers.
“The trend actually has its roots in the craft beer movement because it introduced beers with tropical fruit profiles to more drinkers than ever before,” Cole added. “For many people the craft movement changed the perception of what a beer could taste like and opened many drinkers’ palates to a wider range of styles.”
Seven years ago, dedicated UK fruit lager brand Jubel was launched and quickly established its popularity among drinkers in the 21-35 age group. The company now has five different varieties – peach, mango, blood orange, lemon and grapefruit – of its 4% strength lager and has seen volume grow in Tesco by more than 300%.
Founder Jesse Wilson said: “We were a mixed group of men and women, some of whom liked beer and some who didn’t, but we all loved the Bière Pêche being served – a pint of lager with a peach top – and it gave me the idea to start the brand.
‘Fifth biggest craft beer’
“I thought that style of lager could be the perfectly refreshing pint in pubs and that’s where our business grew, with word of mouth spreading rapidly, to the point where it seems our flagship peach lager is now the fifth biggest craft beer in the on-trade based on CGA reported volumes.
“We are incredibly excited that retailers like Tesco see this as the biggest trend to hit beer since the craft beer movement, and we’re pumped to be pioneering it.”
Tesco likened the trend to the fruit-led cider boom that began 20 years ago with the introduction of pear varieties.
That movement came after Magners ‘reinvented’ cider as a refreshing drink to be enjoyed ‘over ice’ and within a few years other cider manufacturers such as Kopparberg were marketing fruit-led variants.
Meanwhile, Peroni Nastro Azzurro is launching a new 10-can multipack of 330ml ‘stubby’ cans in a bid to attract younger customers.
