Us Brits tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to booze. Everyone’s got their signature spirit, their go-to cocktail and their preferred pint. But there are signs that our drinking habits as a nation are changing. That’s because Carling has just lost its crown as Britain’s most popular draught beer.
Carling has recently been overtaken by the Italian-style lager Birra Moretti. Research by hospitality business tracker CGA shows that the drink raked in a whopping £246.7m over the last three months, which is 9.6 percent up on this time last year and officially makes it the best-loved beer on tap in the country right now.
It might be Italian by name, but Moretti is actually brewed in Manchester and has been owned by Dutch brewer Heineken since 1996. Still, Veronica Sica, the director of Heineken UK beer brands unit, said: ‘Birra Moretti encourgaes the drinker to live the Italian lifestyle through the ideas it cultivates; enjoying great craftmanship, spending time with friends and enjoying a good meal together.’
She added its popularity shows an ‘increased importance of great quality experiences and a willingness to pay more for them’.
Beer-loving Britain
The popularity of Moretti, alongside that of Spanish beer, Madrí shows a growing appetite for Mediterranean-style pints among Brits. But are the big brands pushing out craft beers?
To try them all, get on down to Time Out’s picks of best breweries and taprooms in London, London’s best craft beer bars and pubs and the most beautiful beer gardens in the country.
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