Harrogate-based brewery, Rooster’s Brewing Co. has secured a listing with Asda for the launch of Baby-Faced Assassin, the brewery’s flagship IPA, in 440ml cans.
First launched in 330ml cans in January 2015, Baby-Faced Assassin has become one of Rooster’s standout beers in recent years, winning multiple awards, including at the 2015, 2017 and 2021 International Brewing Awards, going on to become the brewery’s biggest-selling small pack product.
Brewed using 100% Citra hops, the move to package Baby-Faced Assassin into 440ml cans has been made exclusively for Asda, with the beer set to launch in 159 stores across the UK from October 17th.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Ryan Trusswell, Asda’s Craft Beer buyer, said: “I’m really excited to see Rooster’s entering the Asda craft range. They have been producing a fantastic array of craft beers for many years and what better way to launch in Asda than with Baby-Faced Assassin? With the West Coast IPA style growing in the market, this is one that we couldn’t leave out of our range!”
Tom Fozard, Rooster’s Commercial Director, said: “Having first created Baby-Faced Assassin as a homebrew recipe back In 2011, I never could have imagined the success the beer would go on to enjoy in the years since. As a small, family-owned, independent brewery, we delighted to be working with Asda and the opportunity it provides for our flagship IPA to reach more and more craft beer drinkers across the UK.”
The Asda listing builds on previous successes for both Rooster’s and Baby-Faced Assassin in particular, with Waitrose, Morrisons and M&S having also stocked the beer in a number of their stores.
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Rooster’s Brewing Co. www.roosters.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About Rooster’s Brewing Company
Rooster’s Brewing Co. has always been an independent, family-run brewery, focussed on creating quality new world pale ales, with an emphasis on flavour and aroma.
It was established in 1993 by the pioneering brewer Sean Franklin, who developed a new style of beer that had, up to that point, never been tried in the UK before. At a time when most breweries were taking flavour out, Sean was trying to put more in, using imported flavourful hops from the west coast of America.
His pioneering and innovative approach began to turn heads, with Rooster’s flavour-packed beers standing out in a sea of brown beer – with its flagship pale ale, Yankee, leading the way. The awards began to pour in, with Rooster’s beers winning gold medals at the biggest and most renowned international and national beer awards.
Having won pretty much everything there was to win, in 2011 Sean decided to retire and chose to sell the brewery to Ian Fozard and his sons, Tom and Oliver, in a move that ensured Rooster’s would remain a family-owned brewery.
Ian has had an affinity with beer for over forty years, having been an active member of CAMRA since the 1970s and the founder of Market Town Taverns, which grew into a portfolio of 15 bars and pubs across Yorkshire.
Oliver, who has been brewing professionally since 2000, became the head brewer at Rooster’s, and Tom, also an active brewer, became the company’s commercial director. Oliver was awarded Brewer of the Year in December 2020 by the British Guild of Beer Writers.
In 2018, it became clear that Rooster’s was rapidly outgrowing its site in Knaresborough and in 2019 the decision was made to invest in a new state-of-the-art brewery and taproom. Finding the right location, that offered Rooster’s the opportunity to become part of the fabric of the local community wasn’t easy, but the team were delighted when the perfect space became available at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate. Over the course of 2019 and the early part of January 2020, the company created a bespoke, state-of-the-art facility that it now calls home, in a move that saw it return to the town where Rooster’s was first started some twenty-seven years earlier.
Press release from Rooster’s Brewing Company.
For further information, please contact Ian Fozard on ian@roosters.co.uk or 07957 371757.