Yorkshire Brewery T&R Theakston is celebrating the successful launch of its new beer, Theakston Summit, which has seen its distribution increase three-fold since the beginning of the summer.
Originally launched in 2021, Summit is a 4.2% ABV Pale Ale, which has been specially brewed to be served extra chilled through a dedicated hand pump. It is made with Summit, El Dorado, Cascade and Amarillo hops, and is the result of consumer demand for a more, hop-forward, refreshing beer.
Now stocked in 100 pubs across the north, approximately 60k pints of Summit are being sold every month.
Stockists from across Theakston’s northern heartland have attributed Summit’s sales success to a number of factors, including its cooler temperature of dispense, its great taste and presentation in the specially designed Summit branded glass.
Commenting on the success of Theakston Summit, Simon Theakston, joint managing director of Theakston Brewery, said: “At Theakston, we’ve been brewing ales of distinction for almost 200 years, but that doesn’t mean we’re not prepared to experiment with new styles and methods. We introduced Theakston Summit to allow pubs and bars to give their customers greater choice, and to offer them a drink which combines all the great qualities of cask ale, at a lower temperature of dispense
“What’s interesting is that its appeal is strong with both urban and rural drinkers, acting as a mainstream ale, with premium positioning.
“Not only is Summit the perfect drink for the summer, but our sales figures show that its popularity will continue as we transition into the autumn and winter months, as a result of the unique position it occupies in the market as a cask ale with innovative craft values.”
Bob Roberts, landlord at the Marsh Harrier in Southport, added: “As soon as we put Summit on the bar, it generated a lot of customer interest due to it being cold, particularly given the extremely hot weather we’ve seen this summer. This coupled with the pump clip’s fresh and modern design, mean that it’s been attractive to a younger demographic as well, who might not ordinarily drink cask ale.
“We’ve only been reopened for a short time but have chosen to stock predominantly Theakston products on our bar, as we know that their ales settle and pull through nicely, meaning we’ve not had any issues managing them to date.”
Ray Hogg, licensee of The Cross Keys in Liverpool, said: “What’s interesting about Summit is that we’ve seen a lot of craft beer drinkers opt for it, where normally they might be a bit more wary of choosing a cask ale. However, Theakston has a reputation for producing quality beer, which our customers are aware of, and that seems to influence even those who aren’t regular cask drinkers. We’re currently averaging about a barrel – or 288 pints – a week, and don’t see demand slowing down any time soon!”
Alf Hollis, landlord at Dobbies Sports and Social Club in Bolton, said: “We’ve stocked Theakston ales for over 30 years, as the range of ales they offer means that there’s something there for all tastes. Their ales perform consistently well on the bar and tend to sell themselves due to Theakston’s reputation for always providing quality. Summit is no exception to this. Our customers have taken to it extremely well and we have no plans to swap it out any time soon.”
To find out more about Theakston Brewery, visit: https://www.theakstons.co.uk/.
Ends
About Theakston Brewery
Established in Masham, North Yorkshire in 1827, Theakston Brewery, with nearly 200 years of brewing expertise, is one of the UK’s oldest and most highly regarded traditional ale brewers. Operating as an independent brewer, it is the second largest of its kind under family control in the UK.
Theakston’s is one of just two breweries in the country still committed to making and repairing traditional oak casks, employing a full time qualified ‘Journeyman’ Cooper.
There are seven permanent brands in the Theakston range: Theakston Best Bitter, Theakston Old Peculier, Theakston Summit (Cold Pale Ale), Theakston Lightfoot, Theakston Barista Stout, Theakston Pale Ale and Theakston Traditional Mild, along with a range of well-established seasonal ales. The Black Bull in Paradise, the Theakston Brewery Visitor Centre in Masham welcome visitors throughout the year.
For more information, visit: https://www.theakstons.co.uk/, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Press release from Aberfield Communications.
For further information, please contact Beth Chaplow or Ben Ormsby at Aberfield Communications on beth.chaplow@aberfield.com / ben.ormsby@aberfield.com, or call 0113 880 0444.