Wexford Irish Cream Ale now on British market

THE British brewer, Greene King, has introduced Wexford Irish Cream Ale to the British market, and is targeting beer drinking customers attracted to Bass's Belfast brewed Caffrey's and Guinness's Kilkenny ale. Despite its Irish name, Wexford is being brewed by Greene King at Bury St Edmunds in southeast England, although Greene King is brewing the ale under licence from the Lett family of Enniscorthy, who hold the recipe.

Wexford Irish Cream Ale went on sale in Enniscorthy last month but the main market for the ale is in Britain where Greene King has begun selling the ale in some of its pubs in Bury St Edmunds.

The launch of Wexford follows the success of Caffrey's for Bass Caffrey's now sells one million barrels a year and had an excellent summer last year when it attracted custom from both British real ale drinkers and also premium lager drinkers.

"It has the colour of real ale so it appeals to real drinkers and it's also served chilled so it appeals to lager drinkers, " said Mr Mike Benner, research officer at the Campaign for Real Ale.

Kilkenny, brewed by Guinness and exported to Europe since 1987, showed a 30 per cent increase in sales volumes last year also helped by the very hot

Whitbread, which brews Murphy, stout in Britain, is also planning to launch Murphy's Oyster Stout next week. This is. a 5 per cent alcohol brew without the head of Guinness or Murphy regular stout.