'Champagne beer' set for Britain
BEER purists may wince and sparkling wine lovers recoil, but brewing chiefs believe a beverage that combines the two tipples could prove to be a runaway hit with Britain's drinkers.
Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), an Asian affiliate of Dutch giant Heineken, has developed a beer that is brewed from champagne yeast. Called Touché, the designer beverage was launched in Singapore, APB's home market, last year.
Executives say they have been besieged by enquiries from operators in the UK, other European and North American markets.
An international sales push for what the Asian company claims is a world first could now be in prospect. 'Nothing definite is on the cards yet, but the worldwide interest that Touché is generating is something we can take advantage of,' said Andrea Teo, head of new product development at APB.
Brewing beer with champagne yeast is a technique developed by Heineken in European laboratories. But the Singapore brewery is the first to refine and market the beer, which is sweet, has an alcohol content of 5.5%, and carries a distinct whiff of Chardonnay grapes.
Touché retails for S$6 (£1.95) a bottle in Singapore. The beverage has reportedly proved a hit among the Asian country's celebrity crowd, several of whom have served it at high-profile weddings.
APB, a unit of Asian beverage group Fraser & Neave, is 42.5% held by Heineken, which brews and sells the Dutch lager in Asian countries including China.
