The new owners of McEwan’s, the iconic Scottish beer, has launched its first new ale since buying the company from Heineken two years ago. The Bedford-based Wells & Young, said to be the largest independent family-owned brewer, has launched McEwan’s Red. The new draft ale which will be brewed by Heineken’s Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh from malt barley sourced from farms in the Scottish Borders. According to the firm, it is then “quenched in the roasting process to a critical point” to create a beer with an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 3.6 per cent.
The addition of McEwan’s to its portfolio means that it’s the UK’s second largest premium ale supplier and the only regional brewer to have a national footprint with local premium ales.
Wells & Young’s say they want to refresh McEwan’s current portfolio. They want to make it appeal not just to its existing loyal consumer base but also to a younger audience by introducing new variants to the range. By using the Caledonian Brewery, this will safeguard brewing in Scotland’s capital, a history which under the McEwan name dates back to 1856.
The new owners argue that the development of McEwan’s is an essential element of its plan to secure organic growth. It’s already funding a multi-million pound advertising campaign in its flagship brand, Bombardier, and is now focusing on developing international markets as well. The company already exports over eight million pints of beer to 40 countries around the world including the US, Canada, Italy and Australia.
Paul Wells, Chairman of Charles Wells, the parent company of Wells & Youngs, described his firm as “a natural home for the McEwan’s brand. As an independent, family owned business we understand how to cultivate the much-loved brands which retailers need and consumers seek out. McEwan’s is embedded into the Scottish culture and we intend to satisfy the consumers who already love the brand with new variants while also introducing it to a new generation of ale drinkers. Red is the right brand at the right time to kickstart this process. The category is crying out for a new product which is genuinely different. Given its brewing heritage there is no stronger brand to deliver this change than McEwan’s.”