Belgian independent brewer Haacht is bringing some much-needed colour to the British summer with its premium fruit flavoured beers, SUPER 8 Cherry and SUPER 8 Peach. Both beers are part of Haacht’s SUPER 8 modern Belgian craft brew range, now available in the UK.
Haacht UK is offering pubs, bars and taprooms promotional support for the two fruity wheat beers with high quality, distinctive POS. This includes premium branded glassware; striking, contemporary tap handles for keg dispense and SUPER 8 bottle openers.
SUPER 8 Cherry is a 3.4% ABV wheat beer blended with 25% cherry juice, available in 20l kegs and 330ml bottles, while SUPER 8 Peach is a 3.7% ABV wheat beer made with 25% peach juice, available in 20l kegs. Both beers are being introduced to thousands of drinkers at the Craft Beer Festival series this summer, with SUPER 8 Peach being voted top fruit beer at the Bristol event with a 4.1 rating.
Matthew Langley, country director at Haacht UK, said: “SUPER 8 Cherry and SUPER 8 Peach are the perfect beers for a British summer. Cherry is rich and refreshing, while Peach, which is one of this year’s on-trend flavours, is light and fruity.
“As mid-strength beers, they’re great to enjoy chilled when the sun shines, but equally, they bring a much-needed burst of brightness if the clouds appear. UK craft beer drinkers appreciate a broad range of styles, and fruit beer is a fast-growing category.
“As with the full SUPER 8 range, Cherry and Peach are a far cry from traditional Belgian beers. As speciality beer styles with a uniquely contemporary Belgian twist, the SUPER 8 range has been gradually building a following in the UK, and we’re now stepping support up a gear, as we build distribution and give more beer enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy these remarkable beers.”
SUPER 8 Cherry and Peach are served on draught at the six London sites operated by pub and hostel business PubLove. Ben Stackhouse, founder of PubLove said: “The SUPER 8 fruit beers are a great addition to our range of craft beers, adding a real point of difference to our line-up.
“Both SUPER 8 Peach and SUPER 8 Cherry deliver a unique taste which is refreshing and delicious. They are proving to be hugely popular summer beers, despite the disappointing lack of summer so far this year.”
SUPER 8 Cherry has become a mainstay of the bar at the Kashmir Café at the Isle of Wight festival. Run by drinks distributor Island Ales, the Kashmir is staffed by volunteers, raises funds for the Island’s charitable Arts Centre, and gives local and up-and-coming bands a slot at the festival.
Oliver Minshull of Island Ales said: “Seeking out a pint of SUPER 8 Cherry at the Kashmir Café has become a tradition for many Isle of Wight Festival regulars. It works well alongside our range of local ales. It’s an ideal festival beer, fruity and refreshing, with the cherry flavour appealing to mainstream drinkers as well as craft beer enthusiasts.”
The SUPER 8 range also includes Blanche, a cloudy wheat beer; Flandrien, a Belgian blonde; Export, a light blonde pilsner; Rouge, a full-bodied fruit beer with cranberries and cherries; and IPA, a hoppy and zesty interpretation of the classic style.
SUPER 8 is part of a broader family of beers from Haacht, which are already well known in Europe, and now starting to build awareness in the UK as the brewer increases its presence in the on-trade. Also available to UK on-trade operators from Haacht are:
- Primus, the original Belgian pilsner. With the recipe unchanged since its launch in 1924, Primus maintains its original taste and authenticity.
- Tongerlo, a range of traditional Belgian Abbey style beers, produced in partnership with the monks of Tongerlo Abbey. All bottle conditioned, there are three beers in the range, Blond, Bruin and Tripel. Tongerlo Blond won Best Beer in the World in 2014.
Tasting notes
- SUPER 8 Cherry, 3.4% ABV is a tempting red fruit beer that combines the natural sweet taste of summer cherries with the refreshing character of a Belgian wheat beer, containing 25% cherry juice. Ideal matched with duck and pork dishes or as the basis for a cherry sauce to serve with either, as well as a brilliant partner to anything chocolate.
- SUPER 8 Peach, 3.7% ABV, is a fresh, golden beer combining the tastes of freshly picked, sun-ripened peaches with the refreshing character of a Belgian wheat beer, containing 25% peach juice. It is a particularly good match with Moroccan food, and, like SUPER 8 Cherry, has a sweetness that makes it a natural dessert beer.
