Beer lovers have got until the end of the week to sample Jersey Brewery's Christmas Ale before it all runs out. More than four hundred pints of 'Mary Ann Christmas Ale' have been drunk every day since its launch three weeks ago - making it the most successful ever seasonal cask ale produced.
The brewery has already produced four times as much as previous years and for the first time the Christmas beer has been stocked by rival pub chain Randalls. The ale has also been available in Guernsey pubs sold as 'Blitzen's Prancer'.
Mark Crowther is Chief Executive Officer of the Liberation Group which owns Jersey Brewery. He says: "Based on the speed of sales we've seen so far beer lovers will have until the end of the week to enjoy a festive pint before the beer's drunk dry. We have been overwhelmed by the response and have produced extra batches to keep pace with demand. This is a resounding endorsement from Channel Islanders that they like what we're producing.we just need to produce more of it!"
The ale, which includes Jersey's traditional Black Butter, was launched at Jersey's Christmas festival La Fête dé Noué at the end of November. As well as being an exceptional product, the success of the beer is also being attributed to the fact it is more widely available. The Lamplighter pub in St Helier doubled its original order from six casks to 12, a move that's significant for the brewery because the pub caters for real ale enthusiasts.
Jersey Brewery's Head Brewer Paul Hurley says: "We started by producing 30 casks but they rapidly ran out. As sales took off we produced a further three batches making a total of 120 casks - it is undoubtedly our most successful cask ale ever."
Each cask contains 72 pints. The total Christmas Ale produced amounted to 8,640 pints, which sold over three weeks results in 411 pints a day.
The beer has been available in more than 20 outlets, a considerable increase on previous years. Anecdotally pub managers say the festive ingredients in the beer have captured the public's imagination resulting in more people asking to try it.
Jersey Brewery has also enjoyed recent success with the re-launch of Mary Ann and a special anniversary beer called 'It's Time' to mark Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's 50th year. These have resulted in a number of requests from various local organisations for the Brewery to produce one-off products for fundraising or special events in 2009.
Mark Crowther says: "Jersey Brewery is a wonderful facility employing experienced professionals who take great pride in producing high-class products. We would be delighted to hear from anyone who thinks their community event could benefit from having their own signature product." |
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