Aldi’s craft beers are worth raving about
Aldi’s drinks range now includes music for your beers
ALDI has gathered a large and loyal following of customers thanks to an impressive range of products, and none are more enthusiastic than craft beer fans.
Interesting collaborations with renowned craft beer makers such as William Bros have put the supermarket at the front of the craft beer revolution.
The Alloa-based brewery have been working with Aldi since 2013, during which time craft beer’s popularity has exploded worldwide, with Scotland at the forefront.
Craft beers are created by the small, independent and traditional breweries and William Bros were one of the first to team up with Aldi in Scotland.
They collaborated with the supermarket in the craft beer renaissance, starting with a range of 500ml bottles that became best-sellers before moving into the world of craft cans, which is seeing huge growth.
And from just £1.19 for a can, they are also some of the cheapest available.
Richard McLelland, from William Bros, says: “Aldi has been willing to push the boundaries which has allowed them to have the most interesting range of craft beers available.”
The first beer created was Rubus, a huge Grapefruit IPA and the perfect beer for the beach, barbecue or just basking in the sunshine.
Now William Bros have created another two special beers, also exclusive to Aldi.
Brel and Klute are the next two 330ml craft cans developed as part of the same range as Rubus.
“We took our inspiration for these beers from classic, iconic characters and scenes that seemed to reflect the beer styles that we wanted to brew,” adds Richard.
“Building on this range we then worked closely with Aldi to develop a set of beers for the next residency across the country.”
Starting off life as the White Label series – as any good underground label should, experimenting with styles and hop profiles – the next three beers in the William Bros craft collaboration with Aldi started as a homage to
the club-scenes that have defined generations.
From Disco, through Northern Soul to Acid House and Indie, they have been inspired by the music and tribal nature of the fan bases that kept the floors filled.
“We wanted to reflect that joy and connectivity in our ‘Club Series’,” says Richard.
Studio 54 IPA celebrates the classic era of disco, pouring golden and glittering and struts with a hop-forward profile.
Hacienda PA is inspired by the music of Factory Records – think Pales ’n’ Ales and Hoppy Haze – delivered in a citrus and peach pleasure bomb.
While Golden Torch is a, “Soul Boy Session”, Pale Ale brewed with light crystal malts to bring a bit of body and sweetness to your spins and flips.
And for William Bros, the partnership with Aldi has allowed them to significantly increase production and investment, employing more staff, which has a positive impact across local communities.
Richard adds: “Our continued partnership with Aldi, has allowed us to invest in a high speed canning line and the staff required to manage it. Moreover, we have been able to implement a wider quality control training program, developing existing staff, and further raising our standards and certifications.”
“We can continue to identify new trends, styles and formats to keep Aldi’s range invigorated while delivering great value for the consumer.
“Keep your eyes peeled for what’s coming next.”