Asda has just rolled out a brand new own label beer and cider range, and it is already sitting on shelves and online. Called Asquith 1965, the launch is a clear attempt to give shoppers a reason to skip the pub brands and pick something up on their weekly shop instead.
Seven drinks make up the initial collection, covering everything from a classic lager to hazy pale ales, a bitter and a proper stout. Every can comes in the standard 440ml size, so there is no need to hunt around for the right measurement when comparing prices against other beers in the aisle.
The lineup includes Break the Cycle, a session IPA, alongside a Session Best Bitter and the flagship 1965 Premium Lager. Fans of something hazier can go for the Stormy Maine New England IPA or the Keep Rollin’ Hazy Pale Ale, while stout drinkers get an Irish Nitro Stout to try.
Cider has not been forgotten either. Asda’s own Heritage Orchard Cider has been brewed in partnership with Westons Cider, the maker behind Henry Weston Vintage Cider, giving the range a bit of orchard heritage rather than a generic supermarket cider thrown together to fill a gap.
The breweries behind each can
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Rather than producing everything under one roof, Asda has teamed up with a handful of established brewers to make each drink. Kirkstall Brewery, Ossett Brewery, Siren Craft Brewery and The Garden Brewery all lend their name and expertise to different cans in the range, giving each drink its own distinct character.
That approach means the lager, the bitter, the stout and the two hazy IPAs have each been shaped by a brewer who specialises in that particular style, rather than one factory trying to turn out seven very different drinks at once. It is the kind of detail that beer fans tend to notice and appreciate.
Prices have been kept firmly in supermarket territory. Most of the beers in the range come in a four pack for £5 or a ten pack for £10, working out at a pound a can either way. The Irish Nitro Stout breaks that pattern slightly, sold as an eight pack for £10 instead.
Shoppers keen to try something new without committing to a multipack can also buy single cans. The Keep Rollin’ Hazy Pale Ale, the Stormy Maine Hazy New England IPA and the Break the Cycle Session IPA are all available individually at £2.50 each, making it easy to sample a few styles before settling on a favourite.
Why Asda is chasing craft beer drinkers
Asda’s beer and RTD buying manager said more drinkers are now looking beyond traditional lagers, and exploring craft, heritage and flavour led styles instead. The retailer sees Asquith as a way of letting shoppers discover those styles without paying the premium price tag usually attached to craft beer.
Rather than competing purely on price, the aim has been to offer more beer for the money while still keeping real quality and character in every can. Asda has worked closely with its brewing partners to make sure each drink has real provenance behind it, rather than simply slapping a new label on an existing recipe.
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The full strength and brewer breakdown
For anyone comparing strengths before buying, the 1965 Lager comes in at 5% and is made by Eagle Brewery, while Break the Cycle Session IPA from Kirkstall Brewery sits at 4.3%. The Heritage Orchard Cider from Westons Cider is the strongest of the bunch at 6.8%.
The Irish Nitro Stout from Siren Craft Brewery comes in at 4.1%, and Keep Rollin’ Hazy IPA from The Garden Brewery sits at 4.6%. Session Best Bitter, brewed by Ossett Brewery, is the lightest at 3.4%, while Stormy Maine Hazy New England IPA, also from The Garden Brewery, is the strongest beer in the range at 5.8%.
Asda has been keen to stress the breadth of the collection as one of its biggest selling points. Rather than launching one or two flagship beers, offering seven distinct styles at once means there is something for lager drinkers, IPA fans, bitter traditionalists and cider lovers all under the same brand.
According to Asda, the whole point of Asquith is proving that great beer should be accessible to everyone, rather than reserved for specialist bottle shops or a trip to the pub. Pricing it in line with standard supermarket beer, while still working with respected craft brewers, is the retailer’s way of trying to close that gap.
Asquith 1965 has launched exclusively in Asda stores and online this week, with prices starting from £2.50, so anyone curious about swapping their usual lager for something a little different can pick up a single can to try before committing to a full pack.
