London Pride (beer)
 | |
| Type | Beer |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Fuller's Brewery |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Introduced | 1959 |
| Alcohol by volume | 4.1% (cask and keg) 4.7% (bottled) |
| Colour | Deep golden amber |
| Flavour | Malty sweet, with a clean bitterness. Toffee, biscuit notes with a zesty character. |
| Related products | Fuller's ESB, Chiswick Bitter, Honey Dew, Frontier |
| Website | https://fullers.co.uk |
London Pride is the flagship beer of Fuller's Brewery. It is sold both cask-conditioned and bottled. It has been brewed at the Griffin Brewery since 1958.
History
[edit]
London Pride takes its name from a common name for the Saxifraga × urbium flower, in use by the 19th century.[2] The flower provided shoots of recovery on the bombed sites left by the London Blitz of the early 1940s, and as such held symbolism for Londoners, celebrated in "London Pride", a patriotic song written in 1941 by Noël Coward.[1]
Awards
[edit]London Pride was named Champion Beer of Britain in the Best Bitter Class at the CAMRA awards in 1979 and 1995.[3] It was named Supreme Champion at the 2000 International Beer and Cider competition.[4]
Characteristics
[edit]London Pride is known for its balance of malt and hops, giving rise to a well-rounded flavour. It is brewed with Pale malt, plus Target, Challenger and Northdown hops. In the UK, draught London Pride is brewed to 4.1% ABV (cask and keg), while in bottles and cans it has a strength of 4.7% ABV. Internationally, a keg version is often available at 4.7% ABV.[citation needed]
In February 2017, Fuller's launched London Pride Unfiltered - an unfiltered variant - which is brewed using the original recipe, then dry hopped with Target hops and centrifuged but not filtered or pasteurised.[5]
Marketing
[edit]The London Pride brand has been promoted with the slogan "Made of London".[6] The brand has a social media presence across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with social-first campaigns such as "Tweet At 12",[7] "Empty Pint"[8] and "Drop Of Pride". London Pride sponsors initiatives and events including an annual 10 kilometre walk in aid of Cancer Research UK. Since 2007, it has been the official beer of the London Marathon.[9] In 2018, Fullers London Pride became the official beer of Pride in London.[10]
London Pride partnered with the weatherman Michael Fish to offer Twitter followers a free pint each time it rained in London in February 2017. The campaign was called "#Whenitrainsitpours".[11]
London Pride also has a significant sponsorship presence in Rugby union in England. The beer has been the 'proud sponsors of Premiership rugby' since a deal was made between the two entities in 2021.[12] They have also sponsored the British & Irish lions since 2021[13] and have sponsorship boards at many premiership rugby stadiums.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Morley, Sheridan (2005). Noël Coward. Haus Publishing. p. 78. ISBN 9781904341888 – via Google Books.
- ^ West, Theresa Cornwallis (1847). A Summer Visit to the West of Ireland in 1846. London: R. Bentley. p. 99.
- ^ "Champion Beer of Britain". Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ Reynard, C (26 May 2000). "Fullers taking Pride in sales growth". City Wire. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Nicholas (24 February 2017). "Fuller's launches new London Pride Unfiltered". The Morning Advertiser.
- ^ Berry, Mike (1 May 2013). "Fuller's launches new Made of London campaign for London Pride". The Morning Advertiser. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ Magee, Kate (6 May 2015). "Fuller's offers free pints to tweeting Londoners". Campaign. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ Degun, Gurjit. "Fuller's offers free pint of London Pride on Twitter". Campaign. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ Manson, Emily (9 January 2007). "Fuller, Smith & Turner signs London Marathon sponsorship deal". The Caterer. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ Fullers Brewery Blog. "Pride Loves Pride". Campaign. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ McCarthy, John (3 February 2017). "London Pride taps legendary weatherman Michael Fish for rainy day beer give away". The Drum. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ "Fuller's London Pride signs Premiership Rugby beer deal". SportBusiness. 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
- ^ "British & Irish Lions | Lions announce Fuller's London Pride as official beer". www.lionsrugby.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.