Beer Range Rebrands

A few weeks ago, Timothy Taylor brewery created a stir when they revealed they would be updating the artwork on their pump clips, Glasswear and bottles for first time in nearly a decade, in order to appeal to the latest generation of drinkers, as part of a £9million upgrade to the brewery. As news spread, some commentators were foaming at the mouth, calling it a disgrace, accusing the brewers of going woke and trying to appease the youth market, a number have even compared the new logos to Madri Man, the bearded bloke featured on the popular Spanish lager brand, and at worse described it as tatty and tarted up. Since time immemorial breweries up and down the land, have frequently updated their branding sometimes to the detriment or delight of their audience. In recent years there have been a raft of rebrands from Badger’s menagerie of anthropomorphic animals to Adnams’ set of impressionistic paintings of the Southwold coast. These comprehensive makeovers have been essential for breweries in a bid to adapt and survive in today’s competitive market, while sometimes the results have been met with indifference, on the flip side some breweries have seen an uptick in sales following a rebrand. Over the past decade alone, a vast number of breweries have branded their image, it would be difficult to mention all of them in these columns, so here’s a cross section of some choice cuts.

 

Badger (Hall & Woodhouse)

Back in 2023, H&W were looking to revive their brand in a bid to reverse ailing sales in the Premium Bottles Ales (PBA) category. Following consumer research carried out by IGD with their customer base who stated their presentation was a bit dull and old fashioned, H&W worked with Robot Food to create a new brand identity; the design company has previously been lauded for their efforts with Vocation and Brooklyn brewery respectively. In September that year the rebrand was launched to the public with new designs appearing in both their bottled and pump clip range. The designs feature anthropomorphic animals in different settings, for instance Master Stoat (5%) features a stoat dressed up a barista, promoting the fact that the beer is infused with coffee. While their flagship beer Fursty Ferret (4.4%) showcases a ferret dressed up as a robber, this name comes from the inquisitive ferrets which used to sneak a taste of the local brew. Furst is also another word for innovation, independence and courage. It is also another word for ‘thirsty’ in the Dorset dialect. The bottles and pump clips used bold colours that help them stand out from the competition, Beer Today described it as “vibrant, memorable and unlike anything else in the PBA sector, the new bottles tackle head on the main obstacles for the category, namely its homogeneity, old-fashioned image, lack of clear taste guidance and difficulty to navigate.”[1] In a reflection as a sign of the times the brewery was aiming to tap into appealing the youth market through their rebrand, Giles Mountford (marketing manager at H&W) stated at the time “importantly, the designs are unique to Badger, rooted in our Dorset brewing heritage, but with a contemporary twist. So, while we’ve gone more vibrant and quirkier to meet the expectations of the new generation of ale drinker we’re aiming to attract, we also have real authenticity underpinning the new look.” Within a year the rebrand had paid off, according to data from Kantar the brewery cited an uptick of 51.9% in sales within a 12-week period leading up to the 29^th September 2024 against a decline of 10% in overall PBA sales. It also had a transformative effect on their supermarket sales, which represent a significant portion of the brewery’s outreach, Craft Brewing Business noted “over the 12-week period the number of shopping trips where Badger ales were purchased increased by 12%, and consumers bought on average 37% more beer on those trips. The brand also expanded its reach, with 231,000 consumers buying Badger ales – an increase of 10%.”[2] Mountford admitted this rebrand wasn’t taken lightly but was seen as necessary due to falling sales in the PBA category, yet he added the increase in sales of Badger beer shows that a new approach can buck this trend, so in hindsight it has been a worthwhile investment for the brewery.

 

Daleside

Over the past few years Daleside Brewery based in Harrogate saw a downturn in its fortunes following the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis and by 2024 managing director Eric Lucas decided to retire. Rather that shut up shop, he sold the brewery to another local brewer Rooster’s and the production of their beers was transferred to their site at Hornbeam Park; the acquisition was made in order to ensure the continuation of its brand and enable future growth. While Daleside continues to operate an independent entity, as part of this move Rooster’s decided to update Daleside’s image, the second time within a space of a decade. The following March their new logo debuted along with updated pump clips and bottle artwork, gone were the varied designs of old and in its place the new artwork featured an illustrated topography of the sun rising over the Yorkshire Dales, while less traditional they look more colourful than their predecessors with a hint of retro styling. All the pump clips feature the same artwork, while the names of each beer are set against a plain background, different colours help differentiate them. Using the same image for their entire range admittedly looks a tad homogenous and in the process the brewery has lost some of that quirky Yorkshire eccentricity that they built up over the years. On the other hand, it gives the brand a distinctive appearance that helps make it stand out from its competition.

 

St. Peters

Since 2014, the Bungay based brewery has worked with The Finishing Post a design firm based in Bury St. Edmunds, their first collaboration involved simplifying the pump clips featuring a disc shaped motif. The artwork was simplified only showing the name of the beer in Garamond font set against a pastel-coloured background. In 2017, the design company was awarded 2^nd place (Design Publishing) at the Rose Creative Awards for their artwork on the then newly launched Crafted Range of craft beers from St. Peter’s.  Two years later, the brewery’s marketing director John Haddingham approached the company again, looking to rebrand the brewery’s range for the 2^nd time in a decade. The bottle labels were enlarged and reshaped in an upturned shield motif, with more vibrant colours while the text size was also increased, boldened and changed to white with the tasting notes for each respective beer displayed underneath. Meanwhile the pump clips were shaped to resemble a beer barrel, with a gold coloured keyline used for their core-range. Their seasonal specials moreover use a silver coloured keyline. As part of these changes, the brewery’s trademark icon of a raven holding a key was also made more prominent, now displayed on the top left-hand side. A spokesperson from The Finishing Post stated “we developed a design that reflected the heraldic symbols featured on the exterior walls of St Peter’s Hall, whilst maximising the brand icon, the Raven. The bottle labels use a more contemporary colour palette and fonts, with clear tasting notes for customer appeal on shelf. The core range uses a gold keyline for a premium feel, where the alcohol free and lifestyle varieties use silver for differentiation.”[3] The new designs were first showcased along with four new draught beers at the Craft Beer Rising event held at the Old Truman Brewery which took place between the 21^st – 23^rd February that year, where it received positive feedback from consumers and trade officials. Beer Club described the new logos as “St Peter’s has updated its labels and branding with a fresh, new and eye-catching design that maintains its premium position in the beer industry, whilst also supporting its current customers and staying true to its roots, heritage, provenance and quality.”[4] While most of the range is homogenous in format, some have differed from the norm such as their limited-edition Jubilee Ale (4%) which featured a monochrome Union Jack, while their seasonal release Christmas Ale (7%) includes an image of St Peter’s Hall set against a snowy landscape. Since the rebrand, the brewery continues to build on its success, it is now one of the largest beer brands in the country, selling to a number of supermarkets, its international markets include the US, Canada, Mexico, Italy, France and Germany respectively, it is now part of Sunrise Beverages, one of the UK’s largest beverage companies which looks to maintain the integrity of independent brewing by preserving its individuality of its brands and empowering them to grow.

 

Brentwood

In October 2024, the brewery updated their entire range. Up to this point their bottles and pump clips were represented with mostly beige backgrounds and limited artwork, most featured the brewery’s coat of arms, featuring a knight downing a pint of ale. The new artwork features bolder designs, more prominent colours and imaginative artwork to help promote the content of the beers. Haunted Hops (4%) features a haunted house in a field of hop cones, while Walrus of Love (4.2%) appropriately has a walrus in sunglasses quoting lyrics from a Barry White song. Whereas most blatantly Marvelous Maple Mild (3.7%) features a Canadian maple leaf in order to emphasis the case that this beer is blended with maple syrup. Overall, the images are more humorous and creative, helping promote the brand further. Moreover, the brewery’s trademark coat of arms has been dropped from most of its pump clips, the shape has also changed from heraldic shield to a pentagon. This allows for the pump clips to interlock with each other, useful for collectors. The style is reminiscent of the board game Nut Hunt, which features illustrated hexagon panels and bold type face.

 

Adnams

In 2024, following their 150th anniversary celebrations two years earlier, the brewery unveiled a new look to their range. The new pump clips and bottle designs feature artwork by Victoria Sorboen that showcase the landscape and beauty of the area around Southwold, the coastal town where the brewery is based. Fergus Fitzgerald (head of production at Adnams) stated at the time the reason behind this rebrand was due to the to the pump clips in the core-range differing in appearance, new additions like Mosaic Pale Ale (4.1%) and Dry Hopped Lager (4.2%) differed in look from older beers in the range, the rebrand allows the beers to be unified under one look, adding “the new branding really brings out that sense of place and connection to where these beers are made. The paintings tell the stories and showcase the beauty of the landscapes that inspired those beers.”[5] His colleague Jess Turner (head of brands & creativity) stated there was a growing need for stronger brand recognition that would encourage customers to explore their range, noting “there is a real sense of customer ownership across our beers, so it was important that we recognised that and maintained their individuality.” The new designs were produced via design agency CookChick, the brewery have worked with them for the past 18 years. The agency commissioned artist Victoria Sorbean to produce paintings for each pump clip, they arranged a number of meetings to discuss what they wanted her to paint, the overall concept and elements they wanted to include the artwork for each respective pump clip. While the parameters of each concept were adhered to, they allowed the artist to give her added creative flourish to each painting, while prioritising on storytelling and bringing a hand-crafted quality to the brand. Sorbean reflected on the experience “it all had to fall in a specific area. As someone who paints freely, to have to think of the components within the composition and consider perspective and how the scene wraps around the canvas, which in this case, is the beer can, bottle or pump clip – was an intriguing challenge.”[6] The new designs beginning with Broadside (6%) and Ghost Ship (4.1%) debuted on 2nd April 2024, initially launching from the brewery’s website and major supermarkets. Each pump clip features a unique illustration by Sorbean, Broadside (6%) features a fleet of warships sailing away from Southwold harbour, a crimson red palette helps give the scene a dramatic look. While the likes of Blackshore Stout (4.2%) includes a row of black-tarred beach huts situated along Southwold’s seafront. And Southwold Bitter (4.1%) features the brewery’s trademark icon Southwold Jack who has appeared on a number of their beer labels over the years. Jack has been a popular figure in Southwold since the 15^th century, which derives from a wooden clock-jack that strikes the bell at St. Edmund Church, over time he has become a widespread icon around the town adorning buildings, pub frontages at Adnams pubs, while figurines are sold as souvenirs. The rebrand has helped the brewery mitigate some of its ongoing financial issues, Angharad Carrick points out “direct-to-consumer sales proved more robust in the first half with trading in supermarkets continuing to outperform the wider beer market, as it piles money into its Ghost Ship brands.”[7] Current chairman Simon Townsend recently noted while the brewery’s performance was below expectations with a drop-off in revenue at its tenanted pubs during the previous year, there were some promising indications from their retail sales, profitability at its brewery shop in Bury St. Edmunds has increased five-fold since relocating, adding “trading with supermarkets also remained broadly in line with the previous year and continued to outperform the wider beer market.”[8] Recently, good weather and the World Cup has increased sales at its pubs in Suffolk and Norfolk by 3.3%, lifting the brewery’s profits (in its pub arm) by 10%.

 

Vale

In 2021, brothers Joe and Jimmy Brouder took over the brewery. After two years at the helm, they felt their branding was looking outdated and needed a refresh. They approached Buckinghamshire based design agency Brand Weaver to redesign their entire range, the new identity would help honour brewery's long-established heritage and promote them further to a national/ international stage. Unlike their contemporaries, Brand Weaver has exclusively worked with breweries to develop their artwork, their past clients have included Yeastie Boys, Triple fff and Phantom Brewing among others. The emphasis on the rebrand was on what made Vale special from their rich history, the people behind the scenes to a celebration of local culture and landscapes, a spokesperson from Brand Weaver added “we crafted a tone of voice that was unique and memorable, helping Vale connect with their audience in a way that felt genuine. This wasn’t bland, one-size-fits-all messaging. We made sure Vale’s voice had real character, the kind that people could recognise, even without seeing the logo.”[9] Unlike other breweries who usually go full throttle with their rebrands, in Vale’s case it was given a soft launch when it debuted in the Summer of 2023, it first appeared on their special releases including their canned beers Wingman (4.6%), Skyhopper (4.3%) and Pale (5.2%) before being rolled out across the entire range the following February. The new designs featured illustrations of the Chiltern Hills, steam locomotives, red kites and electric sheep. Bold colours inspired by impressionism and fauvism are used to help to bring out the images, the names of the beers are displayed in large font above the images, while the brewery’s original Swan logo was revamped, gone was the disc emblem, it was now incorporated within the typeface of the text. Joe Brouder described the new look “our new Vale brand is not just about a change of design. It is a reaffirmation of our core values and our promise to always produce beer that brings people together, creating lasting connections and memorable experiences.”[10] He notes the new branding celebrates the brewery’s Buckinghamshire heritage while showcasing the landscapes and bonds forged within it. The pump clips display striking scenes like Red Kite (4.3%) which features the bird of its namesake swooping above the Buckinghamshire skies where it tends to be found, bathed in red hues in promotes the chestnut-red colours of the beer. Purple is exclusively used for dramatic effect in Black Beauty (4.4%) which pictures a steam locomotive cruising through the Chilterns at night. While, yellow and purple bathes the landscape in the likes of Gravitas (4.8%) which illustrates a man walking through the Chiltern Hills at sunset. Following it’s rebrand, the brewery reported sales of £75,000 within 2 weeks of the soft launch, a 200% increase in distribution with new distributors acquired within the first month, a 135% rise in online sale and increased the membership of their Beer Club; later that year at 2024 Brewers Choice Awards the brewery was awarded Branding of the Year, beating the likes of St. Austell and Abbeydale.

 

Black Sheep

For the first 31 years of existence the branding on its pump clips and bottles remained consistent. Change was in the air following the brewery’s takeover by the Breal Group in May 2023 for the sum of £5million, after the brewers filed a notice for administration following a downturn in its fortunes. Former Black Sheep shareholder Keith Sturdy described it as “the so-called pre-pack administration deal is nothing but glorified daylight robbery.”[11] Breal was subsequently rebranded as the Keystone Brewing Group the following year, where it incorporated a number of breweries including Brew by Numbers and Brick. During this period, they decided the branding of Black Sheep needed a facelift, on 12^th March 2024 the new designs debuted at a trade show held at the brewery’s Northern Restaurant & Bar, where senior industry representatives across the retail industry were given a first look at Black Sheep’s new look. The rebranded designs were rolled out across pubs and bars around the UK in the ensuing weeks. The new look bottles appeared in Supermarkets later that Spring. The rebrand now puts the brewery’s iconic black sheep in pride of place while the branding now surrounds the logo in a circular fashion. This is complemented by a bolder colour palette that helps bring out the design. While most of the pump clips are rather similar in format, Riggwelter (5.7%) has largely maintained its original designs beside a few tweaks. The rebrand follows a £1million invest investment into the brewery’s Masham site, to ensure it will become a centre of brewing excellence in the region. Reflecting on the rebrand, Keystone’s CEO Mark Williams stated “with this rebrand we will ensure to continue Paul’s legacy, by investing in champion growth and to secure of future right here in our ancestral home.”[12] The rebrand however followed on from a torrid period in the brewery’s history which saw a raft of redundancies as part of Keystone’s strategic restructuring, this involved the reduction of a number of small roles.  Since the rebrand, the parent company has filed a second notice of intention (NOI) to appoint administrators, a month after its first plea for help. Over time its reputation has suffered due to lays offs and adaptions to the breweries it has acquired, which has seen key figures depart. It now plans to restructure and sell parts of its business.

When it comes to rebrands, in some cases this had paid of handsomely like in the case of Badger (H&W) where sales went up by 51.9% during September 2024, in supermarkets sales increased by 12% within a 12-week period. Moreover, despite financial woes with Adnams’ pub and hotel estate, there have been promising signs with their retail sales since the rebrand, their sales across the Supermarket chains remains broadly in line with the previous year and there has been an uptick in sales in the case of its brewery shop. Likewise, Vale has seen sales £75,000 within 2 weeks of the soft launch of it’s rebrand, acquired two new distributors, expanded the membership of its beer club and even scooped an industry award for its endeavours. On the whole it makes clear financial sense for breweries to rebrand their products every now and then, as it allows them to steam ahead of the competition, consolidates/ refreshes their brand image and helps drive more customers to buying their beers as a result. In the past decade there has been a drive among breweries to ditch traditional branding tropes, incorporating bold colours, large text and clear descriptions of the tasting notes for each beer, while going for designs that reflect the local area and heritage in order to make the beers more appealing to the consumer. Meanwhile some in the cases of Daleside, Black Sheep and St. Peters have gone for a homogenised approach to their ranges, others like Adnams, Brentwood and Vale have conversely followed a hand-crafted aesthetic that emphasises the individuality of each of their products. There has also been a drive to appeal to the youth market, in the last year there has been a 50% in cask beer sales among 18–24-year-old drinkers, this has become a key component in the brewery industry’s push to refresh its brands in order to attract its new audience. This is not without its detractors as some commentators have argued these rebrands have the potential drive away some its older consumers. Any rebrand is a risky financial move for a brewery as a misguided makeover could potentially lead to fiscal and irreparable disaster. On the other hand, a successful rebrand can pay dividends through increased sales for a brewery through its pub and retail estate, affirming the case for the breweries need to adapt and survive in today’s competitive market.

List of References

---

[1] ‘New look for Badger Beers’ premium bottled ales’; Beer Today, 11^th July 2023

[2] ‘Brand refresh case study: How Badger Brewery increased PBA sales by 50%’; Craft Brewing Business, 7^th January 2025

[3] ‘St.Peter’s Brewery Case Study’; The Finishing Post

[4] ‘St Peter’s Reveals Full Rebrand and New Draught Lines’; Beer Club, 14^th February 2019

[5] ‘Adnams reveals new brand design across its beer portfolio’; Scottish Licenced Trade News, 26^th March 2024

[6] ‘Adnams marks anniversary with refreshed bottles, cans, casks and kegs’; Packaging Europe, 25^th March 2024

[7] ‘Suffolk brewery Adnams suffers a fall in sales after offloading some of its pubs’; by Angharad Carrick, This Is Money, 4^th September 2026

[8] ‘Ghost Ship brewer Adnams cuts staff after ‘challenging’ trading’; by Felix Armstrong, City AM, 4^th September 2026

[9] ‘Branding | Creating a Winner’; Brewer’s Journal, 6^th January 2025

[10] ‘Vale Brewery Unveils New Brand Identity’; Vale Brewery

[11] ‘Black Sheep shareholder claims Breal deal is daylight robbery’; by Jessica Mason, The Drinks Business, 31^st January 2024

[12] ‘New look for North Yorkshire brewery Black Sheep’; by Darren Greenwood, The Press, 11^th March 2024

Beer Review: Fuller's Red Fox

Name: Red Fox

Brewery: Fullers

ABV: 4.3%

Style: Red Ale

Location: Chiswick, London

Aroma: Grassy hops mingled with toast, hints of marmalade thrown in.

Colour: Reddish amber with a thin one finger buff head.

Taste: A subdued bitterness, some notes of hedgerow tartness with a dash of maramalade. The maltiness seems on the light side while hops lack a spicy kick leading a dull finish. Smooth mouthfeel, a tad chewy. 

Verdict: An unremarkable beer that is light on flavour, the promise of bold  flavours seems have been eluded, perhaps as a means to make it more sessionable to the consumer. This leaves it rather characterless and without a paddle, a mere gimmick of a beer, you'd find better examples out there.

Rating: 5/10 

Acton Beer Festival 2026

At the end of August, the Acton Beer Festival was held at the West London Trades’ Union Club (WLTUC) in Acton now in its 3^rd iteration, it is a three-day festival organised over the last weekend of the month. The club which is run as a co-operative was formed in 1983 as a social hub for trade unionists, labour members and the local community, it has been a long term-supporter of CAMRA, the local branch is an associate member and card-carrying CAMRA members are always welcome, moreover in keeping with its commitment to real ale it always stocks at least two cask ales at the bar from independent breweries, primarily from local brewry Portobello. Two years ago, the club organised their inaugural beer festival with assistance from Portobello Brewery, the festival was a resounding success and it has since become an annual fixture. The festival offers free entry to all, it featured 24 cask ales and 6 keg beers from breweries across the country, along with several ciders from Celtic Marshes and Pulp respectively. Despite the relatively small size of the venue, it offered a packed program featuring stand-up comedy, live music, a raffle and a beer themed pub quiz that could bring any larger festival to shame. The beer range was varied ranging from traditional styles like Bitter, ESB, Golden Ale to modern icons like NEIPA and APA’s, even the darker-end of the spectrum was represented with several Porters and a Dark Mild available. While the selection was varied, the majority of the beers came from the likes of Pennine, Brentwood and St. Peter’s who each contributed several beers apiece; at least a quarter of the line up was taken up by Portobello which had the most contributions with 7 beers, this is understandable since they are the co-organisers of the festival. While there were some cask ales and a few ciders by the bar, most of the beer selection was situated in the rear garden which was partially covered to protect visitors from the threat of inclement weather.

Although the number of beers were on the small side due to the size of the venue, it continued to be well-stocked long into the final day. On the day of our visit, I sampled several beers over the course of the afternoon, to wet the whistle my first libation was Down the ‘Atch (3.7%) – Brentwood, a light-bodied session bitter resplendent with a biscuity dry bitterness and notes of toasted wholemeal bread and marmalade. Though not available at the bar, Moon Struck (5.5%) – Downton was the strongest beer on offer at the venue that weekend, a rich ruby ale with prominent roasted malt flavours, wood-smoke, berry fruits with an underlying hoppy bitterness and a spicy aftertaste. I also sampled two beers from Portobello, including Carnival Pale (4.2%) a blonde-ale that has been annually produced to coincide with the Notting Hill Carnival since 2015, quite appropriately for the occasion it was full of tropical fruit flavours including mango and passionfruit with cut through the punchy hops, while the luscious creamy mouthfeel elevated it into a bustling carnival-like atmosphere. I also tried their core-range fixture Market Porter (4.6%), a homage to the great London Porters of old it is produced with 8 different malt varieties to help give its distinct character. It had a notable dry bitterness with a distinct lack of sweetness, while a rich blend of malts gave it a fully rounded roasty and toasty flavour with hints of coffee and dark chocolate thrown in. While some may find this beer on the astringent side, it is a faithful and traditional take on the Porter style that helps set it apart from the likes of Stout. Incredibly despite the lack of dark-ales available both Market Porter (4.6%) and Elgood’s Blackberry Porter (4.5%) took the top two positions as Champion Beers of the Festival as voted by visitors. If there ever was a reason to justify the increasing popularity of darker coloured beers like Stout and Porter, then this would surely be good proof. From looking at these results, this will hopefully encourage the organisers to reflect on the situation and take the decision to stock more dark beers at future festivals. Overall, I found this festival to be warm and inviting, the staff were friendly, accommodating and always at hand to offer advice on beer choices to those unfamiliar. The atmosphere was relaxed, far removed from the hustle and bustle of larger festivals. So, if you’re ever in London in the lookout for a small-scale beer festival, then this one surely makes the grade.  

Beer Review: Harvey's Southdown Harvest

Name: Southdown Harvest

Brewery: Harvey’s

ABV: 5%

Style: Green Hop Beer

Location: Lewes, East Sussex

 

Aroma: Notes of caramel, lemon drops and honey, imbued with fresh grassy hops that give it a refreshing zing.

 

Colour: Hazy amber, with a one finger ivory coloured head.

 

Taste: A distinct bitterness is immediately apparent, then the grassiness from the hops hits you with a unique freshness that only comes from green hops. There is a soft medley of stone fruits hidden in the undergrowth followed by a mellow sweetness that is counterpointed by an intriguing tanginess that comes through the hops. The mouthfeel is soft and pillowy, verging on the creamy, which helps extract the full extent of the hop oils.

 

Verdict: The use of green hops gives the beer its distinct edge, over time the sweetness helps counteract the bitterness, while the hops impart a tangy, grassy quality that forms the beer’s distinct character. Everything from the malt bill to the use of hops is well balanced, and dovetails well with each other. This is a brilliant showcase of green hops, used to the best of their advantage.

 

Rating: 9/10

Beer Review: Flower Pots Hopton IPA

Name: Hopton IPA

Brewery: Flower Pots

ABV: 4.1%

Style: Session IPA

Location: Cheriton, Hampshire

Aroma: Hints of citrus fruits waft through, injected by a mild grassiness from the hops and a background of spices helps act as a counterpoint.

Colour: A shimmering Gold with a two finger ivory colour head. 

Flavour: A clean and refreshing bitterness, followed by tart lemony background that elevates the varied hop bill that features a combination of grassy and hoppy notes, followed by a spicy aftertaste. Meanwhile the mouthfeeel is smooth and creamy due to the use of flaked oats in the mix, which helps draw the flavours out further.

Verdict: An easy drinking beer with a dry yet refreshing clean bitterness, creamy mouthfeel, an underlying citrussy tartnesss and a spicy aftertaste. This beer is a showcase of British hops, the varied hop bill of Olicana, Harlequin and Jester is noticeable and adds to the disctinct character of this beer. Meanwhile the malt is barely noticeable and adds nothing to the overall flavours, which slightly detracts from the overall experience.

Rating: 8/10

The Trouble with Timothy

Earlier this month, Timothy Taylor caused a stir when then unveiled their new branding, the first in nearly a decade. The rebrand includes new pump clips, bottle labels and other paraphernalia, gone are the communist art inspired artworks of old, in its place is a more simplified vista of bold colours and a sea of beards over a buff background, specifically aimed to the appeal to the burgeoning youth market. Unlike the majority of wholesale beer rebrands in recent years, this one has been met with an unprecedented wave of fury, it has been labelled as a disgrace, tatty, tarted up and a barefaced bid to abandon its heritage in order to entice Gen-Z drinkers. A number of major national newspapers like the Daily Mail, Spectator and the Telegraph have run hit-pieces on the brewery’s latest rebrand, crying foul of their sheer tenacity.  Some industry luminaries have expressed their anger towards the brewery, John Roof (secretary of the Preservation of Beers in the Wood) took a full-throttled swipe “I doubt whether a superficial tarting up at the expense of a firmly established brand reputation will make much difference and is only likely to lead to more superficial tinkering and a further loss of brand awareness and identity built up over many years.”[1] Fred de Fossard chipped in “rather like the artless rebrand by Jaguar a few years ago, this misunderstands what Landlord's own drinkers are looking for and why they are drinking it. Often, a brand's longevity is the point.”[2] Meanwhile, Henry Jeffrys took a more humorous approach, aiming his guns towards their flagship product Landlord (4.1%), where he states “he now looks like the sort of bearded middle manager who would never order a pint of Landlord. Probably doesn’t drink at all. Gave it up in favour of running and ice water plunges because alcohol is really unhealthy. He looks less like a landlord and more like a beverage solutions manager.”[3] Fossard adds “the latest, with his regulation beard and ersatz lumberjack shirt looks like a tatty facsimile of the Madrí logo.”[2] Many commentators have compared the new logos to Madri Man, the iconic 19^th century character that appears on the popular Spanish lager brand. Andrew Tindall notes “times are tough for cask ale, category has declined year on year, often in double digits, while drinkers have opted for trendier, more modern options such as craft beer or continental lagers like Madri.”[4] What annoys these people is that this rebrand smacks of capitalisation, rather than leading customers away from the global megabrands as it historically has done, instead the brewery has squarely copied the global megabrands that young people flock to, this is a classic case of cashing in on what’s trendy at the moment, appealing to a particular audience, rather like a crusty old uncle trying to get in with the cool kids. It is synonymous of a growing trend among the UK’s major regional brewers to target the Gen-Z market, from developing ersatz craft beers to unveiling low/ no alcohol products as younger drinkers eschew alcohol.

 

To their defence the brewery has frequently updated their image over the years in order to adapt and survive in the competitive beer industry. Any major rebrand is a risky financial gamble for a brewery, yet in the past it has paid off handsomely for Timothy Taylor’s. Markedly, they are the UK’s most successful independent brewer with sales rising 2.1% to £35.7million last year which has cemented its reputation as the largest cask ale brand in the UK by both volume and value, with the likes of Landlord (4.1%) leading the charge as the highest selling cask ale in the country. The brewery clearly has every right to refresh their successful brand occasionally in order to maintain their pole position on the market. Reflecting on the recent rebrand, Andrew Carter (chief exec at Timothy Taylor), argues the rebrand isn't about changing the recipes of their beers, he stated to the press “it’s about making sure the quality and care that go into every pint are reflected in how Timothy Taylor’s is presented today, so we’re just as relevant to the next generation of drinkers as we’ve been to the last.”[5] The brewery also notes that the changes have been designed to improve visibility in pubs as a means of attracting new drinkers, while retaining historic elements valued by their long-term loyal fans. Moreover, the brewery has a point about appealing to younger consumers, while cask beer sales fell by 7.1% last year according to the NIQ, younger drinkers have increasingly become a prevalent market that offers hope for brewers. The British Guild of Beer Writers note “figures show that 25% of 18 – 24-year-old beer drinkers, the Generation Z demographic, regularly order cask ale at the pub, an increase of more than 50% on the previous year.”[6] In Timothy Taylor’s case this rebrand could work to their favour as it has done in the past with previous makeovers, or it could blow up in their faces by pushing away a portion of their core market. Tindall recently pointed out why would a successful brewery need to update its image, he enquires “the job now is surely to double down on what’s working rather than chase Gen Z while winding up your loyal, hard-won drinkers and losing the very distinctiveness that brought them in.”[4] Instead of chasing a particular market, he enquires further “if there’s cash to spend, why not lean into the quirky Yorkshire history of the brand and dramatize it? Further own what people love about cask ales in the first place.”[4] While he doesn’t think the rebrand is that bad, he believes it could be a potentially poor business decision to drive away the market that was driving growth in the first place. If you cut out the hysteria, the rebrand looks a bit flat and characterless, the brewery has seemed to take an increasingly homogenised view across it brands with its latest facelift, making the pump clips look rather similar in appearance. This is an approach also taken by other Yorkshire breweries in recent times like Black Sheep and Daleside. Daniel John recently noted “I fear the brand has mistaken old-fashioned for unfashionable. Brand heritage is more important than ever in today's world of fleeting design fads and, yes, artificial content.”[7] Those little peculiarities he elucidates, unfashionable colours, old fashioned text and characters is what prevents brands from slipping into homogeny of flat colours and sans serif text that is prevalent in contemporary brands. For years Timothy Taylor has always prided itself on its uniqueness and character, this latest rebrand seems like a large chunk of its heritage and idiosyncratic personality has been chipped away, in an effort to be more corporate and fashionable, in its bid to join the Gen-Z gravy train as a number of the UK’s regional breweries have alighted on in recent years.

List of references 

---

[1] ‘Timothy Taylor’s rebrands logo with bearded hipster to target Gen Z’; by Tom Sigsworth, The Telegraph, 1^st September 2026

[2] ‘Brewer gives its logo a 'Gen Z' refresh – and is blasted for making a 'pour' decision’; by Noor Qurashi, Daily Mail, 2^nd September 2026

[3] ‘Timothy Taylor and other disastrous rebrands’; by Henry Jeffrys, Substack, 4^th September 2026

[4] ‘Timothy Taylor’s rebrand reminds us that time is a marketer’s best friend’; by Andrew Tindall, The Drum, 2^nd September 2026

[5] ‘Timothy Taylor targets Gen Z with first rebrand in a decade’; by Harry Holmes, The Grocer, 1^st September 2026

[6] ‘Gen Z beer drinkers hold the key to saving cask ale’; The British Guild of Beer Writers, 8^th September 2025

[7] ‘I hate to say it, but the backlash to this beer company's rebrand is justified’; by Daniel John, Creative Bloq, 12^th September 2026