London’s latest beer crush is plastered all over various forms of public transit, from the Tube to double-decker buses. “Beer But Better,” the advert for a brand called Prime Time reads. “Next Level Taste, Easy On The Waist.”
Big claims on London buses are nothing new, but this beer is worth a second look. Prime Time is the most visible of a new breed of low-calorie British beer brands, designed to appeal to people who like a pint but also want to stay in shape. There are at least half a dozen similar beers available in pubs and supermarkets up and down the U.K. now, from big-brand options like Tennent’s Light to upstarts such as Lowrise, which claims to have two-thirds of the calories you’d find in a normal beer.
In the U.S. or Australia, beers like this would be nothing special. “Light” beer has long been a staple in most of the world’s English-speaking democracies, but in Britain it’s never caught on — despite some hefty marketing spend, which has included Bud Light’s sponsorship of the England men’s football team. And while the figures remain modest — Prime Time expects sales of £3.3 million ($4.1 million) next year — something is clearly happening.
Prime Time raised £1 million at a valuation of £13.8 million in a recent crowdfunding campaign (which paid for those adverts), and it’s now stocked in Waitrose, an upmarket national supermarket chain, alongside Lowrise. Skinny Lager, meanwhile, is available in the considerably larger (and more down-to-earth)
