Genius Brewing Launch Light Craft in Draft

As the Rugby World Cup got underway, former Scotland and Lions legend Finlay Calder OBE pulled the very first pint of Gen!us at Teuchters Bar in Edinburgh. An original trustee of the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, Calder toasted 5p from every pint of Gen!us going to help to find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.

Glasgow-based Genius Brewing, known for its distinctive gold and blue cans, has launched its light craft beer in draft, with both Gen!us Craft Lager and Gen!us IPA now available to pub-going, rugby fans.

The brainchild of founders Charlie Craig and Jason Clarke, the company recently celebrated its five-year anniversary. Their ‘eureka moment’ anticipated how healthy lifestyle trends would lead beer lovers to demand healthier options. Brewing great-tasting craft beers with less alcohol and low calories seemed a no-brainer. Charlie and Jason call it #SmartDrinking.

Jason Clarke said: “Our mission is simple: to make healthier drinking a pleasure, not a compromise. While no-alcohol beers certainly have their place, most moderating drinkers still want a real beer, especially in the pub. Brewed to 3% ABV with the very best ingredients, Gen!us beers offer the flavour, body, and ‘feel good’ of a real craft beer but with 40% less alcohol than many brands.”

Charlie Craig said: “Health-conscious drinkers also care about calories. With alcohol carrying 7 Kcal per gram, being lower-ABV and thus lower-calorie, Gen!us beers really deliver that ‘Better For You’ option.”

Clarke and Craig had first intended to launch Gen!us in draft in 2020 but Covid intervened and then supply chain challenges in 2021 saw maintaining production in cans become their main challenge. As the hospitality industry struggled to recover from the Covid era, the business bided its time before taking the big step into draft.

Charlie Craig said: “In Britain, we still love a pint in the pub. So, although home drinking has grown over the years, any ambitious beer brand has to be in the on-trade and that means being available in draft. It’s a big step for the business which brings its own logistical and commercial challenges but it’s also a big opportunity to offer Gen!us to a huge new market.”

The initial launch will see Gen!us Craft Lager and Gen!us IPA available in 30L kegs to the hospitality trade in Central Scotland and the London area. As more distribution partners are brough on board, the aim is to see Gen!us sold UK-wide.

Jason Clarke said: “Healthier drinking is now a mainstream mindset and so we see a market for our low-calorie, light beers right across the country.”

Genius Brewing are Official Fundraising Partners of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, donating 5p from every Gen!us beer to Doddie Weir’s MND charity. Clarke played rugby with Weir and Calder and has been delighted to see how the rugby community has supported such an important cause.

Jason Clarke said: “Rugby and beer go hand-in-hand and so having a true legend like Fin pull the first pint of Gen!us feels very special. I hope that this Rugby World Cup will see rugby fans enjoy a pint of Gen!us knowing they’re supporting Doddie’s foundation.”

Gen!us Craft Lager and Gen!us IPA will initially be available in some of Edinburgh’s finest pubs including Montpeliers, Teuchters, Ryries Bar, and The Abbotsford as well as rugby clubs across Scotland.

Charlie Craig said: “Launching Gen!us in draft is an exciting new chapter for the business, bringing our #SmartDrinking craft beers to bars, hotels, sports clubs and restaurants. With the healthier drinking trend now well established, our ambition is to become the UK’s number one light craft beer brand.”