A LAGER that was a huge hit in the 1990s has been spotted on supermarket shelves after an absence of nearly three decades.
The iconic beer was once a common sight in fridges up and down the country and could once again be in demand with nostalgic drinkers.
Carling Black Label has been spotted gracing the shelves of Morrisons.
The revamped brew is also available in grocery, wholesale and convenience stores.
The new full-flavoured lager is a premium version of the brand’s core offering, and it packs more punch too, coming in at 4.7% ABV, making it stronger than Carling Original.
It was originally launched in 1952 and went on to become a household name, due in part, to its famous TV ads using the strapline: “I bet he drinks Carling Black Label”.
Then in 1997 the “Black Label” wording was dropped from the branding in Britain and the lager quietly disappeared from shelves soon after.
Owner Molson Coors is now reviving the name, describing the drink as a “premium British lager for modern day beer drinkers” designed to sit alongside the core Carling range rather than replace it.
Brewed in Burton upon Trent using 100% British barley, the lager has been cold-filtered and will be sold in four-packs and 10-packs of 568ml cans.
The return comes at a time when some brewers have reduced alcohol levels in a bid to manage rising costs and duty changes.
In contrast, this relaunch positions the beer as a fuller-bodied option aimed at shoppers seeking something stronger than the standard offering.
Kevin Fawell, UK sales director at Molson Coors Beverage Company, previously told The Grocer: “Carling Black Label is a full-flavoured lager designed for today’s beer market, and we’re confident it will resonate with both those who remember the name and those discovering it for the first time.
“To be able to expand the Carling offering for our customers is a really exciting opportunity for us to reach new and existing Carling drinkers.”
For those who remember its glory days, and for a new generation yet to try it, the comeback could see an old favourite poured back into pint glasses across the country.
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