Hooch x Bez Twisting My Lemon Man

The beer’s name is a play on a line from Happy Mondays’ 1990 hit ‘Step On’

Hooch has teamed up with Yorkshire craft brewer Salt to launch a lemon-infused pale ale.

Twisting My Lemon Man (rsp: £3.50/440ml) has landed in Tesco and Morrisons.

The 4% abv tipple was made with real Hooch and was “the ultimate juicy drink for ’90s nostalgia chasers and beer lovers”, the Global Brands-owned RTD brand said.

To support the launch of the limited-edition brew, Hooch has enlisted Happy Mondays member Bez (real name Mark Berry). He will appear as a DJ and special guest at a 1990s-themed launch party in Leeds on 18 July.

The development of Twisting My Lemon Man – a cross-category first for Hooch – had been informed by consumer insight that showed overlap between craft beer and Hooch drinkers, the brand said.

The NPD would target “nostalgic Hooch drinkers, younger consumers familiar with both brands, and beer drinkers who would not usually consider an alcopop as their drink of choice”, it added.

“Never before has an alcopop cross-collaborated to create a flavoured beer,” Hooch brand manager Jacob Barrett claimed.

The beer combined “the juicy and refreshing flavour of Hooch” with “the bold brewing style of Salt”, said Barrett.

“Twisting My Lemon Man pushes boundaries within the category and is testament to Hooch’s commitment to invest in exciting and engaging our valued customers,” he added.

The 1990s-inspired can design would “attract both seasoned beer drinkers and those more used to selecting a fruity drink”, Salt MD Edd Simpson predicted.

It was “a refreshing, easy-drinking beer, perfect for enjoying during the summer months,” he added.

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