Bass is testing a raft of new products in its efforts to replicate the runaway successes of Caffrey's and Hooch. The Bass new product development team has five products out on limited test: Mojo, Kasteel Cru, Fat Apple, Twisted Vine and Arc. Mojo has been created to make the most of two growth sectors: premium packaged lagers and stimulation drinks. It is a premium lager at 5% abv with caffeine, guarana and damiana. It is on test in Jackson's and Tesco. Kasteel Cru caters for lager drinkers who find most products too bitter but want a drink with flavour. This premium lager (5% abv) has been brewed with champagne yeast to achieve that result. It is on test in Unwins and Safeway. Fat Apple (5% abv) is a premium cider. After the cider is made, further apple juice is added to give it a stronger flavour. It is on test in Londis and Asda. Twisted Vine (5% abv) is a wine spritzer in two flavours, citrus and peach, designed to capitalise on the growing interest in wine. It is on test in Langs and Savacentre. Arc is a hi-tech lager exclusively for the on-trade which is stored and served at sub zero temperatures. New product development manager Dave Griffiths said all the products had their roots in research which identified specific consumer needs. Some of the ideas are not new. Champagne yeast was used to create a Bass product called Zeiss which failed because at 8.2% abv it was too strong and too expensive. Griffiths said the product was redeveloped from scratch to create Kasteel Cru. Griffiths said: "The tests will run for the next few months with a final evaluation in November. Then we will decide which of them has the greatest potential for a full launch." He also promised there would be more from the Bass npd team next year. {{DRINKS }}

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