Boozy Dandelion & Burdock and intoxicating Victorian Lemonade could soon be hitting the market as botanical brewer Fentimans unveils plans to make alcoholic versions of its old-fashioned soft drinks.

Fentimans’ first alcoholic drink, Hollows Superior Alcoholic Ginger Beer (rsp: £2.50 for 500ml), launches this month with an abv of 4% and would be the “thoroughbred” of a growing alcoholic ginger beer category, said MD and master brewer Eldon Robson.

The launch of Halewood’s 20-month-old Crabbie’s brand prompted the move, as Fentimans realised it couldn’t afford to miss such a business opportunity, Robson admitted. But he already has a 4% abv version of another Fentimans soft drink in mind for 2011.

“This could be the start of us looking at 4% and possibly building up a brand range from it,” he said. “We could raise the abv of any of our drinks, but you have to think what would be the next thing to do. We’re looking at an area of the market where there’s a bigger commercial opportunity than the soft drink ranges. It’s an area we have to weigh up.”

Fentimans Ginger Beer is already brewed and has an abv of 0.5%, so it was not difficult to create a 4% abv version, said Robson.

The product is called Hollows to differentiate it from Fentimans’ soft drinks, he added, although the company is mentioned on the back of each bottle. John Hollows was the son-in-law of founder Thomas Fentiman, and inherited the recipe for the drink at his wedding in 1907.

Hollows is free from all artificial flavourings, colours and preservatives. “It is genuine ginger beer as it should be made,” said Robson, adding that extra yeast and sugar was introduced to the existing ginger beer recipe to raise the abv of the slow-fermented root ginger, as well as pear juice for body and sweetness.

“Other alcoholic ginger beers like Crabbie’s or Frank’s are either beer flavoured with ginger or made from a wine base and have a ginger flavouring added. Crabbie’s also contains sulphides to preserve it, while ours is pasteurised.”

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