To be fair it’s only gone down from 3.7% to 3.4%. I wouldn’t really call that ‘slashed’.
TheShakyHandsMan on
It’s already got a reputation of being one of the weaker beers. Lowering the abv isn’t going to do it any favours.
It’s down in the carling/coors tier of popularity.
What research have they done to say that making it weaker will help sales?
BaBaFiCo on
Absolutely nothing to do with how it reduces their duty…
HotPie1666 on
It’s definitely bottom of the barrel when there’s a decent selection on tap
AnOrangeBeanbag on
And nothing of taste was lost – because it never had any.
DazzaHazza1975 on
Growing up with this is as the norm, and the 5% arriving later as ‘export’ strength, I don’t mind the return. I think there’s a bigger market than people realise for 2.5% – 3.5% brews.
OkAsparagus839 on
Love the logic of making a product even worse because it isn’t selling
pecuchet on
It’s like making love in a canoe –
Fucking close to water.
PJBuzz on
I’m sure I remember a time when Fosters was ~4% and tasted… adequate.
Honestly the rules around duty and strength has absolutely destroyed the UK brewing market. Almost all of our widely distributed beers desperately racing to the bottom has made it all taste like complete garbage.
I go to Belgium on a regular basis and their *basic* beers are between 5% and 6% and taste orders of magnitude better. You then get to their nicer stuff and it can be anywhere up to 12 or 13% yet somehow often still taste incredibly refreshing.
Putting restrictions on brewers in the UK to force them to target specific strengths instead of specific flavours has, IMO, taken the UK from a country with a strong culture of good tasting beer to the absolute pits. We still have some good breweries and some good beers but it has become so much harder to find.
CessnaBandit on
Ignore the big beers. Buy any of Aldi’s German brewed lager. Their Steinhauser is one of, if not, the best lagers available in supermarkets.
Lower it all you want, it’ll always taste like pisswater.
Unusual-Art2288 on
They done it to reduce the duty they have to pay. But have have they reduced the retail price.
curioustis on
I am a long way from a beer snob, but anything brewed in England is crap as we have awful water
That is my finding and I stick to imported beers now
MCDCFC on
So many things badly need addressing in this Country but the Tories prioritised ABV duties. Sort the bloody big stuff out and then when we’re ticking along just fine sort out stuff like this
pintperson on
Fosters is the supermarket beer of choice for people who don’t drink beer. It’s the one your Mum buys when doing the shop for a summer BBQ because it’s affordable and has the funny Aussie guys on the TV advert.
So this move does actually make sense if they can sell it cheaper and ensure it’s the one Mum buys instead of Carling or Bud Light etc.
Late-Development-666 on
I wonder how many people would pay more for the old beers stating how they were, like Stella at 5.2%. I’m sick of the UK brewed lagers, all the same shite, masked with colourful marketing to make you think it’s from somewhere else other than the midlands
ash_ninetyone on
Imagine having a beer often referred to as piss or water, and then watering it further.
Sales likely declined because it’s shit.
Uniform764 on
I’d suggest the sales decline is because it’s just a bit rubbish
you_aint_seen_me- on
Piss before, piss now.
I’d rather have a Stella shandy 😉
sxeros on
Even sober people don’t drink Fosters as it’s that weak.
Scumbaggio1845 on
Lowering the strength of a beer already widely described as piss water is not going to have a positive impact on sales but I’m sure they’re fully aware of that fact.
Even before this reduction I worked out years ago that you don’t even really get drunk on fosters before feeling horribly bloated.
TheHelpfulRecruiter on
I’m a big fan of this, there aren’t enough low ABV beers out there. Once you get lower than session lagers at 4%, your next stop is a radler or light beer at around 2.8%.
This is nice for someone like me where every beer after my second is like playing Russian roulette.
tommygunner91 on
Actually bought a case when it went back to the old packaging for nostalgia reasons, took me a while to finish it as quickly realised my 16 year old taste had changed now Im 33.
Can was cool though
Collooo on
It’s already a shit beer with declining sales, so let’s make it an even worse beer!
Logic doesn’t prevail.
FrustratedPCBuild on
It’s an awful beer, I don’t know why anyone would drink it, they don’t drink it in Australia.
Manoj109 on
Fosters and Carling used to be my go to when I was in the army ,young and broke. We used to get it really cheap in the junior ranks mess.
26 commenti
To be fair it’s only gone down from 3.7% to 3.4%. I wouldn’t really call that ‘slashed’.
It’s already got a reputation of being one of the weaker beers. Lowering the abv isn’t going to do it any favours.
It’s down in the carling/coors tier of popularity.
What research have they done to say that making it weaker will help sales?
Absolutely nothing to do with how it reduces their duty…
It’s definitely bottom of the barrel when there’s a decent selection on tap
And nothing of taste was lost – because it never had any.
Growing up with this is as the norm, and the 5% arriving later as ‘export’ strength, I don’t mind the return. I think there’s a bigger market than people realise for 2.5% – 3.5% brews.
Love the logic of making a product even worse because it isn’t selling
It’s like making love in a canoe –
Fucking close to water.
I’m sure I remember a time when Fosters was ~4% and tasted… adequate.
Honestly the rules around duty and strength has absolutely destroyed the UK brewing market. Almost all of our widely distributed beers desperately racing to the bottom has made it all taste like complete garbage.
I go to Belgium on a regular basis and their *basic* beers are between 5% and 6% and taste orders of magnitude better. You then get to their nicer stuff and it can be anywhere up to 12 or 13% yet somehow often still taste incredibly refreshing.
Putting restrictions on brewers in the UK to force them to target specific strengths instead of specific flavours has, IMO, taken the UK from a country with a strong culture of good tasting beer to the absolute pits. We still have some good breweries and some good beers but it has become so much harder to find.
Ignore the big beers. Buy any of Aldi’s German brewed lager. Their Steinhauser is one of, if not, the best lagers available in supermarkets.
Shoutout to [Real Ale Craft Beer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_a5DWWk7vE). Guys great if you’re looking beer recommendations
Lower it all you want, it’ll always taste like pisswater.
They done it to reduce the duty they have to pay. But have have they reduced the retail price.
I am a long way from a beer snob, but anything brewed in England is crap as we have awful water
That is my finding and I stick to imported beers now
So many things badly need addressing in this Country but the Tories prioritised ABV duties. Sort the bloody big stuff out and then when we’re ticking along just fine sort out stuff like this
Fosters is the supermarket beer of choice for people who don’t drink beer. It’s the one your Mum buys when doing the shop for a summer BBQ because it’s affordable and has the funny Aussie guys on the TV advert.
So this move does actually make sense if they can sell it cheaper and ensure it’s the one Mum buys instead of Carling or Bud Light etc.
I wonder how many people would pay more for the old beers stating how they were, like Stella at 5.2%. I’m sick of the UK brewed lagers, all the same shite, masked with colourful marketing to make you think it’s from somewhere else other than the midlands
Imagine having a beer often referred to as piss or water, and then watering it further.
Sales likely declined because it’s shit.
I’d suggest the sales decline is because it’s just a bit rubbish
Piss before, piss now.
I’d rather have a Stella shandy 😉
Even sober people don’t drink Fosters as it’s that weak.
Lowering the strength of a beer already widely described as piss water is not going to have a positive impact on sales but I’m sure they’re fully aware of that fact.
Even before this reduction I worked out years ago that you don’t even really get drunk on fosters before feeling horribly bloated.
I’m a big fan of this, there aren’t enough low ABV beers out there. Once you get lower than session lagers at 4%, your next stop is a radler or light beer at around 2.8%.
This is nice for someone like me where every beer after my second is like playing Russian roulette.
Actually bought a case when it went back to the old packaging for nostalgia reasons, took me a while to finish it as quickly realised my 16 year old taste had changed now Im 33.
Can was cool though
It’s already a shit beer with declining sales, so let’s make it an even worse beer!
Logic doesn’t prevail.
It’s an awful beer, I don’t know why anyone would drink it, they don’t drink it in Australia.
Fosters and Carling used to be my go to when I was in the army ,young and broke. We used to get it really cheap in the junior ranks mess.