01.01.03
At last we can find the answer to this, the most classic of focus-group questions...
A professional Swedish brewer studying at Ashridge has created a beer for his graduation ceremony. Called MBAle, the beer was designed to be a reflection of his time in the UK, both of his first experience of traditional English brewing and of his intellectual development while he was here. The result was a premium English ale with a distinct bitterness, a fruity, hoppy tone in the aroma and a strong flavour of toasted malt.
The importance of tradition
‘This is my impression of the UK in liquid form,’ says master brewer Johan Spendrup, the beer’s creator. And, having studied the UK brewing industry for his dissertation, he points out that the most important thing for a beer brand is tradition.
‘To build a beer brand, you have to have a historical link,’ he says. Breweries that are recently founded do not do so well in the UK. Ashridge has a very, very interesting history and I used the silhouette of the Ashridge estate on the label. If Ashridge wanted to establish itself as a brewing company, it would have an interesting essence to build on.’