Founders Jason Clarke and Charlie Craig
UK-based craft beer maker Genius Brewing has received a ‘significant’ investment from former Molson Coors global CEO Mark Hunter and David Wither, founder and chairman of the Montpelier Group.
Founded by Jason Clarke and Charlie Craig in 2018, the investment marks Genius Brewing’s second anniversary.
Gen!us Craft Lager, which launched last year, is a 3% ABV beer which contains one unit of alcohol and 79 calories per can. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Genius Brewing introduced new cans for its craft lager that feature food-standard nutrition facts and Vegan Society accreditation.
According to the firm, its brand has continued to grow thanks to the rising trend in healthier drinking and low-and-no alcohol.
Mark Hunter, who recently retired as president and CEO of Molson Coors after 30 years in the beer business, said: “There’s a lot of great work happening in the no and low alcohol space and Genius Brewing is a brand that is paying attention to the evolving lifestyle changes of drinkers all over the world. Its light craft lager delivers on taste and allows drinkers to enjoy one of life’s pleasures without compromise.”
Montpelier Group has seven venues across Edinburgh including Tigerlily and Indigo Yard. Founder David Wither said: “I’ve seen huge changes in the beer industry since we started in the 90’s. Craft beer has raised people’s expectations of flavour but not everyone wants their strong ABVs and calorie content. I can see huge potential for Gen!us, especially when it launches in draft.”
Charlie Craig, co-founder and operations director of Genius Brewing, said: “Securing investment from two of the most respected figures within the drinks industry is a huge vote of confidence and a great way to celebrate a successful first two years.
“The Gen!us mission is to make healthier drinking a pleasure, not a compromise. Both Mark and David recognise that today’s consumers want a great beer that’s part of a healthy lifestyle.
“Of course like every drinks brand, coronavirus, has hit our on-trade business, however we’ve quickly adapted to focus on our online channel Flavourly.com where sales are rocketing.”
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