Foster’s tap and glass combination said to deliver beer perfection
BREWER Heineken reckons it’s taken a major step forward in the pursuit of pint perfection.
The John Smith’s and Strongbow owner has developed a new dispense system for its Foster’s brand.
Pourtal works in conjunction with a new branded glass to create a consistently high quality pint, the brewer said.
Staff using the system should initially pour the beer at a 45-degree angle to create as little head as possible, before activating a smaller second nozzle by pushing a button to create the head. Heineken claims consumers who drink Foster’s from the system are twice as likely to drink the lager again.
“Consumer tastes and expectations are becoming more sophisticated and more demanding and we want to meet the opportunity that presents for a leading lager like Foster’s by ensuring that pubs and clubs consistently deliver a great tasting pint,” said Nic Casby, brand manager for Foster’s at Heineken UK.
“Foster’s has been at the forefront of draught dispense technology since the brand pioneered the use of the revolutionary Head Injection Tap (HIT) more than a decade ago and the new Foster’s Pourtal tap takes that technology to a new level, equipping licensees and bar staff to serve our best ever pint – every time.”
The Pourtal system is being introduced this month and will be gradually rolled out throughout the rest of this year and into next.
Heineken is supporting the introduction of the new equipment with a combination of trade and consumer-focused initiatives.
These include staff training programmes and a range of point of sale materials such as posters, bar runners and drip mats.
The introduction of Pourtal marks the latest phase of Heineken’s ongoing campaign to improve the draught delivery of its products.
Last month the company launched a smartphone app for its staff, which allows them to assess product quality in outlets by scoring pints across a range of different criteria.
Heineken’s Glass Act programme has also focused on the use of quality glassware, and the brewer provides a training course for licensees to help them boost their beer sales.
Heineken has not been the only brewer to focus on the quality of its draught product this year.
Rival brewer Molson Coors has been looking to improve the overall standard of its delivery in the trade through the Pint Right programme.
