Jelly Belly Serves Up World's First Beer Flavoured Jelly Bean

Draft Beer Flavour Inspired by Craft Beer Trend

When candy makers at Jelly Belly Candy Company set out to create the world's first beer flavoured jelly bean, the question wasn't how; it was what? Ale or Lager? Stout? Lambic? Pilsner? In the end, the company opted to pay homage to its German ancestry with a Hefeweizen-inspired ale flavour, and Draft Beer Jelly Belly® jelly beans took shape. The new flavour made its debut at Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco on Saturday 18th January and will be launched at ISM in Cologne, Germany on Sunday 26th January.

Beer has been a highly-requested flavour by consumers for decades. Jelly Belly is known as much for flavour innovation as perfection. The research and Development team wanted to get it just right before announcing the new flavour to the world.

"This took a few years to perfect," says Ambrose Lee, research and development manager for Jelly Belly Candy Company. "It was challenging flavour to get just right, but we think we nailed it."

The effervescent and crisp flavour is packed in a golden jelly bean with an iridescent finish. Beer connoisseurs will find the flavour profile to be clean with notes of wheat and a touch of sweetness. The aroma is mildly reminiscent of bread. While Draft Beer packs a flavour punch, it is alcohol free.

"The smell in the factory when we're making this flavour is just like being at a brew house," says David Contreras, a factory supervisor for Jelly Belly Candy Company. "Usually the factory has a sweet or fruity scent, but this flavour is 100 percent a beer aroma."

"Anyone who enjoys a good, cold beer will enjoy Draft Beer Jelly Belly beans for the simple fact that it tastes just as you'd imagine," says Sharon Duncan, vice president of international business for Jelly Belly Candy Company.

Draft Beer Jelly Belly beans are a wonderful gift for beer lovers for Father's Day, birthdays, and even St. Patrick's Day and Oktoberfest. The new flavour will be launched in Selfridges Oxford Street in February and available nationwide after that.

Draft Beer is the latest in a long line of flavour innovations from Jelly Belly Candy Company. The company first created non-alcoholic gourmet flavours in 1983 with Piña Colada and Mai Tai. Since then, more flavours from Blackberry Brandy to Strawberry Daiquiri were developed, inspired by popular cocktails. Over the years, favourite flavours like Margarita (1995) and Mojito (2010) have helped carve out the Jelly Belly Cocktail Classics® collection of six cocktail flavours.

Flavour innovation doesn't stop with the Jelly Belly bean flavour itself. Thoughtfully combining Draft Beer with other Jelly Belly bean flavours create "beer cocktail" flavours, a beverage trend among craft beer connoisseurs, including The Beeroness blog:

2 Draft Beer + 1 Peach = Beer Sangria
2 Draft Beer + 1 Red Apple = Beer cider
2 Draft Beer + 1 Lemon Lime + 1 TABASCO® = Michelada

The Beeroness will host a Tweet Up in San Francisco on January 21 to introduce the new Draft Beer flavour to her beer-loving fans worldwide.

For additional information contact victoria@jellybelly-uk.com