Manchester brewer Marble Beer has announced its flagship pale ale Pint has returned to its original ABV of 3.9 per cent.

This follows a previous decision to reduce the beer’s ABV to 3.4 per cent after the introduction of new duty legislation in August 2023.

With the brewing industry facing immense financial pressures throughout the supply chain, lowering the alcohol content of beer to 3.4 per cent offered a potential solution to breweries looking to claw back precious margin, and keep their businesses afloat.

However, Marble has listened to both its trade and retail customers, and based on their feedback has made the decision to return the beer to its original recipe, at its full strength.

Marble Beer’s sales director Paul Plowman said: “The intention was to give us some breathing space when it came to our duty bill. While we were happy with the 3.4 per cent version, it became apparent many of our loyal customers were not.

“Although we never compromised on quality, sometimes things just shouldn't be messed with. As a result, we've gone back to the original 3.9 per cent recipe, which hopefully will return Pint to one of the most loved and respected pints in the country.”

Pint is an easy-drinking, sessionable ale that features an all pale malt bill plus New Zealand and US hops, giving it a fresh, zesty flavour reminiscent of grapefruit and gooseberry, with subtle aromas of lemongrass. 

The beer is available in both cask and keg formats, and also in cans, where, for reasons that should be obvious, the brewery affectionately refers to it as Metric.