Brewer taps the local crowds to create a new beer

We’ve already seen several breweries get funded by the crowds, so why shouldn’t they tap the masses for a little product innovation, too? That, indeed, is just what the UK’s Leeds Brewery is doing, with a new promotion whereby local beer-lovers will get to have a say in the creation of a new, special edition ale. This June will see the closure of the longstanding Tetley Brewery in Leeds, making the Leeds Brewery the largest in the city. To commemorate that fact, the Leeds Brewery next month will produce a range of beers and ask local consumers to “pick a pint.” Specifically, it will invite beer fans to taste the various brews, vote for their favorite and help choose the new beer’s name. A panel of local Leeds celebrities will taste-test an initial set of beers, narrowing it down to a final shortlist, according to a report in the Guardian. Those final contenders will then be served up to the public at various pubs, where consumers will be able to sample and vote for them as well as help to pick a name. The more suggestions made, in fact, the cheaper the first pint will be when it’s finally unveiled, the brewer says. That winning ale will be announced on June 10, at the start of a weekend beer festival hosted by the brewer. If New Zealand consumers are interested in helping to design a chocolate bar and Krispy Kreme fans get excited about designing a brand-new doughnut, you can bet with no small amount of certainty that UK beer lovers will welcome with open arms the prospect of helping to create a new, (still) made here ale. The promotional punch for the brewer, meanwhile, will come as a lovely chaser. (Related: New beer brand offers company shares with each carton sold — Beer-loving crowd aims to buy Pabst Brewing Co. for $300 mln — Crowdsourced restaurant taps local community.) Spotted by: Katherine Noyes