Sales of SALT’s Alpacalypse have surged to make it the UK’s second most popular session IPA after just 10 months on sale[1].
Launched by the Yorkshire craft specialist SALT, in partnership with Molson Coors, in January 2025, the 4.3% ABV IPA has quickly become one of the fastest-growing craft beers in the UK on-trade and is now the third-best selling beer of all craft keg ales[2].
Having secured listings in over 4,000 pubs and bars, venues are pouring the accessible and refreshing ale at a rate of 54 pints a week per outlet – the second-highest rate of sale in the Session IPA category[3].
Jamie Lawson, founder of SALT Brewery, said: “With Alpacalypse, we set out to bridge the gap between the boldness of craft IPAs and the approachability that lager drinkers appreciate. By keeping Alpacalypse easy-going and crisp, we’ve created a beer that delivers subtle tropical flavours and citrus aromas with a refreshing finish.
“The rapid uptake we’ve seen across the UK really highlights a growing appetite for more flavourful beers among traditional lager drinkers who are craft curious but often find the leap too big, hoppy ales a bit too much. Alpacalypse offers the perfect middle ground – it’s packed with character, but still easy-going and accessible. The excitement around the beer, from rate of sale to people ‘rehoming’ the glassware, really shows how it’s struck a chord with drinkers and venues alike.”
Alpacalypse’s distinctive glassware has proved a hit with pub-goers with many a social media post suggesting that it has become a highly coveted ‘souvenir’ for beer drinkers. So much so, that the brand has had to send out 30,000 additional glasses to replenish stock.
Playing into this trend, Alpacalypse is launching its ‘Pinched from the Pub’ campaign, hiding 2,400 specially designed glasses across 200 participating venues. Each glass features a discreet ‘pinched from the pub’ detail. Drinkers who spot one and share their find on social media will be in with a chance to win exclusive prizes – including £100 Ticketmaster vouchers and limited-edition branded merchandise.
The competition builds on the momentum created by the brand’s debut marketing campaign ‘Alpaca Back & Sides’, which ran in July and generated more than 65 million impressions across social media and earned media articles, including The Mirror and The Sun. The campaign featured a pop-up barbershop, playfully named the Shearer Shop, offering free alpaca-inspired haircuts and a pint of Alpacalypse, which sold out in 24 hours.
[1] CGA OPM Craft Keg Ale Volume P9 L12W ending 6/09/2025
[2] CGA OPM Craft Keg Ale Volume P9 MAT ending 6/09/2025
[3] CGA OPM Craft Keg Ale Volume P9 L12W ending 6/09/2025
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