VB celebrate Australian Ashes win over Poms with England Bitter
- VB made new beer after Ashes controversy
- Slabs of bitter England were sent to Poms
- Australia retained the Ashes thanks to bad weather in England
Brewing giant Carlton United Breweries (CUB) is bringing ‘England Bitter’ to Australian shores in another brazen attack on the old foe after the Ashes win.
CUB launched the beer earlier this month in the back of England controversial defeat against Australia in the second Test of Ashes.
The brewer produced a limited edition ‘England Bitter’ for Ben Stokes and his team after their coach Brendon McCullum said they would not be having a beer with their rivals ‘any time soon’.
A special edition ‘England Bitter’ beer was created for the English cricket team
Slabs of beer, branded in the same recognizable green-labeled bottles as VB, were shipped to patron Ben Stokes (pictured) and the rest of the England side.
Cases of lager, marked in the same recognizable green-labeled bottles as VB, were put on a plane and shipped to the English team at Headingley.
Attached to the drinks was a note telling Brits to drink the gift warm or cold, whatever the outcome of the third clash of the series.
“You can get it without guarding your stumps, you can get it by ignoring the umps,” the note read, in a nod to the iconic advertising jingle.
Free England Bitter logo t-shirts were also given out to Australian fans at the match.
On Monday, the brewer told Daily Mail Australia that it was bringing ‘England Bitter’ to Australia due to ‘massive public demand’.
‘The response from the Australian public was amazing. The England Bitter campaign reflected the pulse of the nation, so what better way to say ‘cheers’ to retain the trophy than with an England Bitter,” said Marc Lord, VB spokesman.
CUB is making a limited run of England Bitter stubbies which will go on sale early next month.
England Bitter made international headlines when it was boarded on a plane and given to the England cricket team to help them commiserate with their disappointment at the Australians’ famous second Test win, which gave Australia a 2–0 series lead.
England manager Brendon McCullum said his team would not have a pint with their rivals after the sacking of Jonny Bairstow (pictured) caused major drama in the Lord’s Test.
The brewer even re-recorded VB’s iconic jingle in the grand tradition of banter between the two great cricketing nations.
“Australia’s overnight draw at Old Trafford, thanks to the traditional English summer rain, means we retain the trophy,” Lord said.
“We raise our glass to the English and how they fought their way back to the series. We hope that both teams can share a good England Bitter together in the changing rooms, without any bitterness. We’ll even add ice so players don’t have to drink it hot.
The brewer will release a limited run of 30,000 cases of England Bitter, which will go on sale in leading bottle shops across the country.
Jonny Bairstow’s bewilderment brought the British to tears amid claims Australia needed to cheat to beat them.
Bairstow, whose pitch is Headingley, left his box after Cameron Green’s last ball and was stumped by a shot from Australia goalkeeper Alex Carey on the final day of the Lord’s Test.
England conceded that the decision was correct, but criticized the Australians for taking the wicket, which they believed was against the spirit of the game.
Australia believed it was fair and honest, with both nations’ prime ministers involved in the debate, each supporting their sides to the end.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Bairstow to ‘toughen up’ during a television appearance, while a spokesman for his British counterpart Rishi Sunak said: ‘The Prime Minister agrees with Ben Stokes. He said he just wouldn’t want to win a game the way Australia did.
