Kirin is brewed by Wells & Young's in the UK

Japanese lager brand Kirin Ichiban is set for a major push this summer with a sampling campaign across 13 UK cities and towns. 

Wells & Young's, which brews the lager in the UK under contract, said sampling teams will visit more than 40 "premium" outlets to promote the brand until the end of August. The outlets are in: London, Birmingham, Ascot, Cambridge, Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancaster, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.   

“Awareness of Kirin Ichiban has continued to grow steadily in the last year, alongside an increasing consumer interest in premium world lager," said Phil Toms, director of brands at Wells & Young’s. 

He added that "feedback indicates that there is a real appetite to see the brand more widely available". 

Wells & Young's lost the UK brewing rights to Corona Extra and Red Stripe in 2011.