The UK exclusive follows Stella Artois Cidre’s arrival in April last year, a line extension which made £50m in sales during its first year in the market.
The pears used in the cider's “Belgian recipe” are sourced “from a variety of regions”, while pressing, fermentation and bottling takes place in Belgium.
Stella Artois Cidre Pear is described as having a “crisp, sophisticated and refreshing taste”, while the recommended glass for serving is a chalice.
James Watson, Stella Artois’ European marketing director said: “We are absolutely delighted with the success of Stella Artois Cidre and it is our intention to continue to innovate to give choice to our consumers, and growth opportunities for our customers.
“With the premium credentials of Stella Artois, the proven success of Stella Artois Cidre and the research results we have seen for Stella Artois Cidre Pear, we anticipate our new variant will give further boost to the cider category and delight our consumers.”
According to AB InBev, Stella Artois Cidre has established itself as the second largest premium apple cider in the UK off trade.
AB InBev said retail value sales for the year to March 2012 were £50m with 220,000 hectolitres sold (39 million pints).
The Belgium-headquartered beer group said Stella Artois Cidre commands “a 16.8% share of off-trade premium cider volume in the UK (Nielsen 31st March 2012)”.
