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“Tea time” could have a different meaning entirely, as specialty retailer DavidsTea hooks up with Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. to create London Fog, a tea-infused ale.

Nathalie Binda, VP marketing at DavidsTea, tells strategy that the food and beauty industries have seen an influx in tea-infused products (for beauty, for example, green tea is an increasingly common part of skincare regimens in Asia). She says DavidsTea’s customers have come to demand product innovation from the brand, and that the limited edition brew gives it the opportunity to push the flavour boundaries of another category.

She adds that the partnership was a good match, as Beau’s is a brand that’s equally passionate about quality, beverage expertise and craftsmanship.

To promote the launch of London Fog, DavidsTea has rolled out wild postings in Toronto and Montreal and is working with creative agency Open to build a campaign that features traditional beer slogans like “brewed to perfection.”

DavidsTea also included a sample of its Organic Cream of Earl Grey (the tea infused in the ale) inside a 12-pack of Beau’s Lug Tread 355 ml cans, along with a special limited time offer at any of the tea retailer’s locations across the country.

The tea brand also made an appearance at Beau’s Oktoberfest, a music festival held September 20-21, to celebrate the launch and build awareness at the brewer’s home base of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Binda says the brand also worked with Toronto and Montreal influencers to taste-test the beer and share it on Instagram. DavidsTea also showcased London Fog at Rethink Breast Cancer’s annual Boobyball, for which Beau’s is a gold sponsor.

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Steve Beauchesne, CEO of Beau’s Brewing, says inside stores, his brand is “letting the strong can design in DavidsTea teal do the heavy lifting,” and is positioning the LTO next to its other core brands (Lug Tread, Full Time IPA, Radler, etc.).

In Ontario, the brand is launching in single cans to start, and to extend the product life, DavidsTea London Fog will be re-released in the 2019 Beau’s winter mix, which launches on November 14. In Quebec, Beauchesne says Beau’s typically wouldn’t offer an LTO in grocery, but it broke that rule due to the strength of the tea brand.

Beauchesne adds that the response has so far been strong. In Quebec, for example, it sold half the allocation in two weeks and expects inventory to last until the end of October. In Ontario, he says the brand should have single cans through fall.

The London Fog ale is being sold at Beau’s Brewery in Vankleek Hill, LCBO and select grocery stores in Ontario, as well as grocery and dépanneurs in Québec.

Beau’s competitor Toronto-based Mill Street Brewery is one of the domestic micros that offers its own lemon tea beer. Meanwhile, beer-wine and beer-whiskey hybrids have been all the rage of late, with Jameson whiskey launching the Caskmates Beau’s Edition, a spirit which is exclusive to Ontario and aged in Beau’s barrels.

In 2018, DavidsTea inked a deal to get its best-selling teas (including Cream of Earl Grey) into Loblaw banners.