By Andy Young

Leading low carb beer, Pure Blonde, has been relaunched and now boasts an even lower carbohydrate content.

According to its manufacturers at Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) the new Pure Blonde Ultra Low Carb Lager contains 80 per cent fewer carbohydrates and 30 per cent fewer calories than regular beer. CUB also said that the relaunched Pure Blonde has 50 per cent fewer calories than wine.

Pure Blonde’s marketing manager Mim Orlando told TheShout that the reasoning behind the change was “the consumer trend for healthier living”.

He added: “Consumer trends are changing and a healthier lifestyle is definitely part of that, so it was important for us make sure that Pure Blonde was still relevant, so we wanted to update the beer.”

As well as having reduced carbohydrates and calories, Pure Blonde is a low gluten beer.

Orlando added: “There is lower gluten, but we use malted barley and the labelling policy in Australia means we can’t say ‘gluten free’.”

The relaunch will be supported with some marketing from CUB and in particular they will be communicating more on how the beer can be seen to be an alternative to wine.

And despite reducing the carbohydrates and calories in the beer Orlando did tell TheShout that tasting panels had been involved all through the makeover and there was “no taste change” with the new Pure Blonde.

The Shout Team

The leading online news service for Australia's beer, wine, spirits and hospitality industries.

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39 Comments

  1. when can we expect the return of the new pure blonde? I went all over town and had to get a different beer, hope it’s soon!

  2. No taste change. Bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I hope you are going to keep making the original otherwise I’m looking for another beer

  3. I have been drinking Pure Blonde for 11 years. I noticed the change in taste straight away. I am devastated. This is nothing short of blatant cost cutting whilst trying to disguise it as a healthier option. Shame Carlton. I spend between $400-$500 a month on pure blonde. Not anymore. I am absolutely shattered.

  4. I can absolutely taste the difference in the “new pure blonde”.
    It tastes like sh#t.
    If they do not start remaking the original Pure Blonde,
    I will start drinking a different beer.
    Just bought the last 3 six packs of the premium Pure Blonde from my local First Choice. If I cannot find anymore, I WILL be changing beer.
    Their marketing technique of trying to appeAl to more women is crap. I’m a women and I hate it!!!!

  5. Should have stayed with the original pure blonde. And had this new fizzy pop drink as an option, I think we as the customer deside on what we drink not You!!!!!! Lost another

  6. Keep making the original!!!!
    The new Pure Blonde has lost that something special it had before in the taste. I won’t be drinking this one, going to Stellas.

  7. I am utterly disappointed in this change why change something that didn’t need to be changed. Please don’t stop making this awesome beer it’s the best tasting on the market. Beer drinkers don’t drink for fucking carbs or calories we drink to get drunk and enjoy it on the way.

  8. Why the f@@rk would you change a winning beer?? It tastes like water and no body whatsoever, you are going to lose on this so called healthier change hugely!!

    I have been drinking this since it came out…but no more, i bought a carton and it will be for freeloaders!!

  9. I too have been drinking and loving pure blonde since it first came out. I was immediately aware of the drier, less satisfying and less refreshing taste of this new muck and emailed CUB to inform them of my opinion. Their reply was that they liked it and too bad if I didn’t. I now drink Heineken. If they wanted to put this stuff on the market couldn’t they also have retained the older recipe and simply called the new stuff Pure Blonde Super Low or something.
    p.s. how could you trust the judgement of anyone named Mim??

  10. Pure Blonde’s marketing manager Mim Orlando told TheShout that the reasoning behind the change was “the consumer trend for healthier living”.

    We all know that the healthier anything is the worse it tastes.

  11. After drinking pure blonde for 10 years your new taste pure blonde is not pleasant & the smell turns you off drinking it. I would strongly advise you to bring back the original taste & until you do I shall be drinking something that is pleasing to the pallet
    Bruce

  12. I also have been a blonde drinker for many years and this new blonde is horrible tastes like water and I will be not buying it that’s for sure!!!!!

  13. Been drinking pure Blonde for years. Couldn’t believe you’ve ruined my beer. Bring back the original 4.6%.Won’t be buying it again until you do.

  14. I have to agree with all of the above. I have change my beer of choice as i cant stand the new Pure Blonde. Did CUB re hire the VB guru that stuffed that beer up. I would have thought that CUB would have learnt from that stuff up. Who in their right mind changes something that works.
    If they waned to make a healthier beer then do so, don,t change one that works.
    Dan Murphy near me has downsized to space allocated to PB from a pallet space in the coolroom to just a few slabs.

  15. I agree with all the above the new pure blonde is no were as good as the old one
    there is a good old saying if its not broken don’t try to fix it

    Does anyone have any tips on what other beers taste close to the old pure blonde ?

  16. I have also been a pure blonde drinker and really enjoyed the old brew. The new stuff is really bland and sterile. Also not sure why, but I’m getting a headache the next morning after 3 beers. Won’t be touching it again if you delivered it to my door and paid me.! Please bring the old version back.

  17. The beer changed at my local hotel on tap and the alcohol level and taste dropped, but surprisingly the price went up 50cents to $7.50.

    I bought some from the bottle O and It tasted like watered down beer. I would say crap but I havent tasted that, but if I had to imagine drinking crap i would relate to this!

    In 30 years of living all over Australia and drinking beer my whole life I have never come across a brewery or know of anyone who has come across a brewery doing a taste test to the people who buy their product.

    Its another money & marketing decision made by some very qualified and over paid executive.

    Oh and im sure Mim Orlando cant wait to promote “Gluten free in the US.” Gluten free has only been exposed as the biggest marketing scam around.

    Oh Just google his name and you will be surprised he is a self confessed “Red wine lover”

    To compare this to a wine alternative, you must be drinking some really cheap stuff unlike Pure Blonde!

    They are doing what they did to VB until their market share dropped and changed it back years later!

    Good luck with US sales. Enjoy your bonuses!

    This tastes like the Naked Blonde that was a mid strength bottle of water. What happened to that????

    The problem is these Guys are normally around for a short time and need to leave a legacy which they can boast about to friends around a restaurant table whilst sipping on their bottle of Expensive wine.

    A bit like Government!

    Hope the Yanks enjoy it, but heres a heads up.
    This tastes worse than Budweiser so GOOD LUCK WITH THAT MARKETING BUDGET!

    P.S.
    reasoning behind the change was “the consumer trend for healthier living”.

    Well McDonalds had the same problem and they didn’t change the Big Mac, they just made it smaller.

    Oh Sorry your bottles are already smaller.
    GOOD LUCK!

  18. The beer has changed, I have been a Pure Blonde drinker for years. I cannot believe they changed a great product. The new beer tastes like watered down beer. I have now changed to Hahn Super Dry… You have lost another customer!!

  19. Tasted the difference on the first sip.
    Either start producing the original premium pure blonde or I’m buying anything but cub beer.
    Idiots

  20. It’s this simple. The new Pure Blonde is shit.Bring back the old one that everyone was happy with.Sure,bring out an ultra low carb beer,if you think people will drink the shit,but how about keeping the old one as well and let people decide what they want to drink.

  21. Been drinking pure blonde for ages this new stuff is rubbish, I didn’t know they had changed the beer I thought they had changed their packaging.Over the last month I’ve started drinking red wine only have a few glasses so I’m not drinking all that fluid as I was with the beer I’ve lost weight already.Still have almost a full carton of beer in the fridge no one drinks it.

  22. What have they done!! Its horrible. I too emailed CUB to complain. All they said was give it another go. No thanks.

    I now drink Coopers Clear. Low carb(I’m type 2 Diabetes)It tastes a bit like Corona I think.

    Hopefully they will listen to the masses. I know the lady at the bottle shop said a lot of people have been complaining about the change.

  23. Watery! Tasteless! Dissapointed! ——- finding alternative (non CUB) Mim and his team should be sacked! Go back to your wine, stop messing around with something you know nothing about!

  24. No way this is the same taste, nothing like the original, wont be drinking it again, gone back to scotch. My partner said shocking taste as well. Bring back the original, or wont be touching Pure blonde again.

  25. Wow love the new pure blonde. You guy’s have got it right don’t change a thing. Its awesome

  26. Changed the recipe to target women! The taste is disgusting. Bring back the old recipe and appease the masses (see above for more information). I AM a woman, and I’m now looking for another beer. I liked the original taste, the fact that it was low carb was just a bonus. SHAME SHAME SHAME

  27. It’s all true, I’m sorry to say. I’ve been so stoked on the old pure blonde as it ticked so many boxes. Gone is the taste and freshness. I will now find another beer.

  28. So I’m not the only one, the new pure blonde is tasteless, I don’t buy beer for the carbs or lack thereof, I buy it for the taste, now that’s gone I’m looking for an alternative.

  29. Agree with all above.
    Surely the customers and consumers can’t all be wrong? Very poor and selfish marketing of an inferior product.

  30. We must have had old stock in NZ because it’s just changed. I’m sad to see a good beer be ruined by PR people and marketers. Gluten free is the biggest crock out there (excepting clieacs). Have CUB noticed the sales dive yet? I’ll be avoiding this brewer for a long time.

  31. I personally like the new ultra low carb beer. The difference in taste is minimal and considering its lower in calories and carbs than wine yet the alcohol content remains the same, it is a better health choice than most alcohol!

  32. I love the new beer and also love the health aspects of it too. Normally when i drink 10 beers of a night i put on a kilo. I drink pure blonde and i dont put on any weight or i loose some. So i love it.

  33. Awesome! a low sugar low carb beer and best of all low gluten, gluten plays havov with me so this is fantastic, and its still 4.2% – thats fine in this day and age when you just cant afford to drink and drive.
    Cheers to you.

  34. I originally posted my disappointed on 17/08 and am now updating. I have been searching for another beer ever since Pure Blonde was destroyed and I’ve been unable to find anything to replace it. I used to find Pure Blonde uniquely refreshing and beautifully flavoured and I just can’t find anything to fill that hole. I’ve started drinking cider but desperately long for the taste of the old Pure Blonde. I just can’t believe CUB did this. I’m utterly devastated and tremendously disappointed. The people on this site who have posted positive reviews sound like they’re reading from a script and I don’t believe them for a second

  35. You can’t go pass a Coopers Pale Ale. There’s bugger all difference in carbs, calories, and alcohol content. The taste is a million times better than PB whether its on tap or in the bottle.
    Coopers is the last Australian owned bulk brewer who supply both pubs and bottle shops. All the other beers are now Japanese owned. Do us all a favour and help the nation whilst rewarding your taste buds and feeding your soul. Long live Coopers!

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