Fierce Beer Joins Tennent's Direct With Three Cask Beers

by FIERCE BEERJul 13, 2026

Fierce Beer Signal Fire, Surf Shack and Noir cask pump clips at a Tennent's Direct venue in Scotland

Fierce Beer is joining Tennent's Direct with three cask beers landing in more than 600 venues across Scotland. Pre-orders are open now, with stock reaching depot on 20 July. It's the first phase of a new trading relationship between Fierce Beer and C&C Group, onboarded with support from the team at Matthew Clark Bibendum.

How did Fierce Beer end up on Tennent's Direct?

Almost two years ago, Fierce Beer, the independent Aberdeen brewery, sat down with C&C Group to talk about joining the Tennent's Direct portfolio. Two years of conversation later, that talk has become cask beer heading to pumps across Scotland. Any Tennent's Direct account holder pouring cask can now stock Fierce Beer.

What beers has Fierce Beer launched with Tennent's Direct?

Three cask lines. Three great reasons to order.

Signal Fire, 4.2% Amber Ale

Built for this launch and exclusive to Tennent's Direct. It's the one Fierce get asked about most.

Surf Shack, 3.4% Session Hazy IPA

Built for long shifts and a decent Scottish summer. Low enough ABV to keep pouring all night, hopped enough to keep people coming back to the bar.

Noir, 4.3% Classic Stout

Noir is Fierce Beer's homage to a restrained, subtle Irish stout: dark chocolate and roasty aromas, fresh coffee and dark fruit on the finish, poured light and smooth.

Why is cask beer having a moment in Scotland right now?

UK on-trade cask volumes actually fell around 7% in 2025, continuing a longer decline. But that isn’t the whole picture. Craft stout value in particular grew more than 120% in 2024, and kept expanding through 2025 as independent brewers leaned harder into the style. And there is new growth in cask. Increasing numbers of Gen-Z beer drinkers are showing keen interest. Cask may well be on the rise.

That's the gap Tennent's is backing Fierce Beer to fill: independent, Scottish, and leaning into the parts of cask that are actually growing or show the greatest potential to. Noir sits right in the sweet spot of the cask resurgence. Signal Fire and Surf Shack are there to prove cask doesn't have to mean brown and traditional.

Why did Tennent's give Fierce Beer an exclusive cask beer?

Two years of conversation before a single cask moved isn't how brands get trialled for a season. It's how brands get built in for the long term. Signal Fire being exclusive to Tennent's Direct reflects that commitment. Tennent's doesn't hand an exclusive beer to a brewery it isn't backing properly.

Landing in 600+ venues at once, with three different beers rather than one, shows the scale Tennent's believes cask deserves. Fierce Beer is one of the independent brewers it has chosen to back that bet with.

How do you order Fierce Beer through Tennent's Direct?

Already a Tennent's Direct account holder?

Pre-orders are open now through your usual ordering platform or rep. Stock lands in depot on 20 July, so ordering early means Signal Fire, Surf Shack or Noir is on the bar as soon as it lands. Trade customers looking for the rest of the range can also order through Fierce Beer's trade portal.

Not set up with Tennent's Direct yet?

Signal Fire is only available this way. Get in touch with Tennent's Direct to find out how to open an account.

A regular rather than a landlord?

Ask your local if they pour Fierce Beer. If they don't yet, tell them Signal Fire, Surf Shack and Noir are on Tennent's Direct, and it only takes a word to their rep.

What is Tennent's Direct?

Tennent's Direct is C&C Group's direct-to-trade drinks ordering platform for pubs, bars and hospitality venues across Scotland. Account holders order draught, cask and packaged drinks through the platform or their rep. Fierce Beer's three new cask beers, Signal Fire, Surf Shack and Noir, are now available to any Tennent's Direct account holder pouring cask.

Where can I find Fierce Beer on cask?

Fierce Beer's three new cask beers are landing in more than 600 venues across the Tennent's Direct estate in Scotland from 20 July. Ask your local pub or bar if they pour Fierce Beer; if not, they can order Signal Fire, Surf Shack or Noir through their usual Tennent's Direct rep.

Is Signal Fire only available on cask?

Yes. Signal Fire, a 4.2% Amber Ale, was built specifically for this launch and is exclusive to Tennent's Direct on cask. Fierce Beer has no plans to release it through any other route, making Tennent's Direct the only place to find it.

What size cask does Fierce Beer use?

Fierce Beer's three Tennent's Direct cask lines, Signal Fire, Surf Shack and Noir, all arrive in 41-litre Kegster cask, a standard format for cask ale in the UK on-trade.

How do I open a Tennent's Direct account to order Fierce Beer?

Venues that aren't yet set up with Tennent's Direct can contact Tennent's Direct directly to open an account. Once live, ordering Signal Fire, Surf Shack or Noir works the same as any other Tennent's Direct cask line, through the ordering platform or a rep.

Is Noir the same beer as Fierce Beer's canned stout?

Noir is the same 4.3% Classic Stout Fierce Beer already sells in can, brewed with pale, Maris and Carafa malt and East Kent Goldings hops. This Tennent's Direct launch makes it available in cask, alongside Signal Fire and Surf Shack.