Cheers as 'broon' given back its proper name back

There were celebrations on Tyneside yesterday after it was announced that Newcastle's favourite tipple is to get its proper name back.

There were celebrations on Tyneside yesterday after it was announced that Newcastle's favourite tipple is to get its proper name back.

A label redesign means that Newcastle Brown will become an "ale" again, four years after the marketers dropped the third word in an attempt to woo younger drinkers.

An estimated 400 million bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale, or Georgie champagne as it is known to devotees, have been sold during the four "ale-less' years" - roughly the same rate as in previous years. But with the decision recently to add a "sensible drinking" message to the label, brewer Scottish Courage decided to return to the beer's original - and world famous - name.

"There was no sales difference and with the sensible drinking advice going on the labels, the redesign gave us the chance to bring the 'ale' back," said Scottish Courage spokesman David Jones yesterday.