Charles Wells has become the latest brewer to dip its toe in the ready-to-drink market.

The Bedford-based brewer is in talks with buyers about Muse, a spirits-based RTD in four variants - Sex on the Beach, Long Island Iced Tea, Illusion and Blue Lagoon. Aimed at cocktail-lovers, it has been tested in on-trade outlets.

Meanwhile, Red Stripe lager, which Charles Wells brews and distributes, goes into a long neck 330ml bottle this month as it moves away from the stubby and its associations with “cheap imported beer from Calais”.