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A popular beer will no longer be sold in major UK supermarkets after it was discontinued. Budweiser Brewing Group has discontinued its continental beer brand Via Roma after it was unveiled just two years ago.

The drink was "inspired by the eternal city of Rome", but failed to make a mark while other continent-inspired brands boomed. The Co-Op is now the only supermarket to stock the beer at the time of writing, while Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Lidl have all stopped selling it. Via Roma has been described as "the embodiment of Italian brewing tradition, presented in a sleek and stylish bottle that speaks to the discerning beer aficionado".

It was brought to the UK market to serve demand for continental style lagers but had off-trade sales of just £2.9m in the year up to last April.

However, despite initial distribution in major supermarkets, the brand struggled to build sustained consumer demand.

The lager, which was brewed in the UK, was described as offering customers a refreshing lager "infused with a subtle hint of Italian orange".

However, like many of its rivals in the beer aisles of UK supermarkets, Via Roma is understood to have suffered from a lack of connection to the country in which it is claimed to be inspired by, with Budweiser being an American brand.

Research conducted by the Grocer shows that only a third of beers are imported into the UK from the country upon which they are inspired by.

The decision to discontinue the Via Roma highlights growing pressure in the "world beer" aisle, where shoppers are becoming increasingly selective about what they buy.

Industry insiders say consumers are now more likely to stick with familiar names or opt for genuinely imported beers, rather than newer "inspired" alternatives.

The news comes in a week where inflation figures revealed that the cost of beer continues to rise year on year.

New figures show that the average price of beer was up 1.6% year on year in February, lower than the much steeper jump of 5.3% in January.