Britain, once famed for its love of warm beer, now likes to drink at a refreshingly cool 2°C.

Carling has taken the temperature of British drinkers across the country, testing preference to pints, bottles and cans at varying degrees.

The brewer reckons that the figure of 2°C now preferred by British beer drinkers means a fall of 11°C in drinkers' preference over the last 32 years, since the baking hot summer of 1976 kick-started the country's love for lager. Brits once used to beer served at a cellar cooled temperature of around 13°C, have seen the temperature of their pint drop significantly as tastes changed dramatically over the years.

Over three quarters (77 per cent) of the nation's beer drinkers now want their pint of beer served extra cold, according to Carling's research. Indeed, 38 per cent would go as far as to return their pint to the bar if deemed not cold enough.

British drinkers' thirst for a cold beer continues at home as 74 per cent say it's just as important their beer is cold when in a can or bottle as when drinking a pint in a pub.

This has led Carling to develop new Extra Cold cans and bottles with an innovative thermochromic indicator - put simply, when the Blue Lion appears, the lager's the perfect temperature to drink. This means drinkers at home can ensure they don't spoil their beer by pouring a can before it's sufficiently chilled.

"This is a trend which started at the bar with colder pint pouring," explains Jim Shearer, Activation Manager at Carling. "So successful has it been that drinkers now want to ensure that the can from their fridge is as chilled as it should be."

To celebrate Britain's increasingly chilled tastes, Carling are working with a selection of Red Lion pubs across the country and turning them into Blue Lions for midsummer night (21st June) only. Pub signage will change to signify an evening of extra cold refreshment.

"The Red Lion is the most popular pub name in Britain," says Jim Shearer, Activation Manager at Carling. "Having a little fun with the name change is a great way of talking about how much British drinkers tastes have changed."