A real life version of the iconic Duff Beer from hit cartoon The Simpsons is set to go on sale around the world.

The fictional drink, favoured by the show’s lead character Homer Simpson, has been the subject of many novelty items and merchandise during The Simpsons’ 26 year run but this is the first official Duff Beer to launch.

Marketing chiefs insist the beverage should be seen as a proper beer rather than a novelty item.

Last week, the drink went on sale at the Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Florida and Hollywood, California, and bosses at 20th Century Fox, which makes the show, also plan to sell it in Chile, Europe, and the rest of the U.S.

The company’s consumer products president Jeffrey Godsick tells Britain’s The Sun newspaper, "You will enjoy it at home and eventually in bars. We are treating this as real beer, not a novelty."

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