Type | Lager |
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Manufacturer | Anheuser–Busch InBev |
Country of origin | Leuven, Belgium |
Introduced | 1926 |
Alcohol by volume | 5.2% (4.8% in the UK) |
Website | http://stellaartois.com |
Stella Artois ( /ˈstɛlə ɑrˈtwɑː/) is a 5% ABV lager brewed in Leuven, Belgium since 1926. In the UK, Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand a 4% ABV version is also available.[1]
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History
Tax records exist from 1366 for Leuven's Den Horen Brewery. In 1708, Sebastianus Artois became the master brewer at Den Horen, and gave his name to the brewery in 1717.
In 1926, Stella Artois was launched initially as a seasonal beer especially for the Christmas holiday market. First sold in Canada, it was such a commercial success it became available year round and, apart from the duration of the Second World War, has been produced ever since. The first Stella Artois beer was exported to the European market in 1930. By 1960, 100 million litres of Stella Artois were being produced annually. InBev opened a new fully automated brewery in Leuven in 1993, and by 2006, total production volume was over a billion litres annually.
The current package design and bottle design and shape was created in 1988 by David Taylor, founder of Taylorbrands. The design replaced a 1960s design and is inspired by the original 1926 bottle label. The design incorporates the horn symbol of the Den Hoorn brewery and the date 1366 which is the date of the earliest recorded brewing in Leuven. The label also shows medals for excellence awarded to the brewery at a number of trade exhibitions in Belgium in the 19th and 20th century. The name Stella Artois is held within a "cartouche" which was influenced by the style of Belgian architecture of Leuvenes.
In 2008 a lower alcohol version named Stella Artois 4% was launched in the UK.[2][3] As of 2011, a new spin-off cider product has been produced, named "Stella Artois Cidre".
Production
Stella Artois is brewed in Belgium (both in the plants of Leuven and Jupille) and the United Kingdom, as well as other countries, including Australia, Brazil and Ukraine.[4] Much of the brew exported from Europe is produced at InBev's brewery in Belgium, and packaged in the Beck's Brewery in Bremen, Germany. Stella Artois is also brewed in Abbotsford, Victoria, by Foster's Group for the Australian market under license from InBev.[5] As of 1 April 2012 , Australian production will be moving to Lion.[6] In the United States, Stella Artois is imported and distributed by Anheuser-Busch.[7] For the Hungarian market, Stella Artois is also brewed in Bőcs, Hungary, by Borsod Brewery under license from InBev.
Stella Artois is available on draught and in several packaged sizes, including a 250-ml bottle, 275-ml bottle, 284-ml bottle, 330-ml bottle, 330-ml can, 440-ml can, 500-ml can, pint-size can known as "La Grande Bière" (568 ml), 660-ml bottle, 700-ml bottle, 985-ml bottle, and a 1-litre bottle.
Advertising
United Kingdom
For some time, Stella Artois' advertising slogan in the United Kingdom was "Reassuringly Expensive". The UK television advertising campaigns became known for their distinctive style of imitating European cinema and their leitmotiv inspired by Giuseppe Verdi's La forza del destino. The campaigns began with a series of adverts based on the 1986 French film Jean de Florette, directed by the British duo Anthea Benton and Vaughan Arnell, moving on to other genres including war movies, silent comedy and even surrealism. They have used notable movie directors such as Jonathan Glazer, and their aim was to portray the drink in a context of clever words in the European culture.
In May 2008, an advertising campaign ran in the United Kingdom reporting that Stella Artois is made from only four ingredients: hops, malted barley, maize and water. Technically, the process also uses agents such as yeast for fermentation. Since 2009, Stella Artois has been brewed to be suitable for vegetarians after over 200 years of treating with isinglass (fish bladder) to clear the yeast from the brewed beer.
Stella Artois has been nicknamed wife beater in the United Kingdom. In January 2012, British MP Tom Watson discovered that a public relations firm Portland Communications, hired by Stella Artois had been removing this fact from Wikipedia. (They also made other edits on behalf of other clients.) Portland did not deny making the changes, arguing they had been done transparently and in accordance with Wikipedia's policies.[8][9]
United States
An advertisement for Stella Artois featuring actor Adrien Brody aired during Super Bowl XLV in February 2011. Though Anheuser-Busch InBev is a regular advertiser during the Super Bowl, this was the first time Stella Artois has been featured in a Super Bowl ad (Budweiser and Bud Light are the only Anheuser-Busch InBev brands that are normally featured in the company's Super Bowl commercials).[10] The commercial was heavily criticized in the Belgian media for giving the impression that the beer is French.[11][12]
In popular culture
Stella Artois has been associated with film in the UK since 1994, organizing events, sponsoring television, and hosting a website. Most recently the beer brand has adopted the new identity "Studio Artois". Stella Artois has been or is a primary sponsor of the film festivals of Cannes, Melbourne, and Sundance.
See also
References
- ^ "Inbev expected to launch 4% Stella Artois - Brands News". Morning Advertiser. 2008-06-24. http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/article/63232. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- ^ Marketingmagazine.co.uk
- ^ "No smooth outcome as Stella 4% sales fall". The Grocer. 16 May 2011. http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=218076. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ "Sun Inbev Ukraine Brands : Stella Artois". http://www.suninterbrew.ua/ukr/stellaartois.php. Retrieved 2008-10-05.[dead link]
- ^ "Foster's Group: Brand List". http://www.fostersgroup.com/brands/begian-range.aspx. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- ^ "Lion welcomes Stella Artois and Belgian specialty beers into its Australian portfolio". 2011-12-19. http://www.lionco.com/2011/12/19/lion-welcomes-stella-artois-and-belgian-specialty-beers-into-its-australian-portfolio/. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
- ^ "Anheuser-Busch: Brand List". http://www.anheuser-busch.com/brandPages/stella.html. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ Oliver Wright (2012-01-04). "Lobbying company tried to wipe out 'wife beater' beer references - UK Politics - UK". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lobbying-company-tried-to-wipe-out-wife-beater-beer-references-6284622.html. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- ^ City Diary. "Portland brews up row over 'wife-beater' Stella". Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/citydiary/8990671/Portland-brews-up-row-over-wife-beater-Stella.html. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- ^ Anderson, Mae (2011-02-04). Super Bowl ad frenzy stretches far beyond the game and 10 Super Bowl commercials to watch. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
- ^ http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/929/TV-Gids/article/detail/1219360/2011/02/08/Chique-Franse-Stella-spot-gaat-de-mist-in-op-Super-Bowl.dhtml
- ^ http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=DMF20110208_065
External links
- Official website
- Studio Artois: official film website
- Brasserie Artois: Artois Family of Beers
- Rating on RateBeer.com
- Photos from the now-defunct Stella brewery in Leuven
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