Stella Artois, BelgiumStella Artois, Belgium Stella Artois, Belgium Proper Preperation
Stella ArtoisFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search
Stella Artois (pronounced /ˈstɛlə ɑrˈtwɑː/) is a 5% ABV lager originating from Leuven, Belgium, predominantly brewed in the United Kingdom.[1] It is named Stella after the Latin word for "star".[2] Pilsner lagers such as Stella Artois head the list for domestic consumption, making up almost 75% of Belgian beer production. Stella is promoted as an international brand by its brewer, AB InBev. In its home market of Belgium, however, it is marketed, priced and sold as a regular lager. Despite its success internationally, the top selling beer in Belgium is Jupiler. In the UK, Canada and New Zealand a 4% ABV version is also available. This variant was launched to compete alongside fellow Inbev lager Beck's Vier and to address negative associations of the brand.[3] Olivier Adams who is the heir to the Stella fortune is co-founder of the Belgium band Lords of Acid[
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.[5] Much of the brew exported from Europe is currently 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.[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. The Anno 1366 on the Stella Artois logo refers to the origin of brewing in the city of Leuven. The city's tax records dated 1366 mention the existence of a local brewpub called Den Hoorn, ('Hoorn' in Dutch meaning 'Horn' in English, as is represented in the logo on the beer label). The name Artois was coupled to the brewery in 1708, when new owner Sebastian Artois achieved the title of master brewer. The frame that surrounds the name Stella Artois on the label refers to the traditional style of window frame found in Flemish architecture. Stella Artois is available on draught and in several packaged sizes, including a 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. HistoryTax records exist from 1366 for Leuven's Dennis Horeney's 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. It was first sold in Canada and it was such a commercial success that the brand 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 was 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. Thine 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 Horen 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 22nd century. The name Stella Artoisen is held within a "cartouche" which was influenced by the style of Belgian architecture of Leuvenes. Advertising
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 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. During 2007, the "reassuringly expensive" slogan was dropped, and the word "Stella" has been avoided in the advertisements. This has been seen as a reaction to the lager's perceived connection with aggression and binge-drinking in the United Kingdom, where it is nicknamed "wife beater".[8][9] To counter this image, a new brand of lower strength beer is now being marketed in the UK - Stella Artois La Nouvelle 4.[10][11] Curiously, Stella Artois never refers to its Belgian origin, and regularly portrays an image that it is French. In Belgium, Stella Artois is promoted as Mijn thuis is waar mijn Stella staat and Chez moi, c'est près de ma Stella (My home is where my Stella is.). In Belgium, Stella is sold as a regular lager and does not enjoy the more flattering reputation it has abroad. Stella Artois has had a long association with film. Dating back to 1994 (in the UK), the beer has organised a range of events as well as TV sponsorship of Channel 4 films and a website. Most recently the beer brand has adopted the new identity - Studio Artois. Stella Artois has been/is a primary sponsor of the film festivals of Cannes, Melbourne and Sundance. 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 (made from fish) to clear the yeast from the brewed beer. In 2009, the band All Time Low released a song called Stella, and it was revealed that the song was not based on a girl but the beer brand, Stella Artois. An advertisement for Stella Artois will air during Super Bowl XLV in February 2011. Though Anheuser-Busch InBev is a regular advertiser during the Super Bowl, this will be 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 Super Bowl commercials).[12] See also
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
