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| File:Stella Artois can and bottle.png | |
| Type | Lager |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AB InBev |
| Distributor | AB InBev |
| Country of origin | Leuven, Belgium |
| Introduced | 1926 |
| Alcohol by volume | 5% (5.2% in some markets) |
| Website | stella-artois.com |
Stella Artois (Template:PronEng) is a 5% ABV (5.2% in some markets) lager first brewed in Leuven, Belgium in 1926 as a Christmas brew, and named Stella after the Latin for "star".
Although Belgium is best known internationally for its ales, the so-called "table beers," the bottom-fermented 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 number 1 selling beer in Belgium is its sister beer Jupiler.
In the UK and in Canada, a lower ABV version is also available, called respectively Stella Artois 4% and Stella Artois Light-Légère. This variant was launched to compete alongside fellow Inbev lager Beck's Vier and to address negative associations of the brand.
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, and Ukraine. 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. In the United States, Stella Artois is imported and distributed by Anheuser-Busch.
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, 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.
History
The first recorded history of Stella Artois is in 1366, when records of taxes exist on Leuven's Den Horen Brewery, a brewery that is still in existence today. In 1708, Sebastian 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, 1 million hl 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 10 million hl annually.
The current pack design and bottle 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 20th century. The name Stella Artois is held within a "cartouche" which was influenced by the style of Flemish architecture of Leuven.
The American Pop punk band All Time Low wrote "Stella" from their 2009 album Nothing Personal about the beer.
Advertising
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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 (for which the slogan was changed to "Reassuringly Elephants"). They have used notable movie directors such as Jonathan Glazer, and their aim was to portray the drink in a context of sophisticated 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". To counter this image, a new brand of lower strength beer is now being marketed in the UK - Stella Artois La Nouvelle 4.
In Belgium, Stella Artois is promoted as Mijn huis 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 a primary sponsor of the film festivals at Cannes and Sundance.
In May 2008, an advertising campaign was run in the United Kingdom reporting that Stella Artois is only made from 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.
See also
- Peeterman Artois, a 4% wheat-based lager often sold alongside Stella Artois in the UK
- Artois Bock, a 6.2% 'brown' beer to be phased out and replaced by Eiken Artois
- Eiken Artois, a 4.6% 'oak aged' lager sold alongside Stella Artois in the UK
References
- "Pivovary Staropramen : Stella Artois". Retrieved 2006-12-10.
- "Inbev expected to launch 4% Stella Artois - Brands News". Morning Advertiser. 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- "Sun Inbev Ukraine Brands : Stella Artois". Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- "Anheuser-Busch: Brand List". Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- "Where did it all go wrong for the beer they call 'wife beater'?". Dailymail.co.uk. 2007-11-15. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- "The Argus - Pubs ban Stella Artois". Archive.theargus.co.uk. 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
- http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/902888/Watch-new-Stella-Artois-4-commercial/
- http://eternalworrier.blogspot.com/2008/07/reassuringly-chavtastic-stella-artois.html
External links
- Official website
- Studio Artois: official film website
- Brasserie Artois: Artois Family of Beers
- Rating on RateBeer.com
- Collection of glass beer mugs from Stella Artois
- Photos from the now-defunct Stella brewery in Leuven
- Singapore Stella Artois Gold Standard Establishment Information
- Stella Artois Homebrew Recipe