Stella now 4.6%!

[Thatscold]

For health reasons apparently....For profit reasons for sure.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Awful stuff.

 

[marshbrewer]

I thought it was for tax reasons?

<edit> beer duty not other taxes!

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

The Stella 4 will be stronger than the original soon!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Stella now 4.6%

According to the article below it was reduced to 4% in 2008 as they wanted to get away from its nickname Wife Beater.


Ryan Williams from London witnessed these stereotypes first hand. “My dad, who has a bit of a problem with drinking, would often come home with a crate of Stella and after a few drinks he’d start arguing with my mum.” Despite its slogan in the early 90’s being “Reassuringly expensive”, the beer was often sold at many local corner-shops and leading supermarkets at discounted rates due to its high demand.

Having noticed the poor image it had garnered in the UK, Stella made efforts to rebrand its beverages and disassociate itself with violence. The company lowered its alcohol content from 5.2% to 4% in 2008, and lobbyists working on behalf of the now owning company of Stella even tried to have all references of “wife beater” removed from the company’s Wikipedia page.

The recent years have been far kinder to the brewer as most who know the beer as “wife beater” is from the generation gone by, and its association with violent and anti-social behaviour has by in large decreased. Whether the lowered alcohol content helped that or changing demographics, it’s hard to say, but one thing is for sure, many Brits now know it as the Belgian beer.

https://brussels-express.eu/why-was-stella-artois-known-as-wife-beater-in-britain/

 

[DavidHatton]

Still gonna call my Stella clone Red Mist!!

 

[Thatscold]

In my youth, when it was 5.2%, it’s reputation was deserved. I did like a good night out on the Stella!

 

[chthon]

You know that AbInbev is actually a financial institution that just happens to brew beer as a secondary occupation?

 

[Thatscold]

So it’s a company that’s objective is to make a profit?

Different from any other company then.

Of course all other brewers are altruistic and only exist for the benefit of the greater good.

 

[dad_of_jon]

In my house it was known as the "Wife Borer" as when I had a few I couldn't stop talking nonsense

 

[foxbat]

In my youth, when it was 5.2%, it’s reputation was deserved. I did like a good night out on the Stella!

Totally agree. I used to enjoy a chilled pint of the old 5.2% Stella sitting outside on a hot summer's evening. Stella now is a poor imitation of its former self. Flavourless, watery and no sign of the saazy spicyness that defined its former character.

 

[Clint]

Perhaps we could have a forum Christmas brew follow up to go with the chocolate stout...
A Stella clone. Proper 5%+. We could also get Dan to knock us up some white vests with something offensive printed on the front...

 

[chthon]

So it’s a company that’s objective is to make a profit?

Different from any other company then.

Of course all other brewers are altruistic and only exist for the benefit of the greater good.

There is a difference between making a profit and selling the cheapest stuff, and cornering the market for malts and hops in certain parts of the world.

 

[phildo79]

Hasn't it been 4.6% for a while now? Regardless, still tastes like eff all!

 

[ppsmith]

[M]any Brits now know it as the Belgian beer.

I always thought it was French

 

[chrisbardell]

Clear memory from 1992: I grab my usual 4-can pack of Stella from the offie. Notice the can design has changed, and is now a pretty, 3D textured affair.

Get home, open first can, take a lug. URRRGH, effing revolting. Check the small print on the can: "Brewed in the UK under licence by Whitbread". No longer by Stella in Leuven, Belgium. A great beer, ruined forever. And they kept the price at a premium, and had the nerve to launch the 'reassuringly expensive' ad campaign.

Same story happened with Grolsch and Red Stripe over the following years. British-brewed Budweiser has always been hideous.

Oddly, after Grolsch turned into wee, Safeway (remember them?) were still selling their own-branded 'Dutch premium lager' for about a year, and you could tell it was definitely the proper Grolsch. Half the price of the branded, UK-brewed swill. I think I bought all the stock from their Salisbury store that year.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Budweiser has always been hideous.

Corrected it for you.

 

[marshbrewer]

Perhaps we could have a forum Christmas brew follow up to go with the chocolate stout...
A Stella clone. Proper 5%+. We could also get Dan to knock us up some white vests with something offensive printed on the front...

I'd be up for this.

 

[Covrich]

I actually did a Stella clone a few years back and it was nice.. cheated though and used us05.. when I first started drinking , it was my go to drink.. I don't remember it was all that bad I guess but when they dropped the 5.2 it just got worse and worse

 

[JockyBrewer]

According to the article below it was reduced to 4% in 2008 as they wanted to get away from its nickname Wife Beater.

Ryan Williams from London witnessed these stereotypes first hand. “My dad, who has a bit of a problem with drinking, would often come home with a crate of Stella and after a few drinks he’d start arguing with my mum.” Despite its slogan in the early 90’s being “Reassuringly expensive”, the beer was often sold at many local corner-shops and leading supermarkets at discounted rates due to its high demand.

Pete Brown talks about the rise and fall of Stella here: The slow death of a once wonderful brand - Pete Brown

In short, customers lapped up the 'reassuringly expensive' branding, but Inbev's sales strategy didn't protect the brand*, sold it too widely and cheaply and so it became wife beater.

(*Of course he would say that as he has spent most of his career in beer marketing and having worked on the 'Reassuringly Expensive' campaign).