Stella now 4.6%!

[marshbrewer]

I can remember when Stella was premium. For you young uns, it basically sat in the marketplace where Peroni did last decade and Morretti does now. Funnily enough, for a keg beer, it always seemed variable in quality - well kept it was nice, but in a pub with poor lines it could be horrid. I wonder if that was because it didn't shift as much as the commodity lagers? It was worth drinking if there wasn't any cask, and you didn't fancy a bottle of Newkie Brown.

 

[johncrobinson]

Glad you mentioned Newkie Brown jjish.Thats another one that's been ruined by brewery shenanigans Gone from MUST be brewed on the banks of the Tyne to can and is" Be made Anywhere."

 

[marshbrewer]

Yep, it's gone from S&N Newcastle brewery, to the old Federation brewery in Washington, to the John Smith's brewery in Tadcaster, to the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam. As a result, it tastes nothing like I remember in the 1980's.

 

[An Ankoù]

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.

I've had more than a few pints of Stella, but I never found it an inspiring pint. I don't think I've had the "unleaded" version and I'm not going to search for it. Nevertheless, I'm sure it's still "reassuringly expensive".

 

[Clint]

"over priced'

 

[foxbat]

I've had more than a few pints of Stella, but I never found it an inspiring pint. I don't think I've had the "unleaded" version and I'm not going to search for it. Nevertheless, I'm sure it's still "reassuringly expensive".

Out of interest is yours still brewed in Leuven? It'd be interesting to know if AbInBev treat you continentals with equal contempt to that which they treat us in the UK.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

"Budweiser has always been hideous." Corrected it for you.

Well... NOT the 'proper' stuff - i.e. the Czech-brewed Budweiser Budvar. Entirely different kettle of fish, and a damn good beer in my opinion

 

[Linalmeemow]

Well... NOT the 'proper' stuff - i.e. the Czech-brewed Budweiser Budvar. Entirely different kettle of fish, and a damn good beer in my opinion

That is true, but that is not the Budweiser I was talking about!

 

[SmallSpacesBrewing]

All beer sold inn Norwegian shops Are 4,7% or lower. If you want stronger, you have to go our own special store. Vinmonopolet.

 

[foxbat]

All beer sold inn Norwegian shops Are 4,7% or lower. If you want stronger, you have to go our own special store. Vinmonopolet.

That's for tax reasons though isn't it? Don't you get some kind of supertax on strong beers in Norway?

 

[SmallSpacesBrewing]

That's for tax reasons though isn't it? Don't you get some kind of supertax on strong beers in Norway?

We have a tax on alkohol, depending on strengt. One can og 0.5 liter normal (4,7%) beer cost minimum 21.90kr, around two pounds for the consumer, of this almost half is tax . They Are actually going to up it in 2021. We also pay 2kr each can for recycling, these Are returned to us when bring the can back to the store. This is called Pant. Higher alcohol content in any beverage must be bought in an all alcohol goverment controlled store called the Vinmonopol. That means Vine, beer over 4,7 and spirits. This store has its own opening hours. Like on a saturday ut Will close at 15.00.

 

[chopps]

Out of interest is yours still brewed in Leuven? It'd be interesting to know if AbInBev treat you continentals with equal contempt to that which they treat us in the UK.

It's pronounced Luton. :)

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

We also pay 2kr each can for recycling, these Are returned to us when bring the can back to the store. This is called Pant.

Love this idea. We used to do this with fizzy drinks bottles in UK years ago. The kids returned these in return for their pocket money.

 

[chrisbardell]

Love this idea. We used to do this with fizzy drinks bottles in UK years ago. The kids returned these in return for their pocket money.

The idea is great, but I think the practicalities would probably make it impossible for smaller UK shops. Where does the shop store the empties, etc. Fleets of vans going to every corner shop in the country to pick up empties would probably knacker any green benefits. Fortnightly recycling collections from home just seems to work better.

But it can work. This law was being passed just when we left the US, and aside from its loopholes has resulted in much more drinks bottle/can recycling in the state where it applies: Massachusetts Bottle Bill - Wikipedia

 

[chopps]

The idea is great, but I think the practicalities would probably make it impossible for smaller UK shops. Where does the shop store the empties, etc. Fleets of vans going to every corner shop in the country to pick up empties would probably knacker any green benefits. Fortnightly recycling collections from home just seems to work better.

But it can work. This law was being passed just when we left the US, and aside from its loopholes has resulted in much more drinks bottle/can recycling in the state where it applies: Massachusetts Bottle Bill - Wikipedia

Great point about small shops. You can make it work though and often the refund does not come from the same little shop you bought the bottle from. I've seen reverse vending machines where you push the bottles in and get your refund out for example.
Also, (and I'm not saying this is the reason to introduce a deposit scheme....), in Munich it's very usual to see people rummaging through bins to retrieve bottles, or picking up bottles in parks etc, and collect the deposits for themselves. Keeps recyclables out of the general waste stream, and a bit of cash for those who need it. My point is, when a value is attached to waste, people are more interested in doing the right thing with it.

 

[Pezza24]

With regards to the recycling of cans and bottles, when I spent some time in Calgary you collected the cans up yourself and took them to a depot where they got weighed up and you got your payment. A bit like going to the scrappy here. Not sure if that's still the case mind it was nearly 15 years ago.

 

[An Ankoù]

Out of interest is yours still brewed in Leuven? It'd be interesting to know if AbInBev treat you continentals with equal contempt to that which they treat us in the UK.

Sorry, I didn't pick this up earlier. Yes it is. I haven't had a pint for some years, now. I think I'll treat myself to a couple of bottles next time I go to the supermarket. And beg a beer mat to repair my shoes. It seems to be marked up at 5%, by the way. I remember it being a little stronger than that.

 

[johncrobinson]

I suppose it all depends what our Nordic friends do with the tax collected.

Here in UK its been long since peed up against the wall.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

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

Not quite - InBev had tried to compete with the likes of Becks Vier by launching the 4% Peeterman in the early noughties, but following the AB merger in 2008 they replaced it with a 4% version of Stella whilst reducing the "normal" Stella to 4.8% (which has now gone to 4.6%). Even today I get the impression that a lot of punters don't realise there's two versions of Stella - the lower tax on the 4% version allows it to be quite a bit cheaper than the stronger version (also helped by the fact that it comes in 50litre (~11 gallon) kegs, whilst the stronger version comes in 10 gallon kegs like Boddies used to).

The former head of the lab at Artois says it's gone from 33 IBU in 1973 to 20 IBU today.

 

[marshbrewer]

The former head of the lab at Artois says it's gone from 33 IBU in 1973 to 20 IBU today.

So if we are goi g to have a go at brewing something along the lines of the original, what am I shooting for?

33 IBU
5.2% abv
All Saaz
100% pilsner malt?
Lowish mash for fermentability.
Which yeast do we think?

Really fancy giving this a go.