It’s almost as though the “Global Beer Market Analysis & Trends – Industry Forecast to 2027” predicted it would happen. A comprehensive study that detailed market analysis with inputs derived from industry professionals across the value chain. A special focus on 23 countries such as U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, among others. In observing the innovation and culture of the beer experience overseas, it’s only a matter of time before some semblance of these on-trend interpretations manifest on our shores.
There’s nothing particularly new about it, but it’s a pretty big deal when Heineken jumps on board joining the ZERO ALCOHOL BEER wave and within two years enters its product in 30 international markets. A stronger consumer awareness in today’s modern health conscious and clean eating lifestyles requires calls for such product to fill that gap in the market. The challenge though is in creating a bottle like this with just 69 calories and 0% alcohol content without compromising the premium taste.
“Removing alcohol from regular 5% Heineken would have been easy, but it wouldn’t deliver the same premium beer taste that Heineken is known for.” said Willem van Waesberghe, Global Craft and Brew Master at HEINEKEN, “Heineken 0.0 is brewed from scratch and has a perfectly balanced taste with refreshing fruity notes and soft, malty finish.” The ripple effect across the industry will require a re-evaluation in brewing and production process.
The positioning capitalises on the sacrifice in giving up what is sometimes seen as a non-healthy beverage choice, together with soft drinks and sugar based drinks. Non-Alcoholic beverages in the UK have experienced 15% growth in the last two years, in comparison to Australia seeing 57% in five years. On the back of that are alcohol free wines, with that sector looking to capitalize on this and a new hybrid of cannabis-infused wines as the stigma towards the substance continues to erode.
For generations, pizza has become synonymous with sports culture as a key component in the spectator experience. One could also argue beer to harbour the same sentiment in parallel. So the natural progression in the fast food game night experience would be to synergise those two social pastimes. 300 more franchise outlets were added to the U.S. PIZZA HUT BEER DELIVERY program with further growth up to 1000 of its restaurants by July this year.
“Our expanded beer delivery program and Super Bowl weekend creates a great level of excitement across our participating franchise partners and team members,” said Nicolas Burquier, Chief Customer and Operations Officer, Pizza Hut. “Beer delivery is a game-changing lever that we’ll continue to pull in order to deliver oven-hot pizzas with ice-cold beer to customers watching and celebrating their favorite teams.”
“Super Bowl Sunday is one of our biggest days of the year, and now being able to offer the pizza-beer delivery combo in Orlando, FL during the big game, is a great upgrade our customers will truly enjoy,” said Carl Vannostrand, President and COO of CFL Pizza, a Pizza Hut franchisee organization.
Continuity in the delivery point of contact is a major quality check control as all mobile alcohol service is coordinated in-house at Pizza Hut, but how reasonable or feasible is it to entrust the policing of underage drinking and responsible service of alcohol to its drivers? And could a version of this food & beverage delivery service work successfully in Australia under the current regulations? The challenge will be in maintaining the flawless record to date they have experienced with the initial pilot. This would open the door to more
Celebrity brand endorsements are nothing new either. From Justin Timberlake’s Tequila Brand (901) to David Beckham’s whisky endorsement of Haig Club and Beyonce’s investment in Watermelon Water, the beverage industry has had a long affair with celebrity evoking aspirational messages of luxury and exclusivity. Last year saw the prestigious union of cult show Game of Thrones and Johnnie Walker with the launch of its limited edition White label and this ongoing trend doesn’t seem to see any end in sight.
Enter Night Pilsner is the outcome of a genuine creative spark between two entities that grew to become international forces of nature in their respective worlds, yet came from the fringes. An intensity of vision combined with a shared middle finger to the status quo makes Enter Night Pilsner a chorus of collaboration worth celebrating. The members of Metallica and the leadership of Stone participated at every step alongside their talented brewing team. From Metallica’s Bay Area HQ and the brewery HQ in San Diego, to many beers backstage at shows, the spirit of collaboration was powerful.
Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and Stone co-founder Greg Koch enjoyed multiple occasions at Lars’ home ‘discussing’ (industry-speak for ‘drinking’) beers conceptualising the final brew that has been launched.
“The amount of ideals and outlooks that Metallica and Stone Brewing share are endless,” says Lars. “I’m always blown away about how similar our paths forward have been. Our view of the worlds that we each inhabit, of creativity and process, and sense of place in relation to our peers and ‘The Man’ are almost identical. This collaboration is beyond effortless and pure, and we can’t wait to share this incredible beverage with everyone out there.”
“I remember seeing Metallica on the cover of a magazine just after the Black Album was released,” recalls Greg. “On the cover was a quote that resonated with me to this day: ‘Metallica didn’t go to number one, number one came to them.’ I loved what that meant. Do it your way and never compromise your art. If you’re great at what you do people will come. I view that simple quote as one of the founding philosophical elements of Stone Brewing.”
Aside from its intense drinkability, craft enthusiasts will note Enter Night’s remarkable flavor and aroma which artfully combine the beauty of a traditional Northern German Pilsner with Arrogant Consortia’s modern overtones of aggression. The resulting genre-defying pilsner is hop forward with sound bitterness on the finish. It first appeared for the most worthy few in exclusive releases at Metallica’s shows last month. The beer will gain full US distribution by March 2019, and its global domination will roll out this this throughout the year across Europe, Australia, China and beyond.Arrogant Consortia is a wholly owned imprint of Stone Brewing. Its often aggressive and always self-righteous lineup of beers includes Arrogant Bastard Ale and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard Ale, among others. The world-renowned brewery is well-known for waving the proud flag of independent craft brewing, while rallying against the bland, boring nature of industrialized, commoditized ‘fizzy yellow beer.’ Enter Night Pilsner is brewed to be enjoyed fresh and is best enjoyed with your friends… be it in bars, backyards, or tailgates… with your favorite music.