Please help me settle an argument I was having with a friend. We were at the bar discussing imported beer. I contend that many of those foreign beers are made in North America rather than made in (insert country) and shipped here in bottles and cans. He recently visited the Heineken factory in Holland and claims that Heineken, among other imported beers, is only made in their home countries. The skeptic in me thinks that wouldn’t be very cost effective for a huge company. Does anyone know how this typically works?
PS. Yes, I know calling it an “imported beer” implies that it’s actually imported. I am talking about beers that are foreign.
The last time I found myself drinking a bottle of Foster’s, I remember noticing that it was brewed in Canada. This was somewhere in the fine print on the label - not obvious, but hardly a secret, either.
I don’t have a bottle nearby, and a quick look at the Foster’s website didn’t seem to reveal anything. However, a quick trip to the grocery store (or wherever beer is sold in your state) would probably be revealing - just start inspecting labels.
On the other hand, I do happen to have an empty Warsteiner bottle right here.
Up around the neck, the label bears the phrase, “IMPORTED FROM GERMANY” - I don’t think they could say this if it wasn’t true. (IANAL, so I welcome correction if I’m wrong.)
My computer’s 3rd vowel and the other letter just below and to starboard are u/s so the dutch beer must be called “H” for my post. The best shall be done for other words.
“H” gets brewed at New Zealand’s largest town. And NOT sold as 'mported. However when “H” gets bought n Austral’a ('angaroos 'oalas etc) “H” gets promoted as 'mported and the Austral’an “H” gets brewed at Holland. Tastes the same. Costs over 2x as much.
Breweries are free to produce beer where and when they please, by and large (hence we have Sam Adams being brewed in Budwieser shithouses). But labeling laws in many countries restrict beers from being marked with deliberately deceptive labels.
Of couse, certain areas have become associated with certain styles of beer, for example, it is perfectly acceptable for an American brewery to produce a “Belgian wheat”, “Flemish Sour Ale” or “Czech Pilsner”. However, it’s a big no-no to claim a false country of origin on said beer.
There are complicated arrangements among breweries. Miller brands are now owned by a South African brewfirm, but most Miller brand beer is still brewed in the US. Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) has cross-licensing deals, so that some Budweiser is brewed in China and some Tsing Tao (spelling?) is made here. Similarly, Carlsberg may be made here. Lowenbrau has been farmed out to US plants for a long time. Many small US brands were swallowed up by A-B, Miller, and Coors; and they are now brewed in the big brew houses.
Miller Lite was originally a small-brand recipe, but that’s another story.
You seem to be confusing “claim” with the original country of origin. Yes, if a beer explicitly claims to be made exclusively in a particular country then it is. But Heineken, for instance, make no such claim AFAIK. If your friend thought he heard that in Holland then he’s mistaken, as they openly brew in many countries. Same for Guinness and virtually all other world brands.
More beer label info… I found a Bass Ale in the fridge. Main front label reads: “Imported from Britain”.
Rear label reads: “Brewed by Interbrew UK LTD, Luton LU1 3LS, England”.
I guess this presents a related but side question(s) from me. This is truly and imported beer, yet the label has all of the US govt warning stuff, as well as the various US state redemption values on it (CT-DE-VT-IA-MAME-NY-OR 5 cents, MI 10 cents, CA redemption value, etc).
In this case, do imported beers make different shipments for US consumption? By different, I mean is it the same recipie as the folks back home get? Or is it the same brew, just country specific labels?
It’s more difficult to detect where your beer is brewed if you’re buying it in a pub rather than in labelled bottles. In the UK, nine out of every ten pints are brewed domestically. They’re tarted up with foreign branding to make them appear exotic.
From the linked article:
Kronenbourg – pretends to be French – brewed in Reading, UK
Fosters – pretends to be Australian – brewed in Reading, UK
Carlsburg – pretends to be Danish – brewed in Northampton, UK
Stella Artois – pretends to be from Belgium – brewed in Wales, UK
Guinness – pretends to be Irish – brewed in London, UK
Budweiser – pretends to be American – brewed in London, UK
It’s not just beers - Vladivar Vodka, claims to be Russian, distilled in Warrington. But my favourite is is Asahi lager: pretends to be Japanese, brewed in the Czech Republic. Go figure.
Bass is definitely only brewed in the one place. Most traditional beers still are - it’s the ‘big brand’ ones which have been taken up, mainly be Interbrew, as labels to slap on stuff brewed anywhere.
Jervoise, I don’t agree with you when you say that those brands ‘pretend’ to be from somewhere else. Just bacause a beer is brewed in the UK don’t mean, that it isn’t Dutch IMHO.
Foe me a Toyoto will always be Japanese and Ford cars American, no matter where the actual cars are made or the parts come from.
