Heineken Lager Beer ( nl, Heineken Pilsener), or simply Heineken () is a
pale lager
Pale lager is a very pale-to- golden-colored lager beer with a well- attenuated body and a varying degree of noble hop bitterness.
The brewing process for this beer developed in the mid-19th century, when Gabriel Sedlmayr took pale ale brew ...
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
with 5%
alcohol by volume produced by the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
brewing company
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of beer ...
Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star.
History
On 15 February 1864, Gerard Adriaan Heineken (1841–1893) bought De Hooiberg (The Haystack) brewery on the
Nieuwezijds Achterburgwal
The Spuistraat in downtown Amsterdam connects the Hekelveld to the Spui. It runs roughly north to south, parallel to the Singel and the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. At the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, the Spuistraat crosses the Raadhuisstraat and P ...
canal in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, a popular working class brand founded in 1592. In 1873 after hiring a Dr. Elion (student of
Louis Pasteur) to develop Heineken a yeast for
Bavarian bottom fermentation, the HBM (Heineken's Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij) was established, and the first Heineken brand beer was brewed. In 1875 Heineken won the Medaille D'Or at the International Maritime Exposition in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and it began to be shipped there regularly, after which Heineken sales topped 64,000 hectolitres (1.7 million U.S. gallons), making them the biggest beer exporter to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
![Heineken Bottle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Heineken_Bottle._James_Bond_Edition.jpg)
In Heineken's early years, the beer won four awards:
*''Medaille d'Or'' (Gold Medal) at the International Maritime Exhibition (International Exhibition of Marine and River Industries) in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in May 1875.
*''Diplome d'Honneurs'' (Honorary Diploma) at the
International Colonial and Export Exhibition
The International Colonial and Export Exhibition (Dutch: ''Internationale Koloniale en Uitvoerhandel Tentoonstelling''; French: ''Exposition Universelle Coloniale et d'Exportation Générale'') was a colonial exhibition (a type of World's Fair) ...
in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
in 1883.
*''Grand Prix'' (Grand Prize) at the
Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889.
*''Hors Concours Membre du Jury'' in Paris in 1900.
The two awards that are still mentioned on the
label
A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed ...
are the Medaille d'Or and Diplome d'Honneurs.
In 2013, Heineken joined leading alcohol producers as part of a
producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
In the end of February 2013, Heineken stopped producing the brown bottles used for the Dutch market in favor of the green color of bottles it already used for exports.
In 2014, Heineken celebrated its 150th anniversary. In 2015, Heineken won the Creative Marketer of the Year Award, becoming the second company to win the award twice.
The original brewery where Gerard Adriaan Heineken first started making Heineken is now the Heineken Experience Museum.
Heineken 0.0
Heineken launched its first
non-alcoholic
An alcohol-free or non-alcoholic drink, also known as a temperance drink, is a version of an alcoholic drink made without alcohol, or with the alcohol removed or reduced to almost zero. These may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a "v ...
beer in 2017, naming it "Heineken 0.0". It was evaluated positively in terms of taste, with "almost the same taste" as the full-alcohol version, even though Heineken does not claim it to be of the same taste. It was also found to be lower in calories and sugar than a soda.
However, as is the case with most ‘non-alcoholic’ beers, Heineken 0.0 actually still does contain a trace amount of alcohol (about 0.05 percent). It has less alcohol than grape juice or orange juice, which naturally have some alcohol content even if lower than most drinks (0.30 to 0.86).
Job cuts
In February 2021, after reporting a loss of $247.6 million in 2020, Heineken said that it was planning to cut 8000 jobs and seek savings of $2.4 billion over two years.
Production
![Two glasses of Heineken Pilsener](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Two_glasses_of_Heineken_Pilsener.jpg)
Since 1975, most Heineken brand beer has been brewed at their brewery in
Zoeterwoude
Zoeterwoude () is a municipality in the province of South Holland, Western Netherlands. It covers of which is water. It had a population of in .
Located to the southeast of Leiden and north of Zoetermeer, the municipality of Zoeterwoude consist ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
In 2011, 2.74 billion litres of Heineken brand beer were produced worldwide, while the total beer production of all breweries fully owned by the Heineken Group over all brands was 16.46 billion litres globally. As of 2022 Heineken is sold in 192 countries. They have also been incorporated with numerous beer brands in countries all over the world including Mexico, China, Australia and various countries in Africa.
Advertising
![Heineken can 2011 UEFA Champions League Final](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Heineken_can_2011_UEFA_Champions_League_Final.jpg)
Heineken was the major sponsor of
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
and the
UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
,
UEFA Euro
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
and
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb E ...
; major sponsorship of Rugby Union had begun in Wales with the Welsh Premier Division competition.
Dating back to 1997, Heineken has had a long withstanding relationship with the
Bond franchise, consecutively being featured in 7 of their films. As of 2015 the brand's largest global marketing platform.
In 2016, Heineken became the Official Beer of the
FIA Formula One World Championship
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
starting from the
Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix du Canada) is an annual motor racing event held since 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, as a spor ...
. During races, Heineken also puts its "When You Drink, Never Drive" advertising campaign all over the race as a campaign to end
drink driving
Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash.
In the United States, alcohol is invo ...
.
In August 2021, Heineken signed a multi-year deal with
W Series as the global partner for all-Women single-seater racing series.
Starting with the 2020-24 cycle, Heineken became the sponsors of
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
and
UEFA Europa Conference League
The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on their ...
through Heineken 0.0 brands.
See also
*
Alcohol in Iran Alcohol has been illegal for Muslim Iranian citizens since the establishment of Islamic Republic government in 1979.
In 2011, 5.7% of the adult population self-reported consuming alcohol in the previous year.
History
Wine has played an important r ...
References
*
External links
*
{{Heineken International
Beer in the Netherlands
Heineken brands
1873 introductions