Where Is Red Stripe Beer Made?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heineken Lager Beer Heineken Pilsener

Current export bottle
Type	Beer
Manufacturer	Heineken N.V.
Country of origin	Netherlands
Introduced	1873 ; 150 years ago
Alcohol by volume	5.0%
Colour	7 EBC
Style	Pale lager
Original gravity	1.044–1.048
IBU scale	23
Related products	Heineken Oud Bruin Heineken Premium Light Heineken Tarwebok
Website	heineken,com

Heineken Lager Beer ( Dutch : Heineken Pilsener ), or simply Heineken ( pronounced ), is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star.

Is Red Stripe beer made in USA?

3. The Red Stripe recipe is not from Jamaica – That’s right. Though Red Stripe has always been made in Jamaica – originally by Desnoes & Geddes at the Surrey Brewery on Pechon Street – the recipe for Red Stripe was first produced in Illinois in the United States of America, before it was eventually sold to the brewery and brought to Jamaica.

Where does Red Stripe beer come from?

43 Red Stripe Red stripe is an award-winning beer that embodies the lively spirit of Jamaica. A pale amber lager that showcases the island vibes of the Caribbean. While the beer recipe was originally developed in the United States it is synonymous with Jamaican culture.

1. Its flavour is derived from Pilsen malt, hops, cassava starch, and water.
2. Red Stripe offers smooth butterscotch notes with a 4.7 alcohol level (Red Stripe, 2020) Red Stripe is the official sponsor of international sporting events such as the Cricket World Cup and has played a pivotal role in sponsoring the Jamaican Football Federation’s efforts to qualify in the FIFA World Cup.

Red Stripe has also sponsored the Jamaica national bobsled team who first debuted in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta (Wikipedia, 2020) Music festivals have also played an integral role in highlighting the Red Stripe brand’s popularity (Red Stripe, 2020).

Supporting the underground music scene while increasing its consumption with beer drinkers worldwide. Red Stripe has sponsored The Great Escape, Reggae Sumfest, and Camden Crawl festivals (Wikipedia, 2020). Red Stripe is widely recognized with its distinct stubby bottle and a diagonal red stripe on the label.

In 2015 Red Stripe was acquired by Heineken (SpruceEats, 2018). Red Stripe (n.d.) Retrieved from https://redstripebeer.com/our-beer/

Is Red Stripe the only beer in Jamaica?

Red Stripe is not the only beer brewed on the island of Jamaica, it’s just the best-known.

Where is Red Stripe beer brewed UK?

By entering this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge that you have read and understood our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy Brewed in the UK under license from Desnoes & Geddes Limited, Kingston, Jamaica by Heineken UK Limited, Registered Company Number SC065527, Registered Office 3-4 Broadway Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9JZ

Is Red Stripe still made in Jamaica?

Red Stripe is a 4.7% ABV pale lager brewed by Desnoes & Geddes in Jamaica. It was first introduced in 1928 from a recipe developed by Paul H. Geddes and Bill Martindale. It is also brewed in the Netherlands by Heineken.

Is Red Stripe brewed by Heineken?

2015. It’s a big one – Red Stripe becomes part of the Heineken family.

Why is Red Stripe beer so popular?

Ask the indie professor: Why do so many bands drink Red Stripe? While alcohol is rejected in hardcore punk it is celebrated in indie. Why? And why does indie favour certain brands (I’m thinking Red Stripe, which seems to be the indie band drink of choice since the 90s)? Adam, via email Did you ask this question because my Twitter account says “I’m the anthropologist of everything fun except beer”? Music genres often express strong attitudes towards altered states of consciousness.

• As straight edge manifested the most strident Protestantism, all forms of hedonism or anything that would inhibit sobriety were,
• Reggae is deeply connected to Rastafarianism.
• For reggae, the drug of choice is cannabis (referred to as ganja).
• Alcohol and preserved or chemically altered foods are to be avoided.

Rastafarianism rejects Babylon, an idea that western civilisation is corrupt and materialistic in contrast to a spiritual Zion. Ganja, is seen as a sacrament that aids in a relationship with, When one considers the apathy engendered by smoking cannabis, you can see how well ganja dovetails with the rejection of a Protestant work ethic and capitalism’s drive towards material acquisition.

1. Alcohol, however, is the drug of choice for the indie community.
2. But why Red Stripe in the UK or Pabst Blue Ribbon in the US? I haven’t found a definitive answer, but I have several hypotheses that correspond to explanatory paradigms in the social sciences.
3. The first would be a Marxist interpretation of economic motivations.

Both Red Stripe and Pabst Blue Ribbon are relatively inexpensive. As indie audiences tend to be younger, less expensive options are preferred. However, there are several inexpensive beers to choose from, so the Marxist approach seems only partially satisfactory.

1. Another explanation is historical particularism.
2. This theory, associated with, posits that historic incidents, culture contact and the environment are the chief determining factors in cultural manifestations.
3. Indie’s antecedents can be found in post-punk,
4. The Clash were drinking Red Stripe.
5. The influence of Jamaican music in areas where punk emerged – such as Ladbroke Grove – made drinking the lager a way to express affiliation with other oppressed groups and movements in opposition to British imperialism.

Additionally, Red Stripe was sold at the London Astoria, a major venue for touring indie bands in the 90s. The beer served at a favoured venue is taken up as a favourite by the bands that play there, by fans drinking there or fans emulating the artists.

• The companies selling the product embrace the clientele.
• Red Stripe sponsors a breakthrough artist award and associates its brand with music in marketing campaigns.
• In the US, Pabst Blue Ribbon regularly advertises on All Songs Considered, National Public Radio’s music wing that despite its title is strongly skewed toward the,

What the historic antecedents are for Pabst Blue Ribbon I wouldn’t know, but it was originally brewed in, a city viewed as hardy and working class. It was also a dollar a can in the 90s, which appealed to low-income drinkers. The brand capitalised on its perceived working-class identity by funding contests between bike messagers in Portland and skateboarding exhibitions.

• This association with the perceived authenticity of the non-bourgeois has meant that Pabst Blue Ribbon is no longer the least expensive brand, but it’s still the lager of choice for American gig-goers.
• Another intriguing possibility is the symbolic approach.
• Both brands have simple designs featuring national colours – red, white and blue for the US, and red and white for England (sorry, Scotland and Wales).

Simplicity is a dominant motif in indie practices. Indie’s puritan foundations lie in rejecting embellishments and a return to the basics of worship. Both brands have simple lines and colour schemes making the products mirror the sonic aesthetics of purity and simplicity.

1. Both are lagers, the weakest of beer.
2. The tastes are often characterised as “basic”.
3. It’s as if the notions of “effete” and “back to basics” had been reproduced in the beverage itself.
4. Rarely have I heard someone say they think Red Stripe or Pabst Blue Ribbon tastes the best, but rather something like “Pabstenance”, the basic necessity that one needs to survive on beer.

I am sure there are other theories that may explain the phenomenon. Feel free to share your insight. I’m still not the anthropologist of beer, but if you want to know anything about cheeseburgers or the culinary proclivities of indie bands, just ask. Ask Wendy about cheeseburgers or anything else indie-related by commenting below or emailing [email protected] : Ask the indie professor: Why do so many bands drink Red Stripe?

Why is it called Red Stripe?

Case study provided by The Brand Council. From Leeds to London, urban style-junkies, music moguls and party animals are turning to cult lagers such as Red Stripe to fuel their hectic leisure time. Nowadays as much as 30% of all consumer spend on alcohol in the UK is on beer.

1. Red Stripe was first brewed in Kingston, Jamaica back in the 1920s – its name is thought to have been inspired by the stripes on the trousers of Jamaica’s policemen – and went into full production in 1934.
2. Paul Geddes, the man behind the brand, developed the globally praised, distinctive combination of crisp drinkability and subtle strength by blending imported yeast and hops from Washington State’s Yakima Valley in the US.

In 1976, Red Stripe was introduced into the UK and with it came its laid-back Jamaican attitude and the first licence to brew Red Stripe anywhere other than Jamaica. Keeping a check on its authentic Jamaican roots, Red Stripe was soon introduced in draught form to the same specification, quality and strength as the bottle format, and is now one of Europe’s fastest growing premium lager beers.

1. Since then, Red Stripe has grown from a 7,000-barrel brand to producing more than 120,000 a year.
2. Fast-forward to the new millennium and the rebirth of Red Stripe and its cool, cult status.
3. Red Stripe was repackaged in 2001 with a redesigned can and a stubbie bottle, which replicates the one sold in Jamaica and replaced the original long neck bottle.

Red Stripe’s advertising was key to its reinvention, with quirky amusing ads establishing an equally challenging personality. Red Stripe, like the people who drink it, also realised that lager and music go together very well. The brand established firm links with a wide variety of music styles and venues.

Old-fashioned barber pole style light boxes sporting the Red Stripe logo can now be found at some of the best urban music venues across the country. These venues include the Brixton, Birmingham and Bristol Academies, Shoreditch Electricity Showrooms and The Yard in London and Prague V and Barca bar in Manchester.

Red Stripe’s commitment to live, digital and recorded music in the UK is continually reinforced by sponsorship campaigns, including previous associations with the Notting Hill Carnival and the Knowledge Drum & Bass Awards as well as constant and consistent immersion in all aspects of music, club and bar culture.

1. Red Stripe’s website also plays an important part in communicating its links with the urban music scene with nationwide gig and club listings as well as offering a free download of ReBirth music creation software.
2. The success of Red Stripe is reflected by the fact that it is one of Europe’s fastest growing premium beers.

In tandem with this, Red Stripe’s superior quality has been recognised through the five gold medals it has won in each of the five open lager competitions it has entered over an 18-month period. © 2002 Superbrands Ltd

Is Red Stripe like corona?

10. Re: What does Red Stripe compare to here in Canada/US? 16 years ago My dear old mom says that Red Stripe is about 23% alcohol. She visited Jamaica in the early 80’s for one day off a cruise ship so, of course, that makes her an expert on all things Jamaican (wish I had a roll the eyes smiley).

Who drinks Red Stripe?

Red Stripe lager is featured in the novels The Man with the Golden Gun and Dr. No and the movie Dr. No, In the Ian Fleming novel The Man with the Golden Gun, James Bond drinks a few bottles of Red Stripe Jamaican lager at a bordello while hunting down Francisco Scaramanga in Jamaica.

In the Dreamland Café (which is part of a house of ill repute), Bond orders a Red Stripe beer. Tiffy deftly uncaps the bottle, and puts “it on the counter beside an almost clean glass.” Just as Scaramanga arrives, Tiffy asks if Bond would like another Red Stripe. He says, “That’d be fine.” Later, after Bond mockingly offers to buy Scaramanga a drink, the gunman kills a pair of birds that Tiffy has befriended.

She takes Bond’s beer bottle and throws it across the room. Bond drinks the rest of his glass of beer and then goes over to console Tiffy, who is sobbing behind the bar. Later, as Scaramanga questions Bond, he orders two Red Stripes. Tiffy brings over the beers (and two glasses) on a tin tray.

After he pays, both men pour their beers and drink. Ian Fleming himself was also a fan of Red Stripe beer, often drinking it during his extended stays at Goldeneye, his Jamaican estate. Red Stripe was also featured in the 1962 Bond film Dr. No, When Bond first enters Puss Feller’s bar, Quarrel is drinking a Red Stripe beer.

There are several cases of the beer stacked in the storage room behind Puss Feller’s bar, where it is served to several patrons. During a confrontation, Bond is able to overcome Quarrel and Puss Feller, throwing the latter into a stack of Red Stripe cases.

Additionally, there are several photographs of Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, and Ian Fleming enjoying the beer while on location in Jamaica shooting Dr. No, In the novel Dr. No, Quarrel also drinks Red Stripe beer at Pus-Feller’s bar, while Bond enjoys a gin and tonic with a lime. Red Stripe is a pale lager beer famous for its brown, stubby bottle and painted label.

Light-bodied, malty, sweet, and easy to drink with a 4.7% ABV, it is frequently associated with reggae and West Indian culture. The beer is brewed by Desnoes & Geddes, a brand owned by the Heineken Company, who purchased it from Diageo (the owner of several successful beverage alcohol brands, including some associated with Bond, such as Talisker Whiskey, Smirnoff Vodka and Gordon’s Gin ).

What beer do Jamaicans drink?

Adam Schop of NYC’s Miss Lily’s shares his wisdom for drinking on the Caribbean Island. Photo: © Paul Costello 1. Beer Jamaica is synonymous with Red Stripe, the quintessential crisp lager. Jamaicans also love stout, perhaps a surprising choice for the tropics.

• Guinness is popular here, though Adam Schop prefers locally brewed Dragon Stout, from the producers of Red Stripe.2.
• Ginger Beer “The Jamaican-made ones use cane sugar, not corn syrup, so they have a clean, natural flavor,” Schop says.3.
• Rum Overproof white rums like Wray & Nephew are often mixed with Ting, a Jamaican grapefruit soda.

Explains Schop, “Local rum definitely has a, shall we say, ‘robust’ flavor, so that’s a great way to drink it.” 4. Sorrel Tea Cooks steep dried hibiscus buds (called sorrel in Jamaica) with fresh ginger and sugar, then chill the tea overnight. They serve it with ice, a splash of soda water and a squirt of lime.

• It has a tart, lemony, astringent flavor that you can feel on the enamel of your teeth,” Schop says.
• It’s so refreshing.” 5.
• Sea Cat Punch “Sea cat” is Jamaican slang for octopus; the punch is made with the milky white liquid produced by boiling octopus, plus white rum, rum cream, peanuts, molasses, Supligen (a protein supplement) and malt powder.

Blended with ice, it becomes a thick, salty-sweet shake. Jamaican men swear it enhances virility; Schop swears it tastes “absolutely wretched.”

What is Jamaican famous beer?

The Most Popular Beer In Jamaica – Red Stripe is considered the most famous and popular Jamaican beer. It is an amber lager with a fresh and clean taste. But the popularity of stouts and darker ales are growing on the island.

Where does Red Stripe rank?

Marines receive their “blood stripe” during a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., Oct.1, 2019. Marines can only wear the traditional red stripe on their trousers when they reach the rank of corporal, signifying their status as a noncommissioned officer. SHARE IMAGE:

Download Image: Full Size (1.47 MB) Tags: Marine Corps Photo By: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. John Hall VIRIN: 191001-M-AS595-0007A.JPG

Is Heineken made in Jamaica?

Keisha Hill and Althea Reid, Gleaner Writers If you have ever wondered what goes into the making of a bottle of Heineken beer, rest assured that as an industry leader, Red Stripe maintains a consistent and effective approach to its manufacturing process.

• Heineken beer has been brewed under licence in Jamaica by Desnoes and Geddes Limited for more than 40 years and was recently recognised as producers of the best Heineken in the Americas.
• On a recent tour of the Spanish Town Road facility, The Gleaner team saw the Red Stripe Brewery where 66,000 bottles of Heineken beer are filled per hour.

Heineken is brewed using the finest water, malt and hops, along with yeast that is supplied from the Heineken headquarters in Zoeterwoude in the Netherlands. The brewing process uses the same recipe and method developed in 1873 and takes the better part of a month through the production process – from brewing to bottling.

1. The malt used in the manufacturing process is stored in six malt silos from where it is transferred to the brew house, crushed and prepared for brewing.
2. According to Vayden Harvey, supply innovation manager and Heineken brewer, at the brew house the crushed malt is mixed with the brewing liquor and heated to release the starch and the enzymes in the crushed malt.

There are at least four processes at this stage before the brew moves into the wort cooler and then into the fermenter, where the Heineken yeast is added to the wort to begin fermentation.

Is Stella Artois Irish?

It’s Belgian, not French. – Stella Artois was originally brewed in Leuven, Belgium, a small city east of Brussels. Currently the best-selling beer in Belgium, it’s also brewed around the world, including in the U.K. and Australia.

How much is a bottle of Red Stripe in Jamaica?

At the Shopper’s Fair Supermarket, the cost is J$349 (including tax) for a six pack and J$1343 for a crate of 24. The supermarket is located at MoBay Shop 19, Westgate Shopping Centre (to the right of McDonald’s). I think this might be the general price in that area.hope this was helpful.all the best for your trip and remember to drink responsibly.lol!

Who owns Red Stripe brand?

The Jamaican beer brand Red Stripe has changed hands. As part of a $780.5-million deal announced yesterday, Heineken has agreed to buy controlling ownership of Jamaican alcohol-producer Desnoes & Geddes from Diageo. Among D&G’s assets is the beer brand Red Stripe.

Diageo had previously owned a 57.9% stake in D&G, while Heineken had just 15.5%. After buying up the entirety of Diageo’s stake, Heineken now has a 73.3% stake. D&G also owns the Dragon beer brand. The license to use Red Stripe and Dragon in connection with the manufacture, production, selling, distribution and/or marketing in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, was previously held by Diageo.

Affiliates of Heineken will become the new license holder for Red Stripe and Dragon in these countries, beginning January 1, 2016. As part of the same deal, Heineken also: Advertisement

Obtained full ownership of GAPL Pte Ltd (“GAPL”), having acquired Diageo’s shareholding, which was slightly lower than 50%. GAPL owns 51% of the issued share capital of Guinness Anchor Berhad (“GAB”), which is listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange. GAPL is also the licensee for Guinness and ABC Stout distribution for the Singapore market. Sold its 20% ownership stake in Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (“GGBL”) to Diageo. Entered into licensing agreements with Diageo for each other’s brands currently in the respective portfolios in Jamaica and Ghana.

“Today’s transaction represents another important step towards ensuring that our portfolio of assets and participations is optimally structured to support our strategic agenda,” said Jean-François van Boxmeer, Heineken CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board.

Where is Stripe made?

Stripe, Inc. is an Irish-American financial services and software as a service (SaaS) company dual-headquartered in South San Francisco, California, United States and Dublin, Ireland.

Where is Peroni red made?

Brewed in Italy. Australians are familiar with the famous Peroni Nastro Azzuro white label, but the biggest selling beer in Italy is Peroni Red Label.

What beer is equivalent to Red Stripe?

10. Re: What does Red Stripe compare to here in Canada/US? 16 years ago My dear old mom says that Red Stripe is about 23% alcohol. She visited Jamaica in the early 80’s for one day off a cruise ship so, of course, that makes her an expert on all things Jamaican (wish I had a roll the eyes smiley).

Is Red Stripe an ale or lager?

Red Stripe® is a refreshing lager beer.

Is Corona beer USA made?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Corona Extra

Type	Beer
Manufacturer	Constellation_Brands (USA operations), AB InBev
Country of origin	Mexico
Introduced	1925 ; 98 years ago
Alcohol by volume	4.5%
Style	Pale lager
Website	corona,com

Corona is a brand of beer produced by Mexican brewery Cervecería Modelo and owned by Belgian company AB InBev, It is the top-selling brand of imported beer in the United States. It is often served with a wedge of lime or lemon in the neck of the bottle to add tartness and flavor.

• The recipe for the mash bill includes corn as well as the barley malt and hops traditionally used for making beer.
• The brand’s most popular variation is Corona Extra, a pale lager,
• It is one of the top-selling beers worldwide, and Corona Extra has been the top-selling imported drink in the U.S.
• Since 1998.

Other variants of the Corona beer brand include Corona Light, Corona Premier, and Corona Familiar, A variety of flavored hard seltzers marketed under the Corona brand name was launched in March 2020.

Is Red Stripe Canadian?

4.7% ABV (6x330ml) Red Stripe is a Jamaican Lager dating back to 1928.

Is Heineken beer made in USA?

The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of Heineken. The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of Heineken. Europe’s largest multinational brewery was founded by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam, with a major lager production facility in Zoeterwoude, close to Leiden, in the Netherlands.

In 1864, Gerard Heineken purchased “Den Hoybergh” (“the haystack”) brewery that had been operating in the center of Amsterdam since 1592, and renamed it Heineken’s in 1873. In 1874 he opened a second brewery in Rotterdam (which closed in 1968). In 1886 Louis Pasteur student Dr H. Elion succeeded in isolating the A-yeast strain in a Heineken laboratory that is still used in production to this day.

The Insane TRUTH about Jamaica’s Red Stripe Beer.

A second Amsterdam brewery located on the Stadhouderskade was built to replace Den Hoybergh in 1886. The new brewery switched over to lager production in 1887 and installed refrigeration in 1888. Brewing there ceased in 1988 and after 3 years of renovation the site reopened as the Heineken Reception and Information Center.

1. It was renamed the Heineken Experience in 2001 and after a year of renovation and expansion it reopened to visitors in November of 2008.
2. In 1929 Heineken starting bottling all of its beer at the brewery, giving the company better control of hygiene and quality.
3. Clever timing ensured that in 1933, only 3 days after the repeal of prohibition in America, the first shipment of Heineken pilsner arrived in New York harbor.

(Today it is America’s second most popular import beer, after Corona.) Around this time Heineken decided to change its strategy from being a large national brewery to becoming a multinational and when Freddy Heineken started his career in 1942 the stage was set for major changes.

In the 1950s the importance of the technical quality of the beer moved to the background and the marketing team began to emphasize the brand instead of the beer. This is not to say that technical advances were ignored—for instance, replacement of all wooden kegs by stainless steel versions began in 1951.

In 1962 Heineken’s became “Heineken,” replacing “pilsner” as the prominent text on the label. The logo was also revamped by changing the red star to white, accenting the text by changing it to lower case, tilting the second “e” to make it appear to “smile,” and placing Heineken on a black banner.

To generations of Americans, Heineken’s distinctive green bottle became a symbol of “imported quality.” Ironically the green bottle also has another effect: It can allow the beer to acquire a “lightstruck” (or, colloquially, “skunked”) aroma far more easily than does a brown bottle, which offers better protection from harmful ultraviolet wavelengths of light.

See, Heineken opened what is now its special beer production brewery in Den Bosch in 1958 and its major production facility in Zoeterwoude in 1975. It stopped production at its subsidiary Amstel Brewery in 1980 and then demolished it to make way for affordable housing in 1982.

• See, Heineken has used the practice of takeover and closure of competing brewers to increase its national market share since the end of World War I.
• Examples include ‘t Haantje in Amsterdam (1918), Griffioen in Silvolde (1919), De Zwarte Ruiter in Maasticht, Schaepman in Zwolle and Rutten’s in Amsterdam (1920), De Kroon in Arnhem (1921), Marres in Maastricht (1923), Koninklijke Nederlandsche Beiersch in Amsterdam (1926), Ceres in Maastricht (1931), and Twentsche Stoom Beiersch in Almelo (1934).

After the end of World War II many small southern Dutch breweries were offered lucrative Heineken distributorships if they would cease their brewing activities. Faced with the prospect of having to invest heavily to modernize their breweries in an uncertain market, many accepted the offer of a steady income, resulting in a pilsner monoculture in the Netherlands.

1. Van Vollenhoven in Amsterdam (1949), Sint Servatius in Maastricht, and Vullinghs in Sevenum (1952) are typical examples.
2. The Royal Brand’s brewery in Wijlre is an exception to the rule.
3. After the takeover in 1989 a great deal of investment, marketing, and distribution via the Heineken network has resulted in Brand growing to become Heineken’s third national brand.

International takeovers have included the Leopold brewery in Brussels, Belgium (1927), Murphy’s brewery in Ireland (1983), Komarom brewery in Hungary (1991), French brewery Francaise de Brasserie (1993), Belgian brewer De Smedt (renamed Affligem Brewery BDS) in 2001, and Austrian brewery group Brau Beteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft, now called Brau Union Ag, in 2003 (in Heineken’s largest takeover to date).

1. Production takes place in more than 125 breweries in seventy countries.
2. Heineken NV is active in more than 170 countries.
3. With a total beer volume of 107 million barrels (125.8 million hectoliters) in 2008, Heineken is one of the world’s largest brewers.
4. Only Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller brew more beer.

See and, Heineken and their subsidiaries produce beer in more than 125 breweries in seventy countries, employ almost 60,000, and sell at least 50% of their beer within the European Union. Some of the more than 200 brand names include 33 Export, Cruz Campo, Zywiec, Birra Moretti, Murphy’s, and Star.

(accessed July 9, 2010).

Walsh Derek : The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of Heineken.

Why is Red Stripe beer so popular?

Ask the indie professor: Why do so many bands drink Red Stripe? While alcohol is rejected in hardcore punk it is celebrated in indie. Why? And why does indie favour certain brands (I’m thinking Red Stripe, which seems to be the indie band drink of choice since the 90s)? Adam, via email Did you ask this question because my Twitter account says “I’m the anthropologist of everything fun except beer”? Music genres often express strong attitudes towards altered states of consciousness.

1. As straight edge manifested the most strident Protestantism, all forms of hedonism or anything that would inhibit sobriety were,
2. Reggae is deeply connected to Rastafarianism.
3. For reggae, the drug of choice is cannabis (referred to as ganja).
4. Alcohol and preserved or chemically altered foods are to be avoided.

Rastafarianism rejects Babylon, an idea that western civilisation is corrupt and materialistic in contrast to a spiritual Zion. Ganja, is seen as a sacrament that aids in a relationship with, When one considers the apathy engendered by smoking cannabis, you can see how well ganja dovetails with the rejection of a Protestant work ethic and capitalism’s drive towards material acquisition.

Alcohol, however, is the drug of choice for the indie community. But why Red Stripe in the UK or Pabst Blue Ribbon in the US? I haven’t found a definitive answer, but I have several hypotheses that correspond to explanatory paradigms in the social sciences. The first would be a Marxist interpretation of economic motivations.

Both Red Stripe and Pabst Blue Ribbon are relatively inexpensive. As indie audiences tend to be younger, less expensive options are preferred. However, there are several inexpensive beers to choose from, so the Marxist approach seems only partially satisfactory.

Another explanation is historical particularism. This theory, associated with, posits that historic incidents, culture contact and the environment are the chief determining factors in cultural manifestations. Indie’s antecedents can be found in post-punk, The Clash were drinking Red Stripe. The influence of Jamaican music in areas where punk emerged – such as Ladbroke Grove – made drinking the lager a way to express affiliation with other oppressed groups and movements in opposition to British imperialism.

Additionally, Red Stripe was sold at the London Astoria, a major venue for touring indie bands in the 90s. The beer served at a favoured venue is taken up as a favourite by the bands that play there, by fans drinking there or fans emulating the artists.

1. The companies selling the product embrace the clientele.
2. Red Stripe sponsors a breakthrough artist award and associates its brand with music in marketing campaigns.
3. In the US, Pabst Blue Ribbon regularly advertises on All Songs Considered, National Public Radio’s music wing that despite its title is strongly skewed toward the,

What the historic antecedents are for Pabst Blue Ribbon I wouldn’t know, but it was originally brewed in, a city viewed as hardy and working class. It was also a dollar a can in the 90s, which appealed to low-income drinkers. The brand capitalised on its perceived working-class identity by funding contests between bike messagers in Portland and skateboarding exhibitions.

• This association with the perceived authenticity of the non-bourgeois has meant that Pabst Blue Ribbon is no longer the least expensive brand, but it’s still the lager of choice for American gig-goers.
• Another intriguing possibility is the symbolic approach.
• Both brands have simple designs featuring national colours – red, white and blue for the US, and red and white for England (sorry, Scotland and Wales).

Simplicity is a dominant motif in indie practices. Indie’s puritan foundations lie in rejecting embellishments and a return to the basics of worship. Both brands have simple lines and colour schemes making the products mirror the sonic aesthetics of purity and simplicity.

• Both are lagers, the weakest of beer.
• The tastes are often characterised as “basic”.
• It’s as if the notions of “effete” and “back to basics” had been reproduced in the beverage itself.
• Rarely have I heard someone say they think Red Stripe or Pabst Blue Ribbon tastes the best, but rather something like “Pabstenance”, the basic necessity that one needs to survive on beer.

I am sure there are other theories that may explain the phenomenon. Feel free to share your insight. I’m still not the anthropologist of beer, but if you want to know anything about cheeseburgers or the culinary proclivities of indie bands, just ask. Ask Wendy about cheeseburgers or anything else indie-related by commenting below or emailing [email protected] : Ask the indie professor: Why do so many bands drink Red Stripe?