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Grolsch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Grolsch | |
|---|---|
 Grolsch logo |
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| Location | Brouwerslaan 1 Enschede, Netherlands Tel: 31 53 483 3333 |
| Owner(s) | Royal Grolsch NV |
| Year opened | 1615 |
| Annual production | 3.2 million hectoliters |
| Active beers | |
| Premium Pilsner | Pale Lager |
| Premium Blond | American Blonde Ale |
| Premium Light | Light Lager |
| Premium Weizen | Hefeweizen |
| Premium 2.5 | Light Lager |
| Lemon 2.5 | Light Lager |
| Het Kanon | Märzen |
| Oud Bruin | Bock |
| Amber Ale | Altbier |
| Seasonal beers | |
| Premium Lentebok | Helles Bock |
| Premium Herfstbok | Bock |
| Amsterdam Explorator | Bock |
| Amsterdam Maximator | Bock |
| Amsterdam Mariner | Bock |
| Amsterdam Navigator | Bock |
| Amsterdam Liberator | Non-Alcoholic |
Grolsch is a Dutch brewery founded in 1615 by Willem Neerfeldt in Groenlo. It is located today in Enschede and is owned by Royal Grolsch N.V. (Koninklijke Grolsch N.V.) (Euronext: GROL)
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The Grolsch brewery was founded in 1615 in Groenlo. The town of Groenlo was then known as Grolle, hence the name Grolsch. Grolsch is best known for its 5% abv pale lager, Grolsch Premium Pilsner. The brewery was first operated by Willem Neerfeldt. Neerfeldt's son-in-law, Peter Cuyper, later took over. Grolsch is currently the second largest brewer in the Netherlands (after Heineken) with annual production of 3.2 million hectoliters. The domestic market comprises fifty per cent of total production.
On 19 November 2007, the board of Royal Grolsch NV accepted a €816 million offer for the company by SABMiller. The takeover is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2008.[1]
Grolsch is the 21st largest provider of beer in the world, and is available in 70 countries. Grolsch focuses primarily on the following markets: the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand. These primary markets make up 78 per cent of Grolsch's international sales (by volume). Grolsch Premium Pilsner is by far the most important beer in Grolsch's international profile, while its Amsterdam brand grew by 40 per cent in 2006 primarily in Russia and France.
Grolsch Premium Pilsner is brewed under licence in the United Kingdom by Grolsch (UK) Ltd., a joint venture between Grolsch and Coors Brewers Ltd.
Grolsch beers are imported into the U.S. by Anheuser-Busch. In 2006 Grolsch ended its five-year relationship with importer United States Beverage, LLC, and signed a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch effective April 1, 2006.
Only two beers are featured in the United States market: Grolsch Premium Pilsner, comprising 95 per cent of sales, and Grolsch Amber Ale. Grolsch Premium Pilsner is available in a wide variety of serving sizes, including swing-top bottles, mini-kegs and half-barrels. Amber Ale is only available in a six-pack.
Though built as a secondary facility, the Enschede brewery over the years became the main producer of Grolsch. This brewery was heavily damaged during a fireworks explosion on 13 May 2000. The brewery in Groenlo has closed and a new brewery replacing both the Groenlo and Enschede affiliate opened in 2004.
On April 18, 2007 The European commission imposed fines on Heineken International for €219.3m , Grolsch for €31.65m and Bavaria for €22.85m for operating a price fixing cartel in Holland, totalling €273.7m. InBev, (formerly Interbrew), escaped without a penalty because it provided "decisive information" about the cartel which operated between 1996 and 1999 with others in the EU market. The brewers controlled 95% of the Dutch market, with Heineken claiming a half and the three others 15% each.[2]
Neelie Kroes said she was "very disappointed" that the collusion took place at the very highest (boardroom) level. She added, Heineken, Grolsch, Bavaria and InBev tried to cover their tracks by using code names and abbreviations for secret meetings to carve up the market for beer sold to supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and cafes. The price fixing extended to cheaper own-brand labels and rebates for bars.[2]
| “ | This is simply unacceptable: that major beer suppliers colluded to up prices and to carve up markets among themselves[2] | ” |
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—EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes |
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Grolsch produces a wide variety of beers ranging in strength from non-alcoholic to 11.6% abv:
- Grolsch Premium Pilsner - Known internationally as Grolsch Premium Lager, it is Grolsch's flagship beer and comprises 95% of all sales. It contains 5.0% abv.
- Grolsch Premium Blond - Blond is a lighter version of the Pilsner, with 30 per cent fewer calories and 4.2% abv.
- Grolsch Premium Light - A light version of the Pilsner with 3.7% abv, available only in the United States.
- Grolsch Premium Weizen - A traditional hefeweizen brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot. It finishes soft and has 5.5% abv.
Specialty Brews:
- Grolsch Premium Lentebok (6.5% abv)
- Grolsch Premium Herfstbok (6.5& abv)
- Grolsch Premium Malt (alcohol-free)
- Grolsch Oud Bruin (2.5% abv)
- Grolsch Het Kanon (11.6% abv)
- Grolsch Premium 2.5 (2.5% abv)
- Grolsch Lemon 2.5 (2.5% abv)
Grolsch also produces an Amsterdam-line of beers for the international market. They are heavy, lower priced lagers and are currently not available in the United States.
- Amsterdam Maximator (11.6% abv)
- Amsterdam Navigator (8.4% abv)
- Amsterdam Explorator (6.8% abv)
- Amsterdam Mariner (4.8% abv)
- Amsterdam Liberator (alcohol-free)
Grolsch uses, next to the 'new' bottle, a distinctive shape of bottle for some of its products, known as the beugel or "the gurdle".
Bottles of this type use a swing-top cap, eliminating the need for an opener. The brown domestic bottle contains 45cl, which is more than the average bottle in the Netherlands, while the green export bottle is slightly larger, at 467 ml. They can simply be opened by hand using a lever at the side of the bottleneck. The label is applied over the lever in order to make any tampering evident. The top used to be made from porcelain, but is now made of plastic; the porcelain ones are still in circulation in the Netherlands.
These bottles are popular among home brewers, as they can be easily re-used. In North America, however, traditional metal-capped Grolsch bottles are becoming increasingly prevalent. Also, the rubber ring that is on the cap, is commonly used as straplock by guitarists.
Occasionally Grolsch uses different color bottles according to the brew, e.g. the bottle for the blonde lager is yellow, while Grolsch uses a clear 25 cL bottle for the 2.5 lemon variety.
Starting 2007 Grolsch also uses green bottles for the home market. Grolsch is the first major brewery to stop using the brown recyclable bottle that could be used by almost every brewery in the Netherlands. The new green bottles have the Grolsch logo marked in the glass and come in a new package. The label is now placed higher at the neck of the bottle and it contains 10% more beer (now 33cl). The new bottle was introduced through the slogan 'Bier mag weer gezien worden' which means 'Beer may be seen again'.
In 1988, British pop group Bros sparked a fashion trend by attaching Grolsch bottle caps to their shoes.
In the popular webcomic Achewood, the character Ray is said to have adopted the phrase "Gettin' all spry on Grolsch" as his saying of the moment. What this means exactly is uncertain. Also, Téodor dies from choking on a Grolsch bottlecap.
The beer is also shown in the British comedy Hot Fuzz.
- ^ Wilson, Amy. "SABMiller to Acquire Grolsch for 816 Million Euros", Bloomberg, 19 November 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ^ a b c "Heineken and Grolsch fined for price-fixing", The Guardian. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.