Heineken Makes a Curious Pitch
I snapped this when I was in the Amsterdam airport, where a local kiosk had a somewhat limited selection of local ales and lagers.
I received a pitch about a new American debut—Heineken Silver. It’s not exactly the most cutting edge product on the planet—it’s a light beer. The curiosities start with a bit of market analysis upon which the Dutch giant apparently built the beer: “At 4% alcohol by volume,” a press release begins, “Heineken Silver is brewed specifically for the American palate with a more accessible flavor profile and 3.2g of carbs and 95 calories in a 12-oz serving.” (My italics.) The press release, however, is pretty generic beyond that, and doesn’t add more about what our friends from Amsterdam think that American palate is. Fortunately, an email I received does:
“As a European beer, Heineken’s core offering has a decidedly richer aftertaste and is higher in IBUs than the typical light lager. So, in its efforts to expand its footprint in America, Heineken has developed and just launched a light beer recipe for the discerning American palate. Americans’ taste in beer is very different from that around the world, and many are looking for a beer that is easy to drink, namely one that is less bitter.”
The email concluded: “If [you’re] interested in pursuing this story, I’d love to connect you with [… the] CMO at Heineken USA who can speak to the American distaste for bitter beers.” (Again, itals mine.)
A distaste for bitter beer? Everything about that pitch is curious. It’s true that American domestic lagers, and especially light beers, are low on hop bitterness. But they’re notably low on everything—malt flavor, body, and alcohol. That’s how you get the 95 calories. But domestic lagers in general are low on bitterness, and that includes Heineken regular. It’s also slightly tone deaf in the sense that American writers are probably familiar with other trends in brewing, like the dominance of (extremely hoppy) IPAs on the craft side. Finally, I’m not totally sure who thought it would be a capital idea to put the CMO of a Dutch company on the horn with American beer writers to explain American beer to them. That might need a re-think.
(A meaner blogger might note that if Heineken actually understood the American market, it might not be a completely marginal player in the country—one pulling draft sales out of five states.)
While we’re having a Monday morning chortle at Heineken’s expense, let me direct you to FAQ section on Heineken Silver. The brewery offers this description about the brewing process:
Heineken® Silver is made with a uniquely different brewing process to our original recipe. By brewing Heineken® Silver at an ice-cold -1°C, a cold haze is allowed to form, filtering out more proteins and rough-tasting tannins. The result is a fresh, crisp finish that’s easy to drink.
I have questions. Was any brewer consulted during the creation of these sentences? Follow-up: is Heineken regular brewed warm and are we to infer that it is full of proteins and rough-tasting tannins?
May the rest of your Monday be full of mirth—