The gentrification of Heineken

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

I grew up thinking of Heineken as a middling beer, in the same league as Molson, Budweiser, and Coors, only European. Even in college (1997~2001), I could be remembering wrong, but I never remember paying an arm and a leg for a case of Heiny. It seemed like the perfect beer -- the crispest taste with just the right amount of 'bite', the perfect balance of hoppy and malty. It's a very clear beer with few adulturants -- I would never get the trots or a bad hangover from drinking it.

Then I left the US for 3 years. While in Asia, I DID pay an arm and a leg for Heiny, which came mostly in cans, and nine times out of ten turned out to be sorry suds from a local brewery that had bought a Heineken franchise.

I was very dismayed to return to the US to find Heineken much more expensive than I'd remembered it being. I can often buy a high-quality microbrew for less money than the equivalent amount of Heiny! I see it placed on the shelf next to high-end European brews, and I've seen a sort of 'imaging-up' of Heineken in their advertising and who they choose to sponsor.

*sigh* It's kind of like the hot girl who never realized she was hot, but then one day realized she was and copped a 'tude and moved up a few leagues. I find myself saying 'knew that wouldn't last.'

Any fellow Heineken fans hear me on this, or am I imagining things?

 

[realm]

On a side note, Heineken light is fucking awsome. And i will gladly pay for a heiny any weekend

 

[7zark7]

I know that Heineken over here in the UK is now sold as a 5% beer and not the 3.somethign beer it used to be a few years ago. Maybe that's why the price has gone up?

 

[CatcherInTheRye]

Gentrification.

Word.

 

[Carl Landrover]

*sigh* It's kind of like the hot girl who never realized she was hot, but then one day realized she was and copped a 'tude and moved up a few leagues. I find myself saying 'knew that wouldn't last.'

Haha, great analogy.

 

[alanwatts]

I used to love Heineken Dark, but don't see it in the stores much anymore. WTF?
(USA). Maybe I am going to the wrong liquor stores.

 

[axl blaze]

from my memories, Heineken has always been one of the "upper tier" (concerning price) beers on the market, but I do think the price has slightly gone up these past years, now that you mention it.

Heineken, obviously is not a domestic beer as it is imported from Germany, so that right there at least makes it more costly than your average beer. I don't understand why beer drinkers pay a considerably higher amount for imported beer (like Heiney or Corona) when the domestic beer is just as good and cheaper.

for the price of a 12 pack of Corona, these days, you would assume a Mexican swam across the Pacific Ocean with that damn 12 pack roped around his back!

 

[alasdairm]

i'm not sure gentrification is the right word but i know what you mean. i think it's just 'good' marketing by the company.

i grew up in the uk where heineken was definitely considered a kind of entry-level beer you would take a party while hoping to drink somebody else's stella for some reason in the uk, there was (and still is) a cachet associated with drinking, say, budweiser.

over here (the us), i would argue that budweiser and heineken have reverse roles and regular heineken has a slight cachet simply because it's european.

alasdair

 

[Diacetylus]

from my memories, Heineken has always been one of the "upper tier" (concerning price) beers on the market, but I do think the price has slightly gone up these past years, now that you mention it.

Heineken, obviously is not a domestic beer as it is imported from Germany, so that right there at least makes it more costly than your average beer. I don't understand why beer drinkers pay a considerably higher amount for imported beer (like Heiney or Corona) when the domestic beer is just as good and cheaper.

for the price of a 12 pack of Corona, these days, you would assume a Mexican swam across the Pacific Ocean with that damn 12 pack roped around his back!

Amen to that about the Corona. Down Under, here we pay $17.00 a 6-pack. In the uppermarket areas, you will often pay more.

I've never tried Heineken and never really intend to. I'll just stick with Stella Artois`, Beck's or my personal favourite: Grolsche`<-----That's where it's at!

 

[-Guido-]

Hieniken to me is the beer of the gods. It was the first beer I ever tried and it is the only beer I drink. If I go to a party with my freinds we always bring Hieniken because nobody but us in my area drinks Hieniken. If I go to a club or bar and ask the bar keep for a Hieniken and they aint got that on tap and whatnot no beer for me. I refuse to drink any other beer. Since you mentioned it though I have noticed an increase in price over the years... Im always willing to pay for quality however.

 

[dilated_pupils]

for the price of a 12 pack of Corona, these days, you would assume a Mexican swam across the Pacific Ocean with that damn 12 pack roped around his back!

So damn true. For a 6pack of mostly any beer from the bar it's like $5-$7, but Corona is usually around $10. Not that huge of a difference, but still. I forget how much the 32oz. bottles are, I think they were actually kind of cheap last time I got them.

 

[alasdairm]

Hieniken to me is the beer of the gods.

the gods spell it 'heineken'

if you like lager, there are so many great (undiscovered) lagers out there which you might find you enjoy even more. which other lagers have you tried? what did you think?

alasdair

 

[axl blaze]

So damn true. For a 6pack of mostly any beer from the bar it's like $5-$7, but Corona is usually around $10. Not that huge of a difference, but still. I forget how much the 32oz. bottles are, I think they were actually kind of cheap last time I got them.

I'm glad people agree with me on the banality of Corona's pricing. beside it being over-priced, I find it to be one of the most unfufilling tasting beers on the market. and I am not in any ways against imported Mexican beers, I would rather drink a Dos Equis or a little known Costa Rican import called Imperial.

seems to me we have some beer snobs about in DC I drink beer daily and I find the cheaper beers to satisfy my thrist and my wallet. I'm all about Pabst Blue Ribbon and Budwesier... Rolling Rock when I am feeling a little more "classy"

 

[Shimmer.Fade]

Not a Heineken fan, IMO it tastes bad..even direct from the brewery. Becks is ok, but kind of weak in the taste department. For good American stuff I like certain New Belgium, Boulevard, Pyramid, Sierra Nevada, and Full Sail (etc!) varieties.

Yea Corona is overpriced, but I really enjoy it in the Summer. Modello and Negra Modello also kick ass.

 

[MyDoorsAreOpen]

In terms of taste for price, I find Molson Canadian to be the new 'hot girl who doesn't know she's hot' of beers. But maybe I shouldn't say that too loudly And no, that's not a reference to the corny pickup lines on the labels.

Corona. Heh. Now THERE'S an emperor with no fucking clothes. If you buy Corona you're paying for the image and the name. The irony is, Corona is a name that sells itself. It doesn't even need to advertise at all, it's got such a golden reputation. And what for? It's got an oily, bland taste and gives a monster hangover for such an un-heavy beer. And no, don't tell me it's the only beer that goes will with a slice of lime, or the only beer that complements Mexican food well. I dare anyone to take the blindfolded Miller Hi-Life with lime vs. Corona with lime challenge.

Did you all know that Corona in Mexico is decidedly a working-class beer?

 

[Shimmer.Fade]

Lol I can tell miller hi-life from Corona anyday man. Hi-life is kinda gross.. IMO Corona has a good flavor, not oily and no monster hangover. I do agree it is a bit bland, but it is great ice cold on a hot summer day. Still about 6-7$ a 6er in Oklahoma, so not any more expensive than other decent beers.

 

[ToxicFerret]

As far as Mexi beer goes, it's all about that Sol. It's much cheaper, much darker and stronger-tasting, and goes perfectly with lime.

I'll just stick with Stella Artois`, Beck's or my personal favourite: Grolsche`<-----That's where it's at!

Oh hell yes. This man has the right idea, grolsche is one of my favorite beers as well, and that's saying something since I don't really fancy beer so much. I'm much more of a genuine wino when it comes to drinking since it's such a gentle buzz and I can drink boatloads of the stuff without getting TOO fucked up.

 

[alasdairm]

Corona. Heh. Now THERE'S an emperor with no fucking clothes. If you buy Corona you're paying for the image and the name.

i think that a lot of beers which are, from a taste point of view (e.g. for me, heineken) at the lower end of the market, have tried to position themselves otherwise. i think that's the main thrust of the thread...

alasdair

 

[wizekrak]

In terms of taste for price, I find Molson Canadian to be the new 'hot girl who doesn't know she's hot' of beers. But maybe I shouldn't say that too loudly And no, that's not a reference to the corny pickup lines on the labels.

I find Molson Canadian to be the second worst Canadian beer, trumped only by Labatt Blue in terms of mediocrity. Moosehead and Alexander Keith's are much better at equal or lesser cost.

Up here Corono and Heineken are about the same price but with decidely different tastes. I find Corona to be the ultimate beer to drink lakeside on the dock on a hot day. Heineken has always been lumped in with the imported european beer's here, priced similarly to Bass and Beck's.

 

[swifty]

in aus, fosters is like the bogan beer from hell, nobody drinks it, but overseas, everyone thinks it's the shiznits for some reason 8)