Steinlager

Infobox Beer
name = Steinlager Classic


img_size = 50px
caption =
brewery = Lion Nathan
style = Lager
year = 1957
last_year =
abv = 5.0%
og =
fg =
ibu =

Steinlager (sometimes known as Steinlager Classic) is a lager-style beer brewed by Lion Nathan in Newmarket, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It has won several prizes, notably at beer competitions in the United States, and is New Zealand's biggest export beer.

History

Steinlager was first brewed in 1957 in response to a challenge by the then New Zealand Minister of Finance, Arnold Nordmeyer. In his "black budget" of that year Nordmeyer, threatening to cut international beer imports in order to boost the flagging economy, challenged New Zealand's brewers to "come up with an international-style lager beer".

Originally known as Steinecker, the beer's name was changed in 1962 to Steinlager as a legally required measure to provide clarity between itself and Heineken.

In 1973 Steinlager was launched in the United States and an American consultant suggested that to become successful the company should change the colour of their bottles to match that of other premium beers. As a result, the original brown bottle colour was changed to green.

Steinlager Variants

Steinlager Blue

Infobox Beer
name = Steinlager Blue


caption =
brewery = Lion Nathan
style = Lager
year = 1991
last_year = 199?
abv =
og =
fg =
ibu = In 1991, another beer bearing the Steinlager name was introduced. Steinlager Blue was marketed using an advertising campaign featuring The Blues Brothers. The two different tasting beers were known as Steinlager Blue or Steinlager Green which related to the colour of the bottle or can it came in. Steinlager Blue was discontinued in the later 1990s, leaving just Steinlager Green which then dropped the green from the name.

Steinlager Pure

Infobox Beer
name = Steinlager Pure


caption =
brewery = Lion Nathan
style = Lager
year = 2007
last_year =
abv = 5.0%
og =
fg =
ibu = On the first of June 2007 Steinlager Pure was released in the New Zealand market. Steinlager "Pure" and Steinlager "Classic" are now sold alongside each other, with Steinlager Pure positioning itself at the premium end of the beer market. It was marketed with Harvey Keitel.

Steinlager Premium Light

Infobox Beer
name = Steinlager Premium Light


caption =
brewery = Lion Nathan
style = Light beer
year = 2000
last_year =
abv = 2.5%
og =
fg =
ibu = Introduced in 2000 as a low alcohol variant of Steinlager.

= Steinlager Super Cold =Infobox Beer
name = Steinlager Super Cold


caption =
brewery = Lion Nathan
style = Lager
year = 2006
last_year =
abv = 5.0%
og =
fg =
ibu = Introduced in 2006, Super Cold is simply Steinlager Classic served at 0 degrees Celsius.

Sponsorship

Steinlager is actively involved in sponsorship of major New Zealand sports teams, probably the most high-profile rugby team in the world, the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Union team, have had the support of Steinlager since 1986. Steinlager is also the current presenting sponsor of the United States leg of the IRB Sevens World Series.

Steinlager was involved in yacht racing in 1995 with Team New Zealand with their "Black Magic" boat, which won the Americas Cup by beating Dennis Conner's defending boat Stars & Stripes, also known as Young America, 5-nil in the finals' series. Steinlager, along with Toyota, Enza, TVNZ and Telecom New Zealand, formed the "family of five" major sponsors of Team New Zealand in 1995 and again in their successful defence of the cup in 2000.

In 2006, Steinlager provided sponsorship to specific USA Rugby Union teams, including Media Rugby Football Club and York/Lancaster Rugby Football Club, as part of a US marketing campaign.

References

* [http://lion-nathan.com/Great-Brands/NZ-Beer/Steinlager.aspx Steinlager History]
* [http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/151336/all-blacks-toast-new-deal All Blacks sponsorship deal]
* [http://www.onlyfinebeer.co.uk/beer/557/ More Steinlager info]
* [http://www.beercollections.com/Breweries-Pacific/Steinlager.htm Bottle colour change]
* [http://www.winnickslife.com Win Nick's life in New Zealand]

External links

* [http://www.steinlager.com Steinlager website]