Red Stripe

Last updated
Red Stripe
Red Stripe logo.png
Manufacturer Desnoes & Geddes
Introduced1928
Alcohol by volume  4.7%
Style Lager

Red Stripe is a 4.7% ABV pale lager brewed by Desnoes & Geddes in Jamaica and the Netherlands. It was first introduced in 1928 from a recipe developed by Paul H. Geddes and Bill Martindale. In 1993, Guinness Brewing Worldwide, now Diageo, acquired a controlling interest in Desnoes & Geddes, and took over international distribution in many markets. In 2015, Heineken acquired Diageo's stake and stated it would launch an offer for the shares it did not own. [1]

Contents

History

Red Stripe in its traditional stubby bottle, introduced in 1965 and reduced to 11.2 US fluid ounces (0.3 L) in 2010 Red Stripe 2012.JPG
Red Stripe in its traditional stubby bottle, introduced in 1965 and reduced to 11.2 US fluid ounces (0.3 L) in 2010

Red Stripe was first produced in the early 1930s by Galena Brewing Company in Galena, Illinois, US. [3] The company sold the recipe to British investors after facing financial troubles. The investors brought the brand and recipe to Jamaica. [4]

Red Stripe was brewed under license in the UK from Desnoes and Geddes by the Bedford-based brewers, Charles Wells from 1976 until 2014, when Diageo made alternative supply arrangements. [5] For part of the Charles Wells era, they brewed a stronger variant, the 9% ABV Crucial Brew, with branding in red and black.

In 1993, 51 per cent ownership in Desnoes & Geddes Limited was purchased by Guinness Brewing Worldwide, now Diageo, an acquisition that significantly increased the international distribution of both Red Stripe and Dragon Stout. A new Red Stripe Light has also been added, which is brewed and bottled in Jamaica and imported by Guinness USA of Stamford, Connecticut.[ citation needed ]

United States

Red Stripe was first imported to the United States in 1985, with poor initial results. Seeking to mimic the success of Heineken, Red Stripe for export was packaged in green standard 12 U.S. fl oz (355 mL; 12.5 imp fl oz) bottles. American consumers exposed to Red Stripe through their travels to Jamaica, as well as Jamaican expatriates, were reluctant to try the brand in the States since it was not packaged in its distinctive squat brown bottle and painted label. This marketing issue was resolved only to have shipments temporarily suspended in January 1989 due to cannabis smuggling in shipping containers discovered in the Port of Miami. [6] Red Stripe recovered and rode the popularity of dance hall and reggae in the early 1990s to well over a million cases of annual distribution. Red Stripe is a significant sponsor of reggae, ska, and other music events, including the annual Reggae Sumfest hosted in Montego Bay.

Diageo introduced canned Red Stripe, brewed under contract by Moosehead in New Brunswick, to the United States market in 2009. [7]

In the U.S. in 2010, the bottling size was reduced from a typical 12 oz. per serving to 11.2 oz. per serving which is equivalent to the typical metric serving of 0.33 litre.[ citation needed ]

In 2012, Diageo moved production of the U.S. supply of Red Stripe from Jamaica to the U.S., contract-brewed for it by City Brewing Co. of La Crosse, Wisconsin, at its Latrobe Brewing Company facility in Pennsylvania. Desnoes & Geddes still made Red Stripe for Jamaica, Brazil, Canada and Europe. [8]

Lack of consumer acceptance of U.S.-brewed Red Stripe resulted in brewing for the States returning to Jamaica. On 7 September 2016 the company celebrated the shipment of the first container of Red Stripe to be exported to the United States from Jamaica in 4 years. The company said this historic move was core to the company's mission of re-establishing Jamaica as the global hub for the Jamaican brand.

It was still being imported to the U.S. in 2023, from Jamaica in bottles, and the Netherlands in kegs and cans. [9]

Advertising

Red Stripe billboard in Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica (1990) Red Stripe billboard Savanna-la-Mar.jpg
Red Stripe billboard in Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica (1990)

In North America, a television advertising campaign launched in 2001 features Dorrel Salmon playing a comedic take on a Jamaican man, using variations on the catchphrase, "Hooray, beer!" [10] In the UK, the advertising campaign plays on the 'easy vibe' of Jamaican Beer, with catchphrases such as "easy now."

Sponsorship

Red Stripe has been an intermittent sponsor of the Jamaica national bobsled team. [11] In February 2018, following turmoil within the Jamaica Olympic women's bobsled team, Red Stripe stepped in at the last minute to sponsor a new bobsled so that the team could compete in the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics as planned. [12]

Other major sporting sponsorship activities have included a commitment as the Caribbean regional sponsor for the 2007 Cricket World Cup [13] and a J$100 million sponsorship commitment to the Jamaican Football Federation in support of the national team's regional qualifying efforts for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. [14]

In 2007, under the guidance of brand manager Jonny Kirkham, Red Stripe initiated a campaign in the UK to support new music by sponsoring events such as the Camden Crawl and The Great Escape festivals, as well as hosting a number of free music events with artists such as The View and The Rifles. Recent work with new bands puts this initiative in direct competition with the likes of Carling as a featured sponsor of the underground music scene. In support of this promotional strategy, the Red Stripe Music Awards were initiated between 2007 and 2010, with the winner of the award receiving featured billing at two music festivals, Blissfields and The Great Escape, and the opportunity to tour with a high-profile act. [15] Winners of the award included The Runners, Ben Howard, Klaus Says Buy The Record, and The Laurel Collective, while judges ranged from musicians such as Guy Garvey, music journalists and brand representatives from Red Stripe. As a result, brand sales grew significantly with Red Stripe becoming available throughout Camden, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton and in key music venues across the UK.[ citation needed ] During this period, Red Stripe continued to be the unofficial beer of the Notting Hill Carnival which it has been since 1976.[ citation needed ]

Writer and music festival PR Alex Lee Thomson also presented a series of web-based interviews for the brand during their sponsorship periods of Camden Crawl and The Great Escape festivals in the UK, while editing their music-based website.[ citation needed ]

Red Stripe sponsors sports talk television program Pardon the Interruption during the summer months, alternating with Guinness.[ citation needed ] Also recently Red Stripe began sponsoring the International Festival of Thumb Wrestling held annually in Mason City, Iowa.[ citation needed ] Red Stripe also sponsored Ignite Urban competition along with SUM Entertainment. [16]

Red Stripe Light has also been announced as the official beer category Major Sponsor for the 2010 Zwack Air Hockey World Championships taking place in July 2010 in Houston, Texas. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foster's Lager</span> Brand of lager

Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed brand of Australian lager. It is owned by the Japanese brewing group Asahi Group Holdings, and is brewed under licence in a number of countries, including its biggest market, the UK, where the European rights to the brand are owned by Heineken International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle Brown Ale</span> Brown ale

Newcastle Brown Ale is a brown ale, originally brewed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Launched in 1927 by Colonel Jim Porter after three years of development, the 1960 merger of Newcastle Breweries with Scottish Brewers afforded the beer national distribution and sales peaked in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. The beer underwent a resurgence in the late 1980s and early 1990s with student unions selling it. Brewing moved in 2005 from Newcastle to Dunston, Tyne and Wear, and in 2010 to Tadcaster. In 2017, the Heineken Brewery in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands, also began production. As of 2019, it is brewed as well by Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California, and Chicago, Illinois, for the American market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heineken N.V.</span> Dutch multinational brewing company

Heineken N.V. is a Dutch multinational brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. As of 2019, Heineken owns over 165 breweries in more than 70 countries. It produces 348 international, regional, local and speciality beers and ciders and employs approximately 85,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diageo</span> Multinational alcoholic beverages company

Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40% of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Old Parr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery</span> Major Mexican beer brewery

Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma (Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma / Heineken México) is a major brewery based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, founded in 1890. It is a subsidiary of Heineken International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corona (beer)</span> Mexican beer brand

Corona is a brand of beer produced by Grupo Modelo in Mexico and exported to markets around the world. Constellation Brands is the exclusive licensee and sole importer of Corona in the fifty states of the United States, Washington, D.C., and Guam. Belgian company AB InBev owns the beer in all other worldwide markets and it solely brews the beer for all markets including the US. Corona is now brewed in China for the Australasia market. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latrobe Brewing Company</span> Company founded in Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Latrobe Brewing Company was founded in 1893 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania as part of the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. Forced to close in 1920 due to prohibition, it was purchased by the Tito brothers and reopened in 1933 selling “Latrobe Old German” and “Latrobe Pilsner” beers. The year 1939 saw the introduction of Rolling Rock beer and Latrobe became one of the largest breweries in the United States. It was purchased by Labatt Brewing Company in 1987, which in turn was purchased in 1995 by the Belgian brewing conglomerate corporation Interbrew, which merged later into InBev in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grupo Modelo</span> Large Mexican brewery

Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico that exports beer to most countries of the world. Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico. Grupo Modelo also brews brands that are intended solely for the domestic Mexican market and has exclusive rights in Mexico for the import and distribution of beer produced by Anheuser-Busch. Until the 1960s, Grupo Modelo used red poppy flowers in most of its advertising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harp Lager</span> Irish lager

Harp Lager is an Irish lager created in 1960. It is produced by the Guinness Brewery, an Irish brewing company owned by Diageo, Formerly produced at the Great Northern Brewery in Dundalk, it is now brewed at the Guinness Brewery in Dublin. It is a major lager brand throughout most of Northern Ireland, but is now rarely available in the Republic of Ireland outside Dundalk, where most bars offer it on tap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carib Brewery</span> Brewery in Trinidad and Tobago

The Carib Brewery Limited is headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago. It produces Carib and Stag beers and a range of shandy products. The main brewery is located in Champs Fleurs, Trinidad, while Carib also has breweries in Saint Kitts and Nevis and Grenada, as well as a United States affiliate brewery in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Ireland</span>

Brewing in Ireland has a long history. Production currently stands at over 8 million hectolitres, and approximately half the alcohol consumed is beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinness Foreign Extra Stout</span> Stout produced by the Guinness Brewery

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (FES) is a stout produced by the Guinness Brewery, an Irish brewing company owned by Diageo, a drinks multinational. First brewed by Guinness in 1801, FES was designed for export, and is more heavily hopped than Guinness Draught and Extra Stout, which gives it a more bitter taste, and typically has a higher alcohol content. The extra hops were intended as a natural preservative for the long journeys the beer would take by ship.

Heineken Lager Beer, or simply Heineken, is a Dutch 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ting (drink)</span> Jamaican carbonated beverage

Ting is a carbonated beverage popular in the Caribbean. It is flavored with Jamaican grapefruit juice and is both tart and sweet. Ting comes in a green glass bottle, green plastic bottle or a green and yellow can. Like Orangina, the beverage contains a small amount of sediment consisting of grapefruit juice pulp. Ting is produced in the United Kingdom under license by Refresco Beverages. Ting also now makes Pink Ting Soda, Orange Ting, Diet Ting Soda, and ginger beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in the Caribbean</span> Beers from islands in the Caribbean

The beers of the Caribbean are unique to each island in the region, although many are variants of the same style. Each island generally brews its own unique pale lager, the occasional stout, and often a non-alcoholic malta beverage. Contract-brewing of international beers is also common, with Heineken Pilsener and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout being the most popular. The beers vary between the islands to suit the taste and the brewing method used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinness</span> Irish brand of beer

Guinness is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in over 120. Sales in 2011 amounted to 850,000,000 litres. In spite of declining consumption since 2001, it is the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland where Guinness & Co. Brewery makes almost €2 billion worth of beer annually.

Desnoes and Geddes Limited (D&G) is a Jamaican brewer and beverage producer, best known for Red Stripe lager. It was formed in 1918 by Eugene Peter Desnoes and Thomas Hargreaves Geddes who combined their two shops into one business, originally producing soft drinks and distributing imported alcohol, and later opening the Surrey Brewery in Kingston.

Heineken Malaysia Berhad is a major producer of beer, stout, cider and non-alcoholic malt beverages in Malaysia and has been listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia since 1965. Among the brands they produce and market are Heineken, Tiger Beer, Tiger Crystal, Guinness, Strongbow Apple Ciders, Apple Fox Cider, Anchor Smooth, Kilkenny, Anglia, and Malta. The company also imports and distributes Heineken 0.0, Paulaner and Kirin Ichiban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champagne cola</span> Puerto Rican carbonated beverage

Champagne cola, Kola Champagne, or Champagne soda is a sweetened carbonated beverage produced mainly in the tropics of Latin America, former British West Indies, and Pakistan. Kola Champagne was invented in Puerto Rico by Ángel Rivero Méndez. Rivero Méndez was a Captain in the Spanish Army during the Spanish–American War. In 1902, a few years after the end of the Spanish-American War, Rivero Méndez founded El Polo Norte Fábrica de Sodas where he created the Kola Champagne, which became, and still is, a popular soft drink in Puerto Rico. While elaborating the drink he worked on his book, Chronicle of the Spanish-American War in Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mützig</span> French beer brand

Mützig is a beer brand owned by Heineken and its subsidiaries, and was originally brewed in 1810 by Brasserie Mutzig of Alsace, France. It is now a 5.5% ABV lager available in 65cl and 33cl bottles. It has a full-bodied taste and distinctive packaging, and is the most successful premium, locally brewed beer in Central Africa. Mützig is considered a flagship African brand.

References

  1. ↑ Perri, Celeste (October 7, 2015). "Heineken Buys Brewing Stakes From Diageo for $781 Million". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  2. ↑ Archived 2023-07-15 at the Wayback Machine Red Stripe, Our Heritage
  3. ↑ Fechner, Jason (16 May 2013). "Barley, hops and history in Galena, Illinois". WQAD. WQAD. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  4. ↑ Kruse, John. "Galena Brewing Company holds secret history of Red Stripe". The Telegraph Herald. The Telegraph Herald. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Charles Wells Annual Review 2014" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-11-29.
  6. ↑ "Industry sluggishness hits import category. (beer)". Archived from the original on 2007-05-10. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  7. ↑ Drinks Examiner, examiner.com, 29 May 2009 "Canned Red Stripe bound for US"
  8. ↑ "Diageo moving production of Red Stripe US supply". Business Week. October 5, 2011. Archived from the original on 2016-03-11.
  9. ↑ Archived 2023-07-15 at the Wayback Machine 2023 RED STRIPE® Lager. Imported by Red Stripe Company, White Plains, NY. "Red Stripe bottle products for the USA are brewed and packaged by Desnoes & Geddes Limited, Kingston, Jamaica. Red Stripe beer cans and draught for the USA is brewed under license by HBBV, Amsterdam, Holland."
  10. ↑ Dill, Mallorre (27 August 2001). "Simply Red". Brandweek. Archived from the original on 2008-03-19.
  11. ↑ Horovitz, Bruce (29 August 2004). "Jamaican bobsledders race to find marketers, sponsorship". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2010-10-31. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  12. ↑ "Red Stripe Buys Jamaican Team A New Bobsled After Coach Quits". Huffington Post. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Sport Industry Group – Where sport meets business – Diageo strikes Cricket World Cup deal". Archived from the original on 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  14. ↑ Flynn, LeVaughn (December 7, 2006). "Reggae Boyz living red!". The Jamaica Star Online. Archived from the original on 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  15. ↑ Colothan, Scott (7 December 2006). "Looking for the finest fresh talent..." Gigwise. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  16. ↑ "Red Stripe, SUM Entertainment Enlist Nelly to Help 'Ignite' Talent Search". Billboard . March 30, 2017. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Air Hockey World's Announcement of 2010 World Championship Sponsors". Air Hockey World. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.