Hofmeister is a pale lager with 5% alcohol by volume distributed in Great Britain.
History edit
From the 1980s to 2003, Hofmeister was a 3.2% alcohol by volume pale lager produced by Scottish & Newcastle (later Scottish Courage). In 2007, Heineken International and Carlsberg jointly acquired Scottish & Newcastle, including the Hofmeister brand.[1][2][3]
In 2016, Spencer Chambers and Richard Longhurst acquired Hofmeister from Heineken. The beer was relaunched with new branding and a revised recipe.[4][5][6]
In 2017, Hofmeister won the Best Lager award at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), becoming the first lager to be given five stars at the awards.[7][8]
Production edit
Since 2016, Hofmeister has been brewed by Schweiger, a German brewery located in Markt Schwaben near the Ebersberger Forest in Bavaria.[9]
Hofmeister uses spring water from Schweiger's well, as well as locally grown barley and hops from the Hallertau region. The beer is slow brewed and light golden blonde in colour, with low carbonation. The product is imported from Bavaria for sale in the U.K.
Advertising edit
The brand was marketed in the 1980s with the slogan "Follow the Bear" and an advertising campaign featuring a bear, George, with a shiny, yellow jacket and a pork pie hat.[10]
References edit
- ^ "Brewing big guns are refused another drink". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "Further fears after brewery cuts". 2004-02-18. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "Follow the bear... out the door as Hofmeister is axed". Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ Davies, Rob (2016-11-21). "George the bear seeks new followers as Hofmeister lager returns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "Follow the bear again! Hofmeister to make a comeback 13 years after it was axed". Express.co.uk. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "Follow the bear: Hofmeister brings George out of hibernation". The Week Portfolio. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ Davies, Rob (2017-10-18). "Hofmeister redux as real Bavarian craft lager wins global beer award". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
- ^ "This is officially the best beer in the world". The Independent. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
- ^ "Start - Privatbrauerei Schweiger". Privatbrauerei Schweiger (in German). Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "The death of cheap lager". 2003-10-16. Retrieved 2017-09-14.