The second most important brand of the Heineken concern, born in the middle of the XNUMXth century on the banks of the river of the same name, is popular all over the world.
A fragrant amber drink with a characteristic slightly bitter taste, they drink it in more than 70 countries. The annual sales volume exceeds 35 million liters per year.
Brand History
The Amstel factory was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam by two entrepreneurial friends Charles de Pesters and Johannes van Marwijk Koya. Beginning Dutch brewers set themselves the goal of not just brewing beer, but brewing it well. And this approach has become truly innovative.
The fact is that most local producers produced a very mediocre cloudy ale, the brewing time of which was limited to 1 day. The owners of the young plant increased the heat treatment period to 20 days, and they began to use ice from the local river to cool drinks during transportation.
Innovative technology has led to the birth of a clear amber beer of excellent quality. In its composition, in addition to the traditional ingredients – hops, malt, water and yeast – there was another, no less important – time.
After only 2 years, the annual volume of lager produced at the young brewery grew to 10 thousand hectoliters, and after 10 years, local products began to be exported. The original foam was highly appreciated in the UK and Indonesia.
By the middle of the 50th century, Amstel products accounted for a third of all beer exported from the Netherlands. As a result, in the 60s and 5s, the company built XNUMX factories outside the country: in Suriname, Jordan, Curaçao, Greece and Puerto Rico.
In 1968, the brand became the property of the Heineken concern.
In 1972 the old factory in Amsterdam was closed. Amstel brand beer began to be produced in the city of Zoeterwoude and at other Heineken enterprises, including those in the CIS countries.
In Russia, drinks under the legendary brand have been produced since 2011.
Species overview
In Europe, the Amstel brand is represented by more than a dozen varieties of foam. On the domestic market, 3 versions of the famous beer are produced:
Amstel Premium Pilsener
A premium light lager with a deep, balanced taste with pronounced hop notes and bitterness characteristic of pilsners.
The most popular Dutch beer variant with 150 years of history. Supplied in cans, glass and PET bottles, kegs.
Strength: 4,8%.
Amstel IPA
New for 2018. Pale ale brewed with 3 malts (roasted, caramel and pale barley) and a mixture of hops.
It has a bright aroma, soft character and a fruity-citrus aftertaste.
Fortress: 5,5%. Produced in a glass bottle of 0,45 liters.
Amstel 0.0 Non-Alcoholic
Non-alcoholic version of the famous lager, produced using the technology of stopped fermentation.
It has a mild taste and rich hop aroma. Supplied in cans.
Additionally, 2 non-alcoholic versions with citrus juices are produced: Amstel 0.0 Natur and Amstel Natur Lime.
Most consumers note that the imported versions of Amstel beer are distinguished by incomparably better quality, in contrast to the local, produced under license. But the cost of such samples is many times higher.
Interesting Facts
The Amstel River gave its name not only to the brewery and the beer brand, but also to the capital of the Netherlands – the city of Amsterdam, which grew out of a small village.
The Amstel brand cooperates with UEFA and is the official sponsor of the Europa League.
Relevance: 26.08.2019
Tags: Beer, Cider, Ale, Beer brands