11 Things You Should Know About Stella Artois (2024)

11 Things You Should Know About Stella Artois (1)

Stella Artois is a household name with a mixed reputation. The beer has been considered a high-class import, a brawl-inducing booze bomb, and a simple pale lager.

More recently, Stella Artois has been associated with the famous faces of Mindy Kaling, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon — all for a good cause.

Find out what the brand is up to, and why it’s ridding itself of an extremely offensive nickname. Here are 11 facts you should know about Stella Artois.

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Stella Artois is Budweiser’s not-so-distant cousin.

Stella Artois is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the same Belgian-Brazilian conglomerate that produces Budweiser, Becks, Busch, and dozens of other domestic, craft, and imported beer brands. It acquired Stella Artois as part of the Anheuser-Busch acquisition of InBev in 2008.

It’s Belgian, not French.

Stella Artois was originally brewed in Leuven, Belgium, a small city east of Brussels. Currently the best-selling beer in Belgium, it’s also brewed around the world, including in the U.K. and Australia.

It’s almost 100 years old.

The Stella Artois logo and marketing pay homage to the Den Hoorn Brewery, established in 1366. However, that brewery didn’t become Brouwerij Artois until Sebastian Artois bought it in 1717. The Stella Artois brand debuted more than 200 years later, in 1926.

It was a late Christmas present.

Stella, meaning “star,” refers to the Christmas star. The Stella Artois brand was originally released as a special holiday beer for Leuven locals. It caught on, and became available year-round.

Stella Artois also makes a cider and ‘wine spritzer alternative.’

In addition to its eponymous beer, the Stella Artois brand portfolio includes Cidre, a sparkling hard cider made with three apple varieties; and Spritzer, a sparkling beverage made with apples and hibiscus flavors. Spritzer launched nationwide in February 2019.

In 2018, Stella went back to its roots.

In 2018, Stella Artois launched L’Heritage Artois, a limited-edition lager made for the holiday season. It was sold in Champagne-style 750-milliliter bottles, with a slightly higher 6.5 percent ABV.

It has an ABV identity problem.

In the U.S., Stella Artois is currently sold at 5 percent ABV. However, it has an ongoing ABV identity crisis. Some reports say AB InBev reduced the alcohol content of Stella Artois in the U.K. from 5.2 percent ABV to 4 percent in 2008, while others say it dropped from 5 percent to 4.8 percent in 2012.

It demonstrates how effective marketing can be.

Depending on whom you ask, Stella is either classy, trashy, or downright ordinary. A common joke among Belgian beer enthusiasts is that American beer consumers consider Stella Artois an elevated import, while “[i]n Belgium, Stella Artois is considered a very ordinary beer at best.”

It has an especially bad reputation in the U.K.

In the U.K., Stella is associated with binge drinking and aggressive behavior. This is allegedly due to its higher-than-average ABV. It has a violent, misogynist nickname that it’s trying desperately to shake.

(An alternative theory posits the name came from the play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” whose female lead, Stella, suffers from domestic abuse.)

It has a ritual.

Stella Artois has a precise pouring ritual when served from a tap into its iconic chalice. It includes nine steps: the purification; the sacrifice; the liquid alchemy; the crown; the removal; the skimming; the judgement; the cleansing; and the bestowal. Learn more about the ritual here.

Stella Artois wants you to save water by drinking beer.

As part of its “Pour It Forward” campaign, Stella Artois donates $3.13 for every limited-edition Stella Artois chalice sold to Water.org, an organization co-founded by Matt Damon that helps provide access to clean water to people in need. Actors Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeff Bridges, and Mindy Kaling recently signed on as celebrity ambassadors of the effort.

Additionally, according to its website, Stella Artois will donate $0.06 per pint or bottle of Stella Artois and Stella Artois Cidre sold until April 30, 2019. Since partnering with Water.org in 2015, Stella Artois has helped provide access to clean water to more than 1.7 million people. Its goal is to reach 3.5 million people by 2020.

FAQs

Where is Stella Artois Made?

Originally brewed in Leuven, Belgium, Stella Artois is now fully manufactured in the U.S. following Anheuser-Busch’s 2021 initiative to boost the American economy. The post-pandemic decision caused Stella to lose its imported status, though it is still highly regarded by many as a Belgium beer.

Published: March 29, 2019

11 Things You Should Know About Stella Artois (2024)

FAQs

11 Things You Should Know About Stella Artois? ›

Quality Ingredients. For a Distinctive Taste

Stella Artois is brewed with just four ingredients: water; malted barley; maize and most importantly the finest Saaz hops. It's these hops that set Stella Artois apart.

What is so special about Stella Artois? ›

Quality Ingredients. For a Distinctive Taste

Stella Artois is brewed with just four ingredients: water; malted barley; maize and most importantly the finest Saaz hops. It's these hops that set Stella Artois apart.

Why is Stella Artois called wife beater? ›

Stella Artois used to market itself under the slogan "reassuringly expensive" but became popularly known in Britain as the "wife beater" beer because of its high alcohol content and perceived connection with aggression and binge drinking.

What is the stereotype of Stella Artois drinkers? ›

Brand image. At least since the early 21st century, Stella Artois has carried the nickname of the "wife beater" in the United Kingdom, due to a perceived connection between binge drinking involving the brand and domestic violence against women.

What is special about Stella? ›

Stella Artois® is a Belgian-style lager and part of a brewing tradition of crafting the finest lager with quality ingredients since 1366. Known for its malty middle and crisp finish delivering a full flavor and a hint of bitterness, this beer is recognized internationally for its excellence and taste.

What does Stella Artois mean in English? ›

The name “Stella” – meaning “star” in Latin – pays homage to the occasion, and a star has been proudly displayed on Stella Artois bottles ever since. The name “Artois” is a tribute to De Hoorn Brew Master Sebastian Artois. He was a beloved member of both the De Horn brewery and the broader Leuven communities.

What's healthier, Guinness or Stella? ›

How Many Calories Are There In A Pint of Beer? By using higher levels of sugar, the likes of Peroni, Kronenbourg, Budweiser, Heineken, and Stella Artois are in fact delivering a significantly higher number of calories to their consumers - even higher than Guinness.

What is the slogan of Stella Artois? ›

The new tagline builds on the well-known and long-running Stella Artois campaign, “Reassuringly Expensive,” which boasted of the lager's higher price to demonstrate its distinctive quality and taste compared to other beers.

Why is Stella Artois so expensive? ›

He told him — 'it's made from female Czechoslovakian hops, uses Belgian barley and takes twice as long to mature as other beers, that's why it costs more.” Seymour came up with the slogan “reassuringly expensive”, a term which went from print ads to the lager's TV commercials and lasted for more than 20 years.

What is the slang for Stella Artois? ›

Nelson Mandela- meaning Stella Artois, a Belgian lager known simply as Stella, people usually say either Nelson or Mandela, but don't use both word together very often.

What does the 1366 on Stella Artois mean? ›

The Anno 1366 on the Stella Artois logo refers to the origin of brewing in the city of Leuven. The city's tax records dated 1366 mention the existence of a local brewpub called Den Hoorn, ('Hoorn' in Dutch meaning 'Horn' in English, as is represented in the logo on the beer label).

Why is Stella Artois served in a special glass? ›

Just as red and white wines are poured into specific glasses for peak flavor and enjoyment, the curved shape of the Stella Artois Chalice was designed to enhance the beer's flavor by releasing the aromas when the liquid is poured and increase the retention of the foam head.

What does a Stella compare to? ›

Stella is a Bélgian Pilsner. Other styles are other type of pilsners (like czech pils and german pils). It was acquired to that land because pilsner reached a lot of Fame and everybody drank it. The difference I could tell is that this Pils is very very smooth, less hoppy than the...

What does drinking Stella say about you? ›

Stella Artois: You like a patina of Euro-sophistication on your light quaff (plus you think removing the foamy head with a knife is cool, even if bartenders do that only in TV commercials).

Why do people like Stella Artois? ›

With its wonderful floral aroma, well-balanced malt sweetness, crisp hop bitterness, and a soft dry finish, Stella Artois is the perfect beer to pair with food and friends.

Is Stella Artois a pilsner or a lager? ›

Fast forward to today: Stella is now produced by Anheuser-Busch, although it is still brewed in Belgium and the UK. Stella is officially classified as a Euro Pale Lager, but some consider it to be a pilsner. It pours like most lagers—with a thin, white head and a crisp, golden color.

Why does Stella Artois have a special glass? ›

Just as red and white wines are poured into specific glasses for peak flavor and enjoyment, the curved shape of the Stella Artois Chalice was designed to enhance the beer's flavor by releasing the aromas when the liquid is poured and increase the retention of the foam head.

Is Stella Artois luxury? ›

Stella Artois, whose “Reassuringly Expensive” tagline helped to ignite the premiumization trend in beer starting in the 1990s, is recalibrating its luxury credentials.

Is Stella or Corona better? ›

Some reviewers said they found Corona to be even more flavorful than Stella Artois, with fruity notes in this beer—such as lime. Multiple reviewers also noted that this beer has more bubbles/carbonation than the others, with a bit of a hoppy aftertaste.

References

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