Why are all these 4% lagers suddenly springing up?

[JoePublic]

Why's there been a rash of lagers proudly advertising the fact they're 4% (Stella four/Becks vier)? I presume there's a tax break for beers under 4% or something silly? It's only a reduction of, what, less than a percent ABV? So, I presume it's not for health reasons...

[Vlad.]

From 5% to 4% is a reduction of 20% in the alcohol content.

I quite like the Stella 4.

Edited by Vlad. on Wednesday 18th November 12:32

[Justayellowbadge]

JoePublic said:

Why's there been a rash of lagers proudly advertising the fact they're 4% (Stella four/Becks vier)? I presume there's a tax break for beers under 4% or something silly? It's only a reduction of, what, less than a percent ABV? So, I presume it's not for health reasons...

It's a 20% reduction.

[Gargamel]

Marketing ploy

I now have to buy 8 pints whereas I would have been only buying 6 previously

(I think)

[t84]

Becks Vier is lovely

[adam85]

They're for gheys

[Adam B]

Gargamel said:

Marketing ploy

I now have to buy 8 pints whereas I would have been only buying 6 previously

(I think)

or just they think people equate:

5% = chav wifebeater
4% = new sophisticated metrosexual drinker who likes lager but is not a lager lout as such, therefore much more attractive to ladies who will form an orderly queue outside his bedroom door with a mere raising of his non-mono eyebrow

Edited by Adam B on Wednesday 18th November 12:37

[Mr Dave]

Stella 4 came out to appeal more to women. It seems to have done pretty well so far.

[iggletiggle]

Adam B said:

Gargamel said:

Marketing ploy

I now have to buy 8 pints whereas I would have been only buying 6 previously

(I think)

or just they think people equate:

5% = chav wifebeater
4% = for men who prefer to slap a bh than punch her in the face with his argos gold sovereign

Edited by Adam B on Wednesday 18th November 12:37

EFA

[B Oeuf]

IL_JDM said:

Adam B said:

Gargamel said:

Marketing ploy

I now have to buy 8 pints whereas I would have been only buying 6 previously

(I think)

or just they think people equate:

5% = chav wifebeater
4% = new sophisticated metrosexual drinker who likes lager but is not a lager lout as such, therefore much more attractive to ladies who will form an orderly queue outside his bedroom door with a mere raising of his non-mono eyebrow

Edited by Adam B on Wednesday 18th November 12:37

Nope, you just don't hit her as hard.

about 20% less hard.........apparently

[Ultuous]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

... And return to work from a pub lunch and still be able to function normally... Mild was often thought of as a 'workers beer' in it's heyday (due to it's low ABV) IIRC!

[HOGEPH]

That'll affect sales of wifebeater vests.

[B Oeuf]

Ultuous said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

... And return to work from a pub lunch and still be able to function normally... Mild was often thought of as a 'workers beer' in it's heyday (due to it's low ABV) IIRC!

don't you mean a session beer?

[BoRED S2upid]

Market research.

[Zod]

Bitter is generally aroudn 4% and was the traditional session beer. Lager took over and people continued to drink the saem quantities, despite its being 20% stronger. The results were as you might have expected.

[Ultuous]

B Oeuf said:

don't you mean a session beer?

Both - I'll quite happily have it for a lunchtime pint (apparently it's popularity in Wales was put down to it being miners drink) or an all-dayer (in my early thirties - better invest in a flat cap soon! )

[Zod]

Ultuous said:

B Oeuf said:

don't you mean a session beer?

Both - I'll quite happily have it for a lunchtime pint (apparently it's popularity in Wales was put down to it being miners drink) or an all-dayer (in my early thirties - better invest in a flat cap soon! )

The working man's drink used to be mild and that was below 3%.

[The Prophet]

Originally Mild was called Mild because it was less heavily hopped and therefore less bitter than other beers available at the time (porters & IPAs), it had nothing to do with the strength of the beer and mild was no less alcoholic than any other beers.

I think it only became the low abv drink we have today around the time of the First World War when the government hit stronger beers with massive tax rises. Because mild was the biggest selling beer at the time the brewers had to make it less alcoholic in order to make it cost effective to produce & sell.

Edited by The Prophet on Wednesday 18th November 14:05

[Engineer1]

I like the 4% stuff, It tastes similar to the strong lager but you can drink it as a session beer, go over to a mates bbq and you can drink beer all afternoon without feeling too drunk, and get up with less killer a hangover the next day.

[JoePublic]

I guess 20% is enough to be significant, I just thought if they wanted to make something you could guzzle in great quantities they'd take it down to old fashioned ale levels - 3.5% or something. What's lager usually 4.5% ... 4.7%? You could reduce the alcohol content considerably and still make good beer if that was the requirement.

It's also the fact they're both 4.0% - I wondered if there was a significance of that particular figure, not 3.9 or 4.1...