- Grolsch is now brewed[1] at its home in Enschede, the Netherlands
- New 4% ABV brew tailored for UK consumers, with new visual brand and packaging identity
- £multimillion investment in marketing launch and trade activation
- Available across the On-Trade from mid-September with new serve experience
Grolsch Premium Pilsner returns to the UK market this Autumn now brewed back at its historic home in Enschede, The Netherlands, and with a new look to match the exceptional heritage and quality of this original Dutch pilsner.
Grolsch is back as a 4% beer – answering the call from UK consumers, retailers and publicans alike, for a product that delivers great refreshment at a slightly lower ABV, whilst retaining its distinctive depth of flavour.[2] As well as drawing upon generations of Dutch brewing mastery, Grolsch Premium Pilsner achieves this through its ‘double-brew’ process – a double-decoction mash, using two hop varieties for bitterness and aroma, blended with two types of Dutch malt, and Enschede’s original Dutch spring water source.
In an independent consumer liquid test, Grolsch Premium Pilsner performs positively against competitors in consumer testing for overall liking[3].
Grolsch Premium Pilsner has been given a makeover for its return to the UK market, with a brand new visual identity offering great stand-out on the bar. This new look heroes both the brand’s long heritage and authentic Dutch provenance, as well as its iconic ‘swing-top’ bottle as the ultimate symbol of the uncompromising spirit behind Grolsch.
Since its inception in 1615, Grolsch has had an ethos of going against the grain and doing things its own way, sticking to its uncompromising values and commitment to substance. Its enduring character makes it distinctive and highly recognisable as a global brand worldwide, including 87% awareness[4] amongst British consumers. It is now part of Asahi UK’s unrivalled portfolio of premium and super premium beers and ciders.
Tim Clay, Managing Director at Asahi UK, said: “Grolsch Premium Pilsner is back with a fresh brand identity and a brilliant, revitalised liquid, brewed at its iconic home in East Netherlands. The brand new packaging and in-bar experience we’ve tailored for Grolsch’s return is just as exciting – highly distinctive and full of character. We’re delighted with the response and take-up so far and already have over 100 draught installs agreed.
“This is a fantastic new proposition for the UK & Ireland market, building on Asahi UK’s comprehensive suite of premium beer and cider brands. It comes at an important time, with a growing consumer preference for a range of ABV beers that also offer high quality and strong provenance. Grolsch Pilsner ticks all those boxes, providing great refreshment to suit any occasion, and with an excellent depth of flavour.”
Marc Janssen, second generation Master Brewer at the Royal Grolsch brewery in The Netherlands, added: “We believe we have perfected a refreshing, full-bodied 4% pilsner for UK beer lovers, brewed with passion and precision to provide extra depth of flavour. Our double brew process here at Grolsch might take a little longer and cost more to do than some, but we believe it’s worth it – we like to say ‘double brewed for double the flavour’!”
A new look and feel – delivering stand out at the bar
Grolsch’s 400-year heritage and highly recognisable swing-top bottle profile have inspired a new suite of assets specially designed for the on-trade. Bespoke and strikingly designed glassware, fount, barware, tap badges and handles all reflect the icon of the brand, to deliver a stand-out premium look for the bar, and memorable experience for beer lovers. Testing showed that consumers found the product in three seconds and purchase intent was 93% might/would buy.[5]
The new visual brand design showcases the brand’s modern relevancy and distinctive style, while staying true to its authentic roots as the original Dutch premium pilsner. The Grolsch logotype has been carefully redrawn to capture the character and craftsmanship of the brand’s original hand-painted signs, returned to its heritage red and placed within a clean white disc.
New Advertising Campaign: ‘Double brewed, for double the flavour’
The return of Grolsch Pilsner is supported by a £multimillion marketing campaign from launch across 2021, including national above-the-line advertising, a range of premium point-of-sale materials, staff training, and both in & outside of outlet rate-of-sale driving promotional activity.
The £multimillion launch campaign celebrates Grolsch’s heritage as a pilsner brewed to deliver ’double the flavour’[6] and shines a light on the new visual identity. Following the golden liquid’s journey from inside the bottle into the glass, the campaign brings to life Grolsch’s ‘double brewed’ credentials -which uses two hops, two malts and double decoction (double brewed) to produce double the flavour. The campaign will be running on Social Media from October 2020 and on video-on-demand (VoD), social and digital out-of-home (DOOH) from Q2 2021.
Sustainable Character
Grolsch continues to innovate today with a modern brewery that has sustainability at its heart. It uses 100% green electricity, reuses brewery waste and cuts plastic use through innovative use of circular and recyclable packaging, including the use of patented TopClip plastic-free packaging to replace plastic shrink-wrap and six-pack rings.
Popularity of Grolsch
Grolsch is available in 60+ countries, with sales of over 350m euros. The Netherlands is the brand’s homeland but beyond this: Canada, Argentina, Russia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Chile, France, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan – and the UK – are key markets. Whilst Grolsch is the #3 brand in the Netherlands, in Export countries, where premium beer lovers will see the new modern and distinctive design, Grolsch is the #15 premium beer brand[7].
About Asahi UK
Asahi UK is a subsidiary of Asahi International Ltd and is responsible for sales, marketing and customer operations across the UK and Ireland. Asahi UK aims to enrich consumer experiences through innovation, high-quality service and an exceptional portfolio of premium beer, ale and cider brands including, Asahi Super Dry, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch Pilsner, Meantime, Fuller’s London Pride and Cornish Orchards. The Woking based business is focused on developing quality, super premium brands and delivering commercial value in the marketplace, through a strong belief in collaboration, customer excellence and people development. For further information, visit www.asahibeer.co.uk
For media enquiries please contact:
Fleet Street Communications T: 0203 985 6810 E: AsahiUK@fsc.uk.com
[1] Double brewed refers to Grolsch’s use of two hops, two malts and a double decoction (double brewed) mash process to produce a beer with depth of flavour.
[2] Consumer are drinking better quality, while moderating what they drink: Kantar Worldpanel Alcohol: Alcovision data to 31st March 2019
[3] MMR, April 2020. IN AN INDEPENDENT SEQUENTIAL-MONADIC CONCEPT-PRODUCT TEST, GROLSCH 4.0% SCORED 7.1 (OUT OF 10) FOR OVERALL OPINION OF LIQUID COMPARED TO A RANGE OF 6.7 to 7.3 AS SCORED BY KEY COMPETITORS
[4] Awareness at 87% and “Ever Tried” at 66%: Kantar Brand tracker, Q2 2020
[5] Source: MMR, May 2019
[6] At its simplest “we double brew to double the flavour” is a summary of the facts that Grolsch has been brewing for double the length of time that its competitors have, it uses two types of malt and hops in contrast to many of its competitors, it undertakes two specific brewing techniques to bring the flavours of these ingredients to the fore unlike many competitors, and as a result Grolsch Pilsner has double the flavour of many other International Lagers. Double the flavour is supported empirically by the IBU level, independent taste assessment, Internal taste panel and leading beer rating sites
[7] Source: Global Data, 2019, International Premium Beer category (defined as’ imported brand within the countries it is sold