The Nation Newspaper

Tag: beer

Life Beer gives weekly boost

Every week, one person takes home the sum of N250,000, during the weekly programme of Life Progress Booster radio show. The weekly show, which is sponsored by the Continental Beer, was initiated last year to reward consumers in the South-East in a competition opened to young entrepreneurial youths, who are native of and resident in South-East.

According to the initiators of the show, Dragon’s Den-like, all that is required of budding entrepreneurs willing to participate is to write out their business ideas and send them to any of the designated addresses on fliers circulating in major cities in the region, for a chance to win N250,000, weekly.

In 2015, 52 participants won N250,000 each. The winners are pitched against each other to become the “Most Progressive” and clinch additional N250, 000 business grant from Life Continental Beer, which is the brand’s way of reconnecting and rejuvenating the enterprising spirit the average Igbo is renowned for. It is a celebration of the essential Igbo spirit of industry, enterprise and passion in the world of business for the show that has done exceptionally well in its first year, where it gave out N12.5million in business grants to the 52 individuals. The brand has a commitment to impact 200 entrepreneurs with N50million this year.

May 8, 2016
Security agents avert bloody clash over seized Beer truck in Kano

The quick intervention of security agents averted what could have been a bloody clash in Sabon Gari area of Kano state, when irate youths trooped out in their large numbers, trying to prevent members of the Kano HISBAH from impounding a truck loaded with beer and other assorted intoxicants.

It all started along France Road on Monday, when a truck loaded with alcohol drink from Kaduna escaped been impounded, but luck however ran out of the driver who was intercepted along France Road by Ibo Road by the HISBAH.

In the process of impounding the drinks by members of the HISBAH, some youths suddenly trooped out in their attempt to prevent the truck loaded with beer from been arrested by members of the HISBAH which degenerated into a hot argument between them.

Pandemonium however broke out between the irate youths and members of the HISBAH board, as both claimed that the goods is already in their territory and the HISBAH has no right to arrest the truck loaded with beer.

As temper rise, the HISBAH started smashing the windscreen of the truck and also deflated all the tyres before the intervention of the security agents who resolved the matter.

However, at the end of it all, the HISBAH members were allowed by the security agents to tow the truck to their headquarters.

All efforts by The Nation to get the side of the HISBAH board proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.

March 7, 2016
Surmounting beer marketing challenges

For most salesmen, beer marketing is difficult. Their problems include misconceptions, myths and beliefs about beer consumption. At a forum by the Nigeria Breweries in Lagos, nutritionists list the benefit of drinking beer, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

Last year, the Beer Sector Group (BSG) Nigeria launched a campaign designed to protect brewery sector valued at over N300billion against beliefs that prevent some consumers from drinking beer.

Brewers believe that with about 40,000 types of beer in the world produced by an industry that employs millions of people directly and indirectly, a lot of myths and misconception have continued to work against the sale of beer globally.

Worried by this development, the Nigerian Breweries organised the Beer &Lifestyle Symposium in Lagos to address some of these challenges. The forum agreed that there were still worries over these myths and misconceptions. Beer marketing managers said while some of these barriers were easy to contemplate, others are ridiculous, hence preventing consumers from seeing the benefits of beer to their health other than for social engagement.

Research from a focus group comprising media practitioners at a Beer Academy in Ibadan, showed that consumers still hold a belief that beer is the cause of pot belly, and should, therefore, not be taken with food. They also believe that it is not meant for the elderly (men and women), and that it is the leading cause of road mishaps.

But stakeholders said these were mere fallacies that had continued to becloud consumers from enjoying the health benefits of beer. Relying on global reports, the brewer said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a consumption of 60 grammes of alcohol daily as maximum. However, with beer having five per cent alcohol, which equates to four per cent alcohol by weight (1.5 litres), beer makers said consumers should adopt beer than other alcoholic beverages, such as wine, spirits, which contains more than five per cent alcohol.

However, at the symposium, NB paraded leading nutritionists to educate consumers on the health benefits of beer and also deepen its Drink Responsibly campaign.

What beer can do to women

A nutritionist, food technology expert, and a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST), Mrs. Dolapo Coker, said a moderate intake of beer could positively impact the health and well-being of women. She said beer is an alcoholic beverage but can be classified as food, because of its nutritious value.

She listed the nutrients to include: carbonhydrates, such as dextrins and polysaccharides; proteins in the form of amino acids; load of vitamins, such as B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid and others; minerals such as magnesium, potassium, silicon, selenium and others; it contains fibre, such as betaglucans and others.

However, she also warned that alcohol abuse impacts the health of the woman through direct interaction of alcohol with organ systems, such as the brain, liver and gastro intestinal system, when the alcohol is ingested and transported through the blood.

Coker explained that in the health/lifestyle hierarchy needs, special attention should be given to women because they are classified “as belonging to the risk group where micronutrients shortages are most likely to occur during their different stages of development.

”Even if taken in small amounts, the effect of alcohol on women is more than on men; women are more sensitive to alcohol. Alcohol dehydrogenase is a metabolising enzyme that helps the body to get alcohol out of the system. Women have less of this enzyme than men, so more of what women drink enters the blood stream as pure alcohol.”

Coker said the Ancient Romans used beer baths to sweat out toxins, exfoliate their skin and infuse the body with vitamins. This, she said, led to a clearer skin and an improved immune system. ”Beer Spas are pretty popular in Europe. The Spas claim to fight against Acne.

“Most beers are made from ingredients that are rich in selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc and some B vitamins. Beer is also known to have antibacterial properties that protect against infections within your stomach. It is believed that if it is so good for your inside, surely it can be just as good for your outside,” she noted.

Drink responsibly

Also speaking at the event, a biologist and a project leader in the Institute for Food and Nutrition in The Netherlands, Dr. Henk Hendricks, explained that moderating the level of beer consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health.

According to Hendricks, some of the inherent advantages of beer include: low percentage of alcohol; large quantities of water; its role in rehydration; a good source of minerals; a good source of polyphenolic antioxidants; contains anti-inflammatory xanthohumoles; and a large variety of raw materials, including gluten-free’ rich in fibers.

Beer belly

Coker, however, said people who drink beer moderately actually lose weight regularly. “All humans need calories intake for energy. Pot belly is a function of what we do with the unused calories in the body. In fact, scientists explain that beer has the least in calories and high in anti-dioxidants. They also argue that beer in fct deliver more nutrients than wine,” Coker said.

Managing Director Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicholaas Vervelde, noted that though beer has been with the humanity for thousands of years, the appreciation of its unique benefits were only beginning to grow.

“The knowledge about the benefits of moderate consumption of beer is multiplying every day with so many empirical research findings from all over the world,” he said.

December 18, 2015
Can beer cure cardiovascular diseases?

Moderate consumption of beer can be a remedy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

This was the submission made by a cross-section of experts when stakeholders gathered to listen to professionals demystify the many wrong notions on beer and health benefits.

The annual beer symposium tagged: ‘Beer and Life Style’ drew participants from far and near.

While experts noted that heavy alcoholic consumption could negatively affect the health of a woman but beer spa could still be used to enhance skin beauty.

Dr. Henk Hendriks, a biologist and a project leader in the Institute for Food and Nutrition in the Netherlands, explained that virtually all processes contributing to Cardiovascular diseases, CVD are beneficially effected. These effects, he said, substantiate the causal relation between moderate alcohol consumption and CVD.

These effects, according to him, have been observed in all groups studied; young, old, men and women.

According to Hendricks, some of the inherent advantages of beer include: low percentage of alcohol, large quantities of water considering its role in rehydration and as a good source of minerals, polyphenolic antioxidants; contains anti-inflammatory xanthohumoles.

Besides, he said, beer contains low concentrations of alcohol and a large number of additional ingredients that are associated with health.

“Moderate beer/alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk for metabolic diseases, viz. cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,’’ he said.

Prof. Emevwo Biakolo, Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Information & Strategy and representative of Lagos State governor, at the 2015 Nigerian Beer and Health Symposium in Lagos

Expatiating, Hendriks, who has coordinated research programmes on health effects of moderate alcohol consumption focusing on coronary health diseases, diabetes and well-being stressed that “the beneficial effects of moderate beer/alcohol consumption are mediated by improvements in lipid (cholesterol) metabolism, blood clotting and glucose metabolism.”

Professor Emevwo Biakolo of the Pan Atlantic University Lagos, who is the Chairman of the conference, also submitted that moderate beer intake in the elderly appears to be associated with significantly longer survival in men aged 60–74 years and in all elderly women.

“There is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with better cognitive function in old age,” he said.

Also speaking at the occasion, Mr. Tony Agenmomen, Senior Strategy Manager, Nigerian Breweries explained that moderate beer drinking can offer some health benefits, adding that the evidence is overwhelming.” Even good things can become a stumbling block to us, if used without moderation,” he said.

To drink moderately, he explained, “is to drink within the limits set by your health, the society in which you live and your obligations towards your family and friends,” stressing the need to find that balance and define your moderation.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Nicholaas Vervelde explained that the company having been encouraged by the outstanding success of the 2014 symposium and the very enthusiastic response from the general public, it again decided to sponsor the 2015 edition.

He restated the company’s resolve to telling the rich and positive story of beer is tied with our strong commitment to the promotion of responsible consumption.

“I call on all consumers to enjoy beer responsibly. As the Heineken Chairman and CEO said recently, ‘it is important to make the point that misuse of alcohol is not cool,” he said, adding: “In line with our commitment to responsible consumption of our brands, we have continued to execute some activities including partnering with several agencies and stakeholders to embed the message of responsible consumption. A key example is our partnership with the FRSC in “Don’t drink and drive” campaign. These campaigns will continue into the future until every consumer understands and abides, Vervelde said.

However while speaking on the topic ‘Beer, Women and Healthy Living’ Mrs. Dolapo Coker, a Nutritionist Consultant and Former President, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology, while extolling the many health benefits of moderate intake of beer warned that alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer though adding that “research is still ongoing.”

Mrs. Coker, who retired as Director, Food and Drugs Services, Federal Ministry of Health, however, cautioned pregnant and breast feeding mothers to desist from alcohol as it can be passed to infants and in the case of a pregnant woman can “result in Foetal Alcohol Syndrone [FAS] which can result in miscarriage, malformed, very small or a child with learning difficulties and behavioral problems.

Emphasising moderate drink for women she averred that the recommended intake is “one 12oz bottle per day for women while men can take two 12oz bottles a day.”

The nutrition consultant with several years of work experience in the Health sector also cautioned aging women on alcohol consumption. “As women age their tolerance for alcohol decreases and alcohol abuse causes the symptoms of menopause to increase in severity”.

Echoing similar sentiments, Professor Tola Atinmo, a professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan, and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu , a lawyer and media personality emphasised the need for restrain on the part of youth as far as beer consumption.

The panel of discussants included Toun Okewale-Sonaiya who was the moderator, Mr. Kunle Baker, Encomium Publisher, Mr. Tunde Babalola, script writer/producer, Ms. Abimbola Ajileye, Secretary, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Ondo State amongst many others.

November 29, 2015
Brewers: Beer not responsible for weight gain, good for heart

Concerned with the growing misconceptions about beer, brewers have taken steps to correct the assumptions.

They have started a sensitisation campaign to correct some of the negative beliefs about beer because of the concern that if allowed the beer market may be hurt.

As part of the sensitisation campaign, Nigerian Breweries has organised a media tour of one of its plants and a seminar on the subject in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Delivering a lecture at the seminar, the Senior Strategy Manager, Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen, stated that many positive things had been said about beer just as there have been many misconceptions and negative campaigns.

According to him, reputation matters and how people perceive the role of beer and that of brewers matter to the long-term sustainability of the industry.

On the notion that red wine is better for the heart than beer, Agenmonmen said based on scientific findings, beer is better than red wine.

Addressing the belief that beer contributes to body weight, he made reference to an article in The Telegraph newspaper of 1995, which said: “Interestingly, scientists have found that moderate drinkers, who drink regularly but only in small amounts, had lower body weights than their non-drinking peers and those who drank a lot at once (binge drinkers).”

He said calories were responsible for weight gain and belly fat and not beer which contain over 90 per cent water.

Making references to a research by the United States Department of Agriculture, he observed that while table wine contained 77 calories per serving, spirits contained 250 calories, apple juice, 47 calories and orange juice, 42 calories. Beer contained fewer calories than all of them with 41 calories per serving.

A professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Tola Atinmo, supported Agenmonmen’s nutritional claims, observing that the ingredients used in making beer contained a lot of benefits to consumers.

Atinmo added while reviewing the condiments used in brewing beer that beer was made from four natural ingredients namely yeast, barley, hops and water.

According to him, all four ingredients are good for the body.

He said:“Hops is bitter and good for the liver and kidney, yeast is good for the eye, barley provides energy for the body while water is naturally recommended for the body.

Citing a 1994 research from the United States Human Nutrition Research Centre, Atinmo said consuming moderate amounts of alcohol did not cause weight gain or an excess of body fat. Rather, he said, alcohol might help the body to regulate appetite.

He said “Direct studies in which alcohol was ‘control fed’ to humans showed that, under normal living conditions, moderate alcohol consumption (e.g. 60–75 g alcohol per day, which is equivalent to approximately two litres of average strength beer daily) had no measurable impact on energy balance and body weight over a period of approximately one month.

“Beer is essentially fat free. It is largely water, and most beers contain very few insoluble solids.”

October 9, 2015
Beyond alcohol, benefits of drinking beer

Let me commence this contribution to this historical conference on Beer and the Healthy Lifestyle by expressing my gratitude to organisers of this symposium, for the invitation to chair and speak at this occasion. I am particularly gratified that that at last the Nigerian beer drinkard (as the Nigerian writer would have put it) is being served by a Nigerian conference. Beer has been an important component of a healthy life style in human history for over four thousand years. It continues to be.

My particular interest in beer and other beverages such as palm wine and grape wine began long ago, as a boy sent by my grandfather to harvest the juice of the palm tree which had been cut down and laid horizontal for easy collection. Later travels and further immersion in lifestyles led to particular passion for the ultimate relationship between alcohol and beer.

Each area of human manipulation and invention contains an abiding puzzle. With car making it is always to invent a car that would, like the horse that inspired the automobile, move itself without a rider. The invention of automatic transmission brought that day forward. Today self-driving cars are being tested and we might have soon self-driving cars competing with life horses on the race course!

In the field of aeroplanes, it would be the one that would fly without a pilot. Today, drones fly past birds to do what they need to do. What then is the abiding puzzle in the case of beer brewing? Before I go into this I want to quote some of the major ways that Beer and Beer Brewing has enriched the languages and cultures of the world.

“It was the accepted practice in ancient Babylonia 4000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, the period was called the ‘honey moon’ – or what we know today as the honey moon.”

“Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thump or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast would not grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the phrase ‘rule of thumb’.”

“In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So, in Old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settled down. It’s where we get the phrase mind your p’s and q’s!”

“Beer, we are told, was the reason the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. It’s clear from the Mayflower’s log that the crew did not want to waste beer looking for a better site. The log goes on to state that the passengers were hasted ashore and made to drink water so that the seamen might have the more beer.”

“After consuming a bucket or even two of a vibrant brew they called ‘aul’ or ‘ale’, the Vikings would head fearlessly into battle often without armour or even shirts. In fact, the term ‘berserk’ means ‘bare shirt’ in Norse, and eventually took on the meaning of their wild battles.”

“In 1740 Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water-down the navy’s rum. Needless to say, the sailors were not too pleased and called Admiral Vernon Old Grog, after the stiff wool grogram coats he wore. The term ‘grog’ soon began to mean watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you were ‘groggy’, a word still in use today.”

I remember that one particular brand of beer Becks had been so domesticated that when my Uncle called for his Abeke I knew where to go and bring her!

Now to go back to that abiding puzzle mentioned in the case of the automobile and aeroplane industries, which is still to be resolved in the industry of brewing of beer. What is the correct alcoholic content to make beer the best beer can be? Whoever can discover that formula would have done in beer brewing what the automobile and aeroplane industries have done for the pleasure car and the aircraft? Brewers have reduced the alcohol content drastically to create Beer Lite. At other times brewers have increased the alcohol content to hasten intake and effective inebriation! And there has been non-alcoholic beer as well.

In the rest of this presentation I wish to look at the health benefits of each one of these versions of beer: the non-alcoholic, the lite and the high alcoholic content. But let me sound a note of warning. All cultures preach one particular central virtue over and above every other virtue. In the Yoruba culture it is possible to state categorically that moderation, iwotunwosi, the washing of the left hand and of the right hand, is the singular pillar of existence as contained in the Ifa Divination poems “highly valued by the Yoruba as the guardian of Yoruba culture, the wisdom of the ages and the teachings of the ancestors and the divinities.”

In terms of drink, “to drink moderately is to drink within the limits set by your health, the society in which you live and your obligations towards your family and friends: this means 1 – 3 drinks a day for most men. Women are more sensitive to alcohols, so they are advised to drink less than men: 1 – 2 drinks a day.” This amounts to a quarter litre glass having between 4 and 5 per cent alcohol 10g by volume. This approximates to beer lite.

Alcohol and the natural raw materials from which beer is brewed are good to drink and are also good for the health. They are not health risks when taken moderately. Foods and drinks consumed by human beings contain both bad fat and good fat. When alcohol is consumed there is an increase of good fat. This is the fat that the body can easily convert to energy. Bad fat has a habit of sitting at the neck or at the guts or anywhere else that would give it space. Alcohol does not contain this bad type of fat.

There is also medical evidence that alcohol consumption has a blood thinning effect and this leads to the reduction of the tendency of blood to form clots. As we know now blood clots prevent the flow of blood to the heart and the brain thus causing massive heart attacks. It is also true that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the inflammation of the inner linings of the nerves as well as a lower level of insulin resistance. Any alcohol, whether sourced from beer or wine or any other beverage, protects the heart. How much and how often must be governed by the rules of moderation spelt out earlier. The consumption of beer with a meal is considered a better way rather than drinking on an empty stomach.

Specifically, there are some illnesses and diseases which can be prevented, minimised or completely prevented by the consumption of alcohol. Some of these are Diabetes Mellitus, weakening of the bones (osteoporosis) as a result of the increase in blood of oestrogen associated with alcohol consumption in women. Others are Dementias which is the decline of cognitive ability with the advance of age. Parkinson’s disease, Gallstones and Kidney stones are other illnesses.

These illnesses and diseases are helped by the presence of flaveroid and silicon, minerals present in beer. Moderate consumption of alcohol creates a feeling of well-being, reducing stress and tension.

Moderate consumption of beer for health effects:

Beer drinking can make a positive contribution to a healthy diet because of its wholesome raw materials used in brewing beer. These natural raw materials are cereals, hops, yeast and water. There are soluble fibres derivable from the cell walls of barley which are good for human health. All these natural materials contain antioxidants, vitamins especially of the B variation, silicon and fibre. Beer generally on the average is 93 per cent water. As a result beer is a thirst quencher of the first order with low alcohol. Research on alcohol-free beer has shown that these benefits are also present as well. This would mean that it is not only beer that has alcohol content that gives these benefits. So, beyond alcohol, the potential beneficial effects of the natural ingredients of beer are likely to apply to non-alcoholic beer.

Going further on barley’s soluble fibre, two glasses of beer contains in average 10% of the recommended daily intake of soluble fibre. Some beers can provide up to 30% of this food item. Fibre slows down digestion and absorption of food and reduces cholesterol levels. Cholesterol as we all know or should know helps the risks of heart disease.

People who drink beer have protection from bacterium helicobacter pylori, a bacterium known to cause the majority of stomach ulcers and may be a risk of stomach cancer.

Depending on style and process of brewing antioxidants present in beer from malt (barley) and hops as ingredients can be high or low. It is generally believed that antioxidants may play a role in the protection against cancer through their action against free radicals. Antioxidants also inhibit blood clotting.

Vitamins and Minerals:

Present in beer and various forms of vitamin B: macin, riboflavin (vitamin B2) pyroduxine (vitamin B6) folate (vitamin B9) and cabolamin (vitamin B12).

Some of the minerals present in beer are high potassium, low sodium, low calcium and rich magnesium which protects against gall stones and kidney stones formation. Silicon intake is associated with healthy bones.

Hops:

Small quantities of the flower from hops are used to preserve beer as well as to flavour it. Beer is the only dietary source of hops and flavonoids found in hops helps to fight cancer.

Beer does not contain fat or cholesterol and it is low in free sugar. Any calories which beer contain, comes from the alcohol content. And as mentioned earlier research into non-alcoholic beer shows that the benefits derivable from beer with alcohol are also found in beer without alcohol.

I would like to bring these comments to a close by quoting a poem that should be familiar to all of us. It is the sum total of what I have been saying in the last so many minutes:

“I am not scared of goblins or ghouls and things that go bump in the night

Werewolves and bats and witches and such do not give me much of a fright.

But there is this one thing that scares me to death and only this one thing I fear.

And that’s to open my fridge at night and find that I’m all out of beer!”

•Prof. Omotosho is a Professor of Drama at the Department of Drama, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa

December 3, 2014
Beyond alcohol, benefits of drinking beer

Let me commence this contribution to this historical conference on Beer and the Healthy Lifestyle by expressing my gratitude to organisers of this symposium, for the invitation to chair and speak at this occasion. I am particularly gratified that that at last the Nigerian beer drinkard (as the Nigerian writer would have put it) is being served by a Nigerian conference. Beer has been an important component of a healthy life style in human history for over four thousand years. It continues to be.

My particular interest in beer and other beverages such as palm wine and grape wine began long ago, as a boy sent by my grandfather to harvest the juice of the palm tree which had been cut down and laid horizontal for easy collection. Later travels and further immersion in lifestyles led to particular passion for the ultimate relationship between alcohol and beer.

Each area of human manipulation and invention contains an abiding puzzle. With car making it is always to invent a car that would, like the horse that inspired the automobile, move itself without a rider. The invention of automatic transmission brought that day forward. Today self-driving cars are being tested and we might have soon self-driving cars competing with life horses on the race course!

In the field of aeroplanes, it would be the one that would fly without a pilot. Today, drones fly past birds to do what they need to do. What then is the abiding puzzle in the case of beer brewing? Before I go into this I want to quote some of the major ways that Beer and Beer Brewing has enriched the languages and cultures of the world.

“It was the accepted practice in ancient Babylonia 4000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, the period was called the ‘honey moon’ – or what we know today as the honey moon.”

“Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thump or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast would not grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the phrase ‘rule of thumb’.”

“In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So, in Old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settled down. It’s where we get the phrase mind your p’s and q’s!”

“Beer, we are told, was the reason the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. It’s clear from the Mayflower’s log that the crew did not want to waste beer looking for a better site. The log goes on to state that the passengers were hasted ashore and made to drink water so that the seamen might have the more beer.”

“After consuming a bucket or even two of a vibrant brew they called ‘aul’ or ‘ale’, the Vikings would head fearlessly into battle often without armour or even shirts. In fact, the term ‘berserk’ means ‘bare shirt’ in Norse, and eventually took on the meaning of their wild battles.”

“In 1740 Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water-down the navy’s rum. Needless to say, the sailors were not too pleased and called Admiral Vernon Old Grog, after the stiff wool grogram coats he wore. The term ‘grog’ soon began to mean watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you were ‘groggy’, a word still in use today.”

I remember that one particular brand of beer Becks had been so domesticated that when my Uncle called for his Abeke I knew where to go and bring her!

Now to go back to that abiding puzzle mentioned in the case of the automobile and aeroplane industries, which is still to be resolved in the industry of brewing of beer. What is the correct alcoholic content to make beer the best beer can be? Whoever can discover that formula would have done in beer brewing what the automobile and aeroplane industries have done for the pleasure car and the aircraft? Brewers have reduced the alcohol content drastically to create Beer Lite. At other times brewers have increased the alcohol content to hasten intake and effective inebriation! And there has been non-alcoholic beer as well.

In the rest of this presentation I wish to look at the health benefits of each one of these versions of beer: the non-alcoholic, the lite and the high alcoholic content. But let me sound a note of warning. All cultures preach one particular central virtue over and above every other virtue. In the Yoruba culture it is possible to state categorically that moderation, iwotunwosi, the washing of the left hand and of the right hand, is the singular pillar of existence as contained in the Ifa Divination poems “highly valued by the Yoruba as the guardian of Yoruba culture, the wisdom of the ages and the teachings of the ancestors and the divinities.”

In terms of drink, “to drink moderately is to drink within the limits set by your health, the society in which you live and your obligations towards your family and friends: this means 1 – 3 drinks a day for most men. Women are more sensitive to alcohols, so they are advised to drink less than men: 1 – 2 drinks a day.” This amounts to a quarter litre glass having between 4 and 5 per cent alcohol 10g by volume. This approximates to beer lite.

Alcohol and the natural raw materials from which beer is brewed are good to drink and are also good for the health. They are not health risks when taken moderately. Foods and drinks consumed by human beings contain both bad fat and good fat. When alcohol is consumed there is an increase of good fat. This is the fat that the body can easily convert to energy. Bad fat has a habit of sitting at the neck or at the guts or anywhere else that would give it space. Alcohol does not contain this bad type of fat.

There is also medical evidence that alcohol consumption has a blood thinning effect and this leads to the reduction of the tendency of blood to form clots. As we know now blood clots prevent the flow of blood to the heart and the brain thus causing massive heart attacks. It is also true that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the inflammation of the inner linings of the nerves as well as a lower level of insulin resistance. Any alcohol, whether sourced from beer or wine or any other beverage, protects the heart. How much and how often must be governed by the rules of moderation spelt out earlier. The consumption of beer with a meal is considered a better way rather than drinking on an empty stomach.

Specifically, there are some illnesses and diseases which can be prevented, minimised or completely prevented by the consumption of alcohol. Some of these are Diabetes Mellitus, weakening of the bones (osteoporosis) as a result of the increase in blood of oestrogen associated with alcohol consumption in women. Others are Dementias which is the decline of cognitive ability with the advance of age. Parkinson’s disease, Gallstones and Kidney stones are other illnesses.

These illnesses and diseases are helped by the presence of flaveroid and silicon, minerals present in beer. Moderate consumption of alcohol creates a feeling of well-being, reducing stress and tension.

Moderate consumption of beer for health effects:

Beer drinking can make a positive contribution to a healthy diet because of its wholesome raw materials used in brewing beer. These natural raw materials are cereals, hops, yeast and water. There are soluble fibres derivable from the cell walls of barley which are good for human health. All these natural materials contain antioxidants, vitamins especially of the B variation, silicon and fibre. Beer generally on the average is 93% water. As a result beer is a thirst quencher of the first order with low alcohol. Research on alcohol-free beer has shown that these benefits are also present as well. This would mean that it is not only beer that has alcohol content that gives these benefits. So, beyond alcohol, the potential beneficial effects of the natural ingredients of beer are likely to apply to non-alcoholic beer.

Going further on barley’s soluble fibre, two glasses of beer contains in average 10% of the recommended daily intake of soluble fibre. Some beers can provide up to 30% of this food item. Fibre slows down digestion and absorption of food and reduces cholesterol levels. Cholesterol as we all know or should know helps the risks of heart disease.

People who drink beer have protection from bacterium helicobacter pylori, a bacterium known to cause the majority of stomach ulcers and may be a risk of stomach cancer.

Depending on style and process of brewing antioxidants present in beer from malt (barley) and hops as ingredients can be high or low. It is generally believed that antioxidants may play a role in the protection against cancer through their action against free radicals. Antioxidants also inhibit blood clotting.

Vitamins and Minerals:

Present in beer and various forms of vitamin B: macin, riboflavin (vitamin B2) pyroduxine (vitamin B6) folate (vitamin B9) and cabolamin (vitamin B12).

Some of the minerals present in beer are high potassium, low sodium, low calcium and rich magnesium which protects against gall stones and kidney stones formation. Silicon intake is associated with healthy bones.

Hops:

Small quantities of the flower from hops are used to preserve beer as well as to flavour it. Beer is the only dietary source of hops and flavonoids found in hops helps to fight cancer.

Beer does not contain fat or cholesterol and it is low in free sugar. Any calories which beer contain, comes from the alcohol content. And as mentioned earlier research into non-alcoholic beer shows that the benefits derivable from beer with alcohol are also found in beer without alcohol.

I would like to bring these comments to a close by quoting a poem that should be familiar to all of us. It is the sum total of what I have been saying in the last so many minutes:

“I am not scared of goblins or ghouls and things that go bump in the night

Werewolves and bats and witches and such do not give me much of a fright.

But there is this one thing that scares me to death and only this one thing I fear.

And that’s to open my fridge at night and find that I’m all out of beer!”

•Prof. Omotosho is a Professor of Drama at the Department of Drama, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa

November 19, 2014
Beer is not injurious to health

A master brewer of 29 years experience, Mr Ben Anozie, answers the question.

Beer is made from skilful combination of barley, water, hops and yeast. When these are processed, we end up with malted barley and hops. We are the sons and daughters of malt. The cry “fancy a pint?” is the most natural social invitation available to us. Beer is our social lubricant of choice and has been for centuries. Beer contains vitamins which can help you to maintain a well-balanced healthy diet, fibre to keep you regular, readily absorbed antioxidants and minerals such as silicon which may help to lower your risk of osteoporosis. Many dont know about beer production, hence tend to flay it with tales.

A general explanation of brewery and brewing equipment and how beer is made, fermented, conditioned and packaged is needed to enrich the explanation that no sugar or chemicals are added in beer making.

A survey found that while 68 per cent of people consider beer to be Britain’s national drink, some 10 per cent wrongly believe that beer contains fat, and 13 per cent incorrectly believe that beer is made from chemicals rather than malted barley and hops.

Yet how many of us spend as much time over our selection of beer as we do our selection of wine? Whereas fermented grape juice is seen as something foreign or exotic, beer is often gulped down without giving a moment’s thought to the potent skills of the masters and brewers who created it. Little consideration is given to the incredible range of flavours available to us; flavours that can be harnessed to match our mood and the food on our plates.

Beer is the juice of grain skilfully treated: it is liquid bread. The first people to make beers as we know them today were the Sumerians, who cultivated cereal grains specifically for brewing and drank beer to honour their gods. Many cultures have seen beer as a gift from God (a medieval English term for yeast was godisgoode). It is an expression of place and tradition – one of the few truly regional foods to which we are regularly exposed.

Brewing is a combination of art and science and great brewers are blessed with a little of both. The artist in the brewer chooses the ingredients and balances the flavours and aromas of the finished product. The scientist understands and carefully orchestrates a symphony of chemical reactions between the grain, the water, the hops, and the yeast. The brewing process is complex and what follows can only be an outline of it.

Making the malt

To make beer and wine alcoholic we need sugar, the foodstuff that yeast transforms into alcohol. The fruit used in winemaking naturally accumulates sugar to attract animals and so spread its seed. By contrast, the grain used for making beer is sugarless. Instead, grain is filled with starch, which provides energy for the growing embryo/seedling. This starch must be processed to form the sugars that yeast can then use.

While the requirement to produce sugar from grain adds complexity to the brewing process it also offers the brewer an enormous amount of control over flavour and texture – a type of control the vintner doesn’t have.

Enzymes – biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without themselves being consumed – are used to extract sugar from grain. When Inca women chew grain to make chichi, a maize beer, they’re using the enzyme amylase in their saliva to break down the starch.

In the Near East, where British-style beer originated, ancient brewers discovered that the grain itself could supply such enzymes during germination. Barley was found to be particularly good at producing them and so it became the grain of choice for beer making.

To trigger production of these naturally occurring enzymes and transform the starch stored in the grain into sugars, the raw barley is encouraged to germinate by soaking it in cool water for a few days then allowing it to dry.

The master stops this process dead by placing the germinated grain (the malt) in a kiln, where heat and desiccation kill the embryo but preserve the wonderful chemistry ready for the brewer.

To produce malt for a pale yellow, light-flavoured beer, the master dries the barley gently at 80C, creating a “pale malt”. If the temperature is increased, an incredible range of complex chemical reactions begin to take place.

Alongside the caramelisation of sugars, we see complex Maillard reactions between sugars and amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in the grain (the same “browning” reactions occur when a joint of meat is roasted in an oven and when bread is toasted). The higher the temperature and longer the heat exposure, the darker in colour and richer in flavour and aroma the malt becomes.

Very high temperatures (150-180C) create malts that are especially dark and flavoursome. Words used to describe such malts include: “caramel”, “chocolate”, “rich” and “black”. These malts create the iconic style of dark and heavy beers, such as porters and stouts.

Making the wort

The roasted malt is ground and then loaded into a vessel called a mash tun. Water is added and the mixture is heated, drawing out sugars and other chemicals from the malt and encouraging more enzyme activity. The “wort” that results from this soaking in water is a sweet, brown, earthy liquid.

The first stage of the mashing process above sounds innocuous “water is added” but it is very important. As Pliny, the Elder wrote: Alas! What wonderful ingenuity vice possesses! A method has actually been discovered for making even water intoxicated.”

Water is what makes a beer “local”. Even the strongest beers are 85 to 90 per cent water, so the flavor of the water – a product of the local environment and geology – has a direct impact on the flavour of the beer.

Early brewers tailored their beers to make the best of local waters. Thus, in sulphate-rich Burton-on-Trent English pale ales were developed as the bitterness of the water limited the use of hops. The mild water of Pilsen encouraged Czech brewers to add large amounts of hops. The alkaline, carbonate-rich waters of southern England and Dublin balanced the acidity of dark malts and so encouraged the development of darker beers.

In modern times, some brewers use additives to control the chemical composition, and so the flavour, of their water making it no longer truly “local”.

Seasoning: At this, stage hops are added to the wort and the two are boiled together in beautiful shiny coppers.

Until the 11th century, beer was drunk without hops. This would be an unpleasant experience to modern palates. Un-hopped beer is at best cloyingly sweet and at worst it has turned eye-wateringly sour due to the growth of unwanted bacteria.

To get over these problems brewers used plants, herbs or spices to add aroma, bitterness, and to help prevent (or perhaps cover up) bacterial infections. Additives included meadowsweet, rosemary and bog myrtle.

Unfortunately, these were not very successful, not least due to difficulties in cultivating such plants. From around the eighth century hops started to be used in central Europe. They were relatively easy to cultivate, being grown in Kent by the 1520s, and ideal for adding bitterness and aroma. They also had great disinfectant properties.

Hops are a member of the hemp family. The flower or cone of the hop contains alpha acids, beta acids, tannins and oils. The proportion of these depends on hop variety. Alpha acids give bitterness to beer while the oils impart aroma. The beta acids and tannins in the cone help to stabilise the beer and have vital disinfectant qualities.

Hops are either added at some point during the boil or after. If the hops are added earlier they provide greater bitterness, if they are added later the essential oils do not evaporate and so remain in the beer, adding aroma. Well hopped beer can have strong floral, resiny, and/or citrusy notes.

After boiling the brewer has transformed bland, dry, sugarless barley grain into a rich, bittersweet liquid that frankly tastes disgusting. To transform this swamp water into the perfect pint, yeast cells have to go to work.

Fermentation: After the wort has been cooled and aerated, yeast is added and so fermentation begins.

The process of fermentation is generally split into two main stages. At the beginning of the first stage, there is plenty of oxygen available and so yeast cells can reproduce very easily. However, alcohol is not produced in this process. As the oxygen supply is exhausted the reproduction of yeast cells slows, but fermentation begins as sugars are transformed into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Fermentation is the transformation of sugar into alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide by yeast. In addition to alcohol, yeasts produce many other flavour and aroma compounds including esters, fusel alcohols, ketones, phenols, and fatty acids. Esters are the compounds responsible for the fruity notes in beer, while phenols can cause spicy or smoky notes. Brewers use their own specially selected and carefully controlled yeast strains to produce the distinctive styles of their own beers.

Before we understood the fungal nature of yeast, traditions and superstitions had to be relied upon. Viking families would have a “brew stick” which they used for stirring the wort and which magically started its transformation into beer.

We now understand that this stick was covered in dormant yeast cells and that stirring the wort introduced air into the beer and transferred the yeast cells. These brewing sticks were family heirlooms – a yeast infection passed down from generation to generation, if you will.

It took scientists such as Louis Pasteur to take yeast from the metaphysical realm into something that we can now understand and manipulate.

There are two basic styles of brewer’s yeast: ale and lager. Ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae – “sugar fungus ale”) works at warm temperatures (15-25C) in the brewery and forms a vast blanket of froth on top of the wort. This type of yeast does not turn as many sugars into alcohol as lager yeast, so leaving a residual sweetness. It also lends a certain hearty fruitiness to the aroma and palate.

Lager yeast is classified as S. carlsbergensis because the first pure culture was isolated at the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. Lager brewing began in central Europe in the 15th century when brewers in Bavaria stored – or lagered in German – their beers in deep, icy caves to keep them in drinkable condition during the long hot summers. From this evolved cold-tolerant lager yeasts that also turn more sugar into alcohol, giving a dryer beer.

Conditioning: In the first stage of fermentation the yeast cells use up most of the easily fermentable sugars. After this the second stage begins. Fermentation slows and the yeast starts to work on the heavier sugars such as maltotriose. This is referred to as conditioning.

Conditioning can take place in different situations depending on the type of beer. The traditional beer style of Britain, real ale, is simply “racked” (poured) into the cask. This “cask-conditioned” beer leaves the brewery in an unfinished state because final conditioning takes place in the pub cellar where yeast in the cask continues to turn the remaining sugars into alcohol.

As the beer matures it gains not only a small amount of additional strength but also develops round and fruity flavours. Conditioning can take from two to four weeks, sometimes longer depending on the type of beer. Lagers are usually aged in large tanks in the brewery at near freezing temperatures (just like those in the Bavarian caves) for one to six months depending on style. This cold ageing serves to reduce sulphur compounds produced by the yeast, helps clear the beer, and produces a cleaner tasting final product with fewer fruity esters. Lagers are usually pasteurised prior to delivery. This means that unlike cask-conditioned ale, lagers (and cream flow ales) are biologically dead when they arrive at the pub.

Drinking: For me beer isn’t just meant to be drunk on its own. Beer and food make great table fellows. I love to match the citrus/grapefruit style of a hoppy Indian pale ale, or a good hoppy lager, to the spice of a curry; or make use of a well-roasted dark malt stout to complement a rich chocolate dessert.Wherever you are drinking your beer, though, make time for an appreciative pause. Take up your glass and salute the work of those who turn the sugarless, aroma-less, dry grains into the wonderful, multifaceted liquid we see before us. Drink deeply and enjoy. Moderation though is important. Know how many volumes (bottle/s or glasses) your body can accommodate. We’re talking seven to 25 percent alcohol by volume (ABV)! Find out what the ABV of a beer is before you consume.

Nigerian Brewery (NB), I know lists as much ABV info as possible on its site and guide listings. If an ABV is not listed on any package, please ask the brewer or pourer.

November 6, 2014
Beer’s loss wine’s gain

With the reported drop in beer sales and consumption, the wine and spirit market is booming, raking in over $350 million, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

By October 23, Nigeria will host 30 wine and spirit exhibitors from over 10 countries, including Spain, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, United States (US), Argentina, Chile, Italy and France, at an international fair.

For Nigeria, the event is expected to bring investors willing to operate in the liquor market, valued at over N280 billion.

Besides coming for the exhibition, the global players are expected to tap directly into the Nigerian market against the usual back door importation which is believed to be aiding importers and producers of fake foreign wines, and killing the local liquor market.

The efforts by global wine and spirit producers to play in the fast growing sector are coming at a time the beer industry is struggling with sales. Financial Derivatives Company (FDC), a diversified financial institution, said the nation’s beer market has seen a decline in the super-premium and mainstream brands.

“From our analysis, we conclude that the industry is attractive. We note that though the barriers to entry are high, the bargaining power of suppliers is moderate, while the bargaining power of buyers is low. There is little threat of substitutes for the products produced in the industry and favourable complements for the products,” FDC said.

This appears to be a gain to the wine and spirit market in Nigeria. According to Euromonitor International, a global market intelligence organisation, Nigeria spends an average of N41.41 billion on champagne yearly and was rated the second fastest growing market in the world for champagne. It noted that between 2006 and 2011, it achieved a compound annual growth of 22 per cent.

Accordingly, the total champagne consumption reached 752,879 bottles (75cl) in 2011, higher than consumption in Russia and Mexico, thereby placing Nigeria among the top 20 champagne markets in the world.

Further investigation showed that the country, in 2010, consumed about 593,000 bottles, the highest in Africa. The closest to this figure was South Africa, another country that has been identified as an emerging market for luxury goods, besides Nigeria. South Africa’s champagne consumption was 384,000 bottles in 2010.

The markets are also expected to be among the countries to post the strongest gains in total champagne volume. France topped the list followed by the United Kingdom. Brazil, China, United States and Australia, are in toe.

According to the Senior alcoholic drinks analyst at Euromonitor International, Spiros Malandrakis, during a keynote presentation at the 2012 Champagne Assembly held in London, “ what did come as a surprise was Nigeria’s second place in these global rankings.”

Apart from Champaign, the country is becoming the target of Europe’s wine and spirit makers. According to the Euromonitor International data, wine consumption in Nigeria grew from 18.8 million litres in 2006 to 44.3 million litres in 2011. This is expected to increase by 80.4 per cent, that is, 79.9 million litres by 2016.

As it plans to host about 30 global wine and spirit makers later in the year, the Managing Director, Spronks Creations Limited, the organiser International Wine & Spirit Fair (NIWSF) of the wine and spirit fair in Nigeria, Aderonke Sobodu, said: “The growth and acceptance of wine and spirit into our social lifestyle has made the country one of the fast-emerging markets in the world, which in turn offers great opportunity for tourism, trade and commerce.

This also created the need to expose indigenous wine and spirit producers to the global trade environment, with Nigeria ranking as a fast growing market. Currently consumption figure of wine and spirit in the country is valued at over $350 million based on export figures.

She said: “The team of the Nigeria International Wine and Spirit Fair, in partnership with the International Oenologists, is exploring the possibility of growing and producing the first commercial wine range in West Africa. Obudu Plateau, found on the Oshie Ridge of the Sankwala Mountain range has been identified as a potential location to explore wine production based on the landscape and altitude of this region. We are seeking the help of the Cross River State Government to achieve this feat.”

With the growth of the industry, the activities of illegal importers have come under hammer of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE). With an estimated N700 million loss annually to influx of illegal wine, spirits and alcoholic beverages, distillers and blenders are afraid of another dangerous signal that saw textile industries income to Gross Domestic Product out of the nation’s trade balance sheet.

The group believed that the illegal influx of alcoholic beverages, wines and spirits into the country is an ominous threat to the market.

Currently, Nigeria’s wine imports are increasing by 16 per cent annually. A new report from New Zealand’s Rabobank, said Nigeria has the potential to become a lucrative export market for wine, but some New Zealand winemakers are yet to be convinced.

The report, titled, ‘A new wine frontier,’ said that while China and South Korea are probably the most attractive emerging wine markets, Mexico, Poland, Brazil and Nigeria are “hidden gems” that could offer rich rewards, over the medium to long-term, to ambitious exporters. Early exposure to these nascent markets would give firms hard-won experience and a head-start on their competition, said Rabobank Food and Agribusiness Analyst, Stephen Rannekleiv.

Meanwhile, Industry analysts say the burgeoning Nigerian market has been the attraction for foreign labels which are flocking into the country. Reports showed that Hennessy is trying its best to exploit the market, as it has increased its global revenues from $24.23 billion in 2008 to $37.14 billion in 2012, while net profit increased from $3.27 billion to $4.52 billion.

The Marketing Manager, Moet Hennessy, Nigeria, Lere Awokoya, said Nigeria is one of the fastest-growing markets for whiskey and champagne, as the Hennessy brand has experienced a 12 per cent growth in the Nigerian market year-on-year since 2011.

“The figure is about right,” saidAwokoya, while responding to Hennessy’s champagne market share. “We estimated about a 12 per cent yearly increase in growth since 2011. This just means to us that the relationship between Nigeria and our brands is becoming more meaningful. We are very aware of that and consequently, we are doing what we can to maintain this growing relationship and make it a lasting one,” Awokoya, said.

October 3, 2014
Larger beer war deepens as Gulder rebrands

The Gulder brand has gone through several marketing phases in recent times. It has taken several innovative approaches to sustain its equity and address some of its marketing challenges since it started in 1970. The brewer giant recently changed the brand’s bottle. Could this decision have been informed by the competition in the larger market? ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI asks.

The beer sector has never lacked crazy creative concepts to activate its brands. But in a market that is bogged down by dwindling sales and the entry of new players, only a brand that deplores a result-oriented creative approach with good taste could win the heart of consumers.

The reason every brand in the sector spends so much to get the most memorable activation for their brands is obvious. In recent time, the beer industry recorded a decline in growth as at third quarter of last year.

Research showed that high cost of living and heightened security concerns led the overall beer market to further witness a decline of about 10 per cent last year. Two key factors were also responsible for this.

The heightened security concerns in certain parts of the country has added pressure on distribution. This has impacted negatively on beer consumption as its supply was constrained by the circumstance.

Financial Derivatives Company (FDC), a financial institution, said the nation’s beer market has seen a decline in the super-premium and mainstream brands to the benefit of value/growth brands by 8.3 per cent last year. This was characterised by relatively lower prices. Such brands include Trophy lager, Hero beer, Goldberg, Life beer and Dubic beer.

“From our analysis, we conclude that the industry is attractive. We note that though the barriers to entry are high, the bargaining power of suppliers is moderate, while the bargaining power of buyers is low. There is little threat of substitutes for the products produced in the industry and favourable complements for the products,” FDC said.

To remain relevant in the industry, every brand has continued to explore marketing tactics to stay on top of the game to deepen market share. While some engage in various activations, others are bringing new flavour to their brand.

Guinness Nigeria, one of the two biggest brands in the country recently launched the #Made of Black campaign, in addition to other successful campaign outings last year when it unveiled the largest Jersey in the world. Also, a few years ago, Nigerian Breweries built an Ultimate Ship likened to a titanic ship in a bid to build the Guilder brand and leave a memorable experience for consumers.

However, the sector has recently witnessed another creative spark from Gulder. In its attempt to introduce a new bottle for the Guilder brand, NB built a Walkway at Oceanview Ground where it was launched during the Gulder Ultimate Search Final Selection Party. The Walkway was built with Guilder crates to create an aura around the newly launched bottle.

Forty four years after its introduction into the Nigerian alcoholic beverage market, Gulder is now wearing a new look. The re-introduction and repackaging of the brand, popularly called the Ultimate.

The event marked the culmination of several weeks of a suspense-filled campaign tagged “The Cube is Coming”, which had millions of Nigerians guessing what the Gulder brand had up its sleeves.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Nicolaas Vervelde, said the Gulder re-launch was in tandem with the company’s penchant for innovation, which has sustained its leadership in the brewery sector.

He said: “In 1946, the story of innovation started with Nigerian Breweries Plc. We launched the Gulder brand in 1970 in a unique brown bottle with a unique logo and unique recipe. This unique beer is loved by millions of Nigerians who savour the taste every day, every week, every month and every year. Gulder was the first beer to be launched in cans, which is a further sign of its innovativeness.”

Vervelde described Gulder’s new bottle launch as revolutionary. He further said: “It is a historic moment for the Gulder brand. The new bottle which was contained in the Cube reflects that this celebrated brand, Gulder, is at the forefront of advancement and I can assure that what you are going to see is the result of several years of hard work and skill that the brewery industry has seen in a long while.”

The highlight of the occasion was the official presentation of the new bottle, which was performed by Hubert Eze, and Sales Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc., respectively.

The Marketing Director, Messrs Walter Drenth, described the bottle as the most innovative in Nigeria. He said: “What we have done is to take Gulder from a 1970 bottle and transformed it to a 2020 bottle. I can tell you that this is the most innovative bottle in the Nigerian beer market today. Let me also assure that despite the efforts and resources committed to giving our esteemed consumers of Gulder this classy bottle, the price and the taste remain the same.”

According market survey, Gulder is the second highest selling beer in the country. It spent about N0.7 billion on above-the-line advert last year trailing behind Guinness Extra Stout’s N1.6 billion and Star Larger beer’s N1.5 billion in the same media category.

It is also adjudged the second only to another brand also manufactured by Nigerian Breweries Plc.

September 19, 2014