Its been years since I drank it and I probably won't in the future but Carlsberg Elephant beer is a part of my personal history. I haven't been a wine guy exclusively. I have marketed beers, spirits and liqueurs as well as wine. I was lucky to have been the brand manager for Carlsberg in the mid 80's and very much enjoyed that fine product especially when it was selling well (mid 80's) when we had freshly imported product direct from the brewery(s) in Denmark. When the significant importers collapsed (Allied Liquor and NZW&S) due to a combination of factors (deregulation of import licensing, change to the Sale of Liquor Act and and rise of small importers and distributors) the offerings began to be dodgy. Small operators couldn't afford to import full containers (at least 2400 cases of beer) and consolidated shipments with other products. These consolidations were often made in 'hub' ports that were far away from the source of the products. They also sourced product from second-tier distributors (not the original producers) so that the beer brought in was often close to its use-by date on landing. Today, Carlsberg is brewed in New Zealand (since 2007) and whilst selling in much greater quantities than before is not really the same as the original.
Carlsberg is a famous Danish beer company founded in the mid 1800's and is today the 4th largest brewery group in the world. It is one of those companies with lucky brands that whilst being huge have a 'boutique' image. Carlsberg's Elephant beer at 7.2% alc. is a pretty strong brew, not the strongest beer made by any means but still significantly over the normal Pilsners. Its actually quite a well made beer and should have had a good following by aficionados but, like anything that has macho connotations has been adopted by yobbos and lager louts.
These morons would drink drain cleaner if someone told them it was tough to do so. Anyway, Elephant beer wasn't named because elephants are big and strong
but because the original Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen has elephant statues at the entrance.
6 comments:
I've never tried Elephant Beer, never even heard of it. Do you know if it was sold in the UK?
I must admit that I was never keen on beers as a youth. In Scotland when I reached legal drinking age, the beers were all mass produced, fizzy and bloody awfull.
Beers like Watney's Red Barrel, McEwans Tartan Special. They were pasteurised, almost all had the same flavour, and I much preferred whisky. Also tried Blue Nun which was OK.
I got a lot more into beer in the 90s, when a lot of real ales finally were available throughout UK pubs.
My favourite then was two beers from Orkney, the standard "Dark Island", and the extraordinary "Skull Splitter".
BTW, regarding your comment on the toughs takong over a brew, I remember that Carlsberg "Special Brew" (9%) was the drink of choice of the real nutters in the 80s.
Whoops! That just slipped out. I apologize.
We thought this was a wine site.
New Zealand Wine Society
I was about to write a response to TNZWC and then noticed that the word verification is
DEFIELYD
which I guess supports their view re beer being spoken about in a wine blog.
"We thought this was a wine site.
New Zealand Wine Society"
Anything about alcohol containing beverages is OK.
Shouldn't that be the New Zealand Whine Society
I've been drinking Elephant beer since the mid 80's in Australia
It was way stronger back then it came in a brown bottle with blue label
With an alcohol reading of 8.7 % now only 7.2
In Australia in the 80's
There was only 1 beer on tap Carlton draught and 3 bottle beers Crown Larger Heineken and Elephant at night clubs
U know which one I choiced to drink
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