Lowenbrau Original (Labatt
Brewed)
Review Date 7/16/2001
Try?
Re-buy?
Here’s to good friends;
tonight is kind of special,
The beer we’ll pour, must say something more, somehow,
So tonight, tonight, let it be Lowenbrau
If you were a beer drinker back in the seventies, or perhaps just watched TV or listened to the radio, you might be familiar with the above ditty that was heard during commercials for Miller Brewing Company’s Lowenbrau beer. Miller originally contracted with Munich’s Lowenbrau brewery to produce a beer of the same name back in 1975. And you thought contract brewing was a recent phenomenon.
Lowenbrau (Lion’s Brew in German) has been around since 1893. It’s actually brewed around the world by license to various brewers, so the contract arrangement with Miller was far from something unique. Miller brewed a pale pilsner and a dark lager under the Lowenbrau name, and they were very popular in 12 and 7 ounce bottles.
A few years ago, Miller lost its license to brew Lowenbrau here in the United States. The buzz is that the powers that be in Munich were not at all happy with the quality of the beer Miller was selling under their esteemed name. Of course, you’ll still see Lowenbrau available on American shelves. That’s because it has also been brewed in Canada by Labatt Brewing, part of the Interbrew conglomerate. Labatt is now producing the Lowenbrau for the U.S. market as well as Canada. They advertise the quality of their brand in the following fashion:
Lowenbrau is brewed in accordance with the “Reinheitsgebot”, the German purity law of 1516, which stipulates that only the natural ingredients of barley, malt, hops yeast and water be used in the brewing process.”
Lowenbrau Premium Lager pours to a light golden color with a steady stream of bubbles rising to the top to form a light and spritzy but short-lived head. The nose is light with a faint hint of crisp pale malt, while the palate is light and crisp, smooth and drinkable but not very flavorful. The finish is again light with a touch of balancing hops, but I must say not much is going on in the humulus lupulus department either. Original Munich formula? I’m not sure I can buy that. This beer is far too timid for a German style pilsner; especially one brewed by one of the original and world-famous Munich breweries. Indeed, I’m much more reminded of Labatt’s Blue or the original Carling Black Label than I am a German brew.
At about $5.99 for a six-pack, you’ll find much more authentic German beers on the market, like Spaten, Konig-Pils, or Bitburger. I’d suggest going with them instead of this German-inspired brew with Canadian flavor.
The beer we’ll pour, must say something more, somehow,
So tonight, tonight, let it be Lowenbrau
If you were a beer drinker back in the seventies, or perhaps just watched TV or listened to the radio, you might be familiar with the above ditty that was heard during commercials for Miller Brewing Company’s Lowenbrau beer. Miller originally contracted with Munich’s Lowenbrau brewery to produce a beer of the same name back in 1975. And you thought contract brewing was a recent phenomenon.
Lowenbrau (Lion’s Brew in German) has been around since 1893. It’s actually brewed around the world by license to various brewers, so the contract arrangement with Miller was far from something unique. Miller brewed a pale pilsner and a dark lager under the Lowenbrau name, and they were very popular in 12 and 7 ounce bottles.
A few years ago, Miller lost its license to brew Lowenbrau here in the United States. The buzz is that the powers that be in Munich were not at all happy with the quality of the beer Miller was selling under their esteemed name. Of course, you’ll still see Lowenbrau available on American shelves. That’s because it has also been brewed in Canada by Labatt Brewing, part of the Interbrew conglomerate. Labatt is now producing the Lowenbrau for the U.S. market as well as Canada. They advertise the quality of their brand in the following fashion:
Lowenbrau is brewed in accordance with the “Reinheitsgebot”, the German purity law of 1516, which stipulates that only the natural ingredients of barley, malt, hops yeast and water be used in the brewing process.”
Lowenbrau Premium Lager pours to a light golden color with a steady stream of bubbles rising to the top to form a light and spritzy but short-lived head. The nose is light with a faint hint of crisp pale malt, while the palate is light and crisp, smooth and drinkable but not very flavorful. The finish is again light with a touch of balancing hops, but I must say not much is going on in the humulus lupulus department either. Original Munich formula? I’m not sure I can buy that. This beer is far too timid for a German style pilsner; especially one brewed by one of the original and world-famous Munich breweries. Indeed, I’m much more reminded of Labatt’s Blue or the original Carling Black Label than I am a German brew.
At about $5.99 for a six-pack, you’ll find much more authentic German beers on the market, like Spaten, Konig-Pils, or Bitburger. I’d suggest going with them instead of this German-inspired brew with Canadian flavor.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
