Black Star Beer
Encyclopedia
Black Star Beer is a double hopped golden lager
made with two-row malting barley
and a combination of Mittelfruh and Czech Saaz hops
. The Great Northern Brewing Company located in Whitefish
, Montana
is the original producer of Black Star Beer.
based on traditional European Pilsners. It is made with two-row malted barley
. The beer
contains 4.5% ABV
(alcohol by volume), and has 13 to 15 IBUs (International Bittering Units). Brewed with two different hops
, Black Star contains 20% Bavarian Mittelfruh and 80% Czech Saaz hops.
, started the McKenzie River Corporation
, a beverage marketing company in 1987. Wessinger grew up learning about beer from his father Fred Wessinger at the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery in Portland, OR. In 1995, Minott Wessinger built the Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish
, Montana
and began brewing Black Star beer.
Other products introduced by the McKenzie River Corporation include:
was designed by Joe Esherick
and built in a traditional gravity flow arrangement. The mostly automated brew house is one of the most complex for its size in the country. The fermenting and packaging area, known as the Cellar is open and roomy, allowing for many brewery operations to occur simultaneously.
After 7 years of brewing Black Star, Wessinger decided to stop brewing in order to pursue other projects. Wessinger and Great Northern Brewing Company (GNBC) started production again in January 2010 and Black Star was officially reintroduced on February 6, 2010. Black Star is being brewed at the same facility in which it was originally brewed in 1995.
In addition to Black Star, the Great Northern Brewing Company produces other lagers, ales and seasonal brews.
Best Awards competition. Wieden & Kennedy’s Black Star campaign also won the Cannes Lions 1993 Film Bronze award.
In 1994, Hal Riney
& Partners developed a Ken Burns style advertising campaign that chronicled the history of Black Star Beer from the building of the brewery in Whitefish, Montana to its projected future success. Hal Riney personally spearheaded the TV, print and radio campaign for Black Star Beer. The campaign highlighted the natural beauty of Montana
and the unique personalities of the Flathead Valley.
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
made with two-row malting barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and a combination of Mittelfruh and Czech Saaz hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
. The Great Northern Brewing Company located in Whitefish
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
is the original producer of Black Star Beer.
Beer
Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager is an American "double hopped" (dry hopped) golden lagerLager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
based on traditional European Pilsners. It is made with two-row malted barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
. The beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
contains 4.5% ABV
ABV
ABV is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* Alcohol by volume, a measure of the alcohol content of alcoholic drinks* Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria, from its IATA airport code...
(alcohol by volume), and has 13 to 15 IBUs (International Bittering Units). Brewed with two different hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
, Black Star contains 20% Bavarian Mittelfruh and 80% Czech Saaz hops.
History
Minott Wessinger, 5th generation brewer and great-great-grandson of Henry WeinhardHenry Weinhard
Henry Weinhard was a German-American brewer in the state of Oregon. After immigrating to the United States in 1851, he lived in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and California before settling in the Portland, Oregon, area...
, started the McKenzie River Corporation
McKenzie River Corporation
McKenzie River Corporation is a beverage marketing firm based in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 1987 by Minott Wessinger with the help of his father, Fred Wessinger, the McKenzie River Corporation has launched a number of successful beverage products to the US market.- History :Minott Wessinger...
, a beverage marketing company in 1987. Wessinger grew up learning about beer from his father Fred Wessinger at the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery in Portland, OR. In 1995, Minott Wessinger built the Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and began brewing Black Star beer.
Other products introduced by the McKenzie River Corporation include:
- St. Ides Premium Malt LiquorSt. IdesSt. Ides was originally a non-high gravity malt liquor, marketed since the 1980's. Now, St. Ides is a potent brand of malt liquor that is manufactured by the Pabst Brewing Company. The beverage contains 8.2% alcohol by volume, which puts it at the high end even for the high-alcohol malt liquor...
- SparksSparks (drink)Sparks is an alcoholic beverage that debuted in the US market in 2002. The original formulation contained caffeine, one of the first alcoholic beverages to do so. Its other original active ingredients included taurine, ginseng and guarana, common to energy drinks.Packaged in a can, its labeling...
- Steel Reserve High Gravity LagerSteel ReserveSteel Reserve is an American lager brand owned and produced by Steel Brewing Company. MillerCoors is the company listed on Steel Reserves' Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions pages. The drink comes in "Black" and "Silver" varieties, also known as "Triple Export Malt Liquor" and "High Gravity...
- Howling Monkey Energizing Elixir
- Le Tourment Vert Absinthe FrancaiseLe Tourment VertLe Tourment Vert is an absinthe-like liqueur imported from the French Distillerie Vinet EGE, near the French commune of Cognac...
Great Northern Brewing
The Great Northern Brewing CompanyGreat Northern Brewing Company
Great Northern Brewing Company is a traditional “gravity flow” brewery located in the northernmost block of downtown Whitefish, Montana. The brewery opened in 1995 under the stewardship of Minott Wessinger, the great-great grandson of Henry Weinhard. It is approximately and has a maximum annual...
was designed by Joe Esherick
Joseph Esherick
Joseph Esherick was an American architect.Esherick was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937, Esherick set up practice in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1953 and taught at University of California, Berkeley for many years...
and built in a traditional gravity flow arrangement. The mostly automated brew house is one of the most complex for its size in the country. The fermenting and packaging area, known as the Cellar is open and roomy, allowing for many brewery operations to occur simultaneously.
After 7 years of brewing Black Star, Wessinger decided to stop brewing in order to pursue other projects. Wessinger and Great Northern Brewing Company (GNBC) started production again in January 2010 and Black Star was officially reintroduced on February 6, 2010. Black Star is being brewed at the same facility in which it was originally brewed in 1995.
In addition to Black Star, the Great Northern Brewing Company produces other lagers, ales and seasonal brews.
Advertising Campaigns
Black Star was introduced to a Pacific Northwest test market in the early nineties, which was supported by an acclaimed advertising campaign by Wieden & Kennedy. The campaign depicted a make-believe history of Black Star Beer through a series of six commercials hosted by John Corbett. The commercials were released in 1992 and received “Best of Show” honors in Advertising Age’sAdvertising Age
Advertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
Best Awards competition. Wieden & Kennedy’s Black Star campaign also won the Cannes Lions 1993 Film Bronze award.
In 1994, Hal Riney
Hal Riney
Hal Patrick Riney was an American advertising executive.Founder of Publicis & Hal Riney, Riney was named #30 on the Advertising Age 100 people of the 20th century. He was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 2001.Riney grew up in Longview, Washington...
& Partners developed a Ken Burns style advertising campaign that chronicled the history of Black Star Beer from the building of the brewery in Whitefish, Montana to its projected future success. Hal Riney personally spearheaded the TV, print and radio campaign for Black Star Beer. The campaign highlighted the natural beauty of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and the unique personalities of the Flathead Valley.
Awards
- Silver Medal, 1999 North American Beer Awards
- Gold Medal, Best of the West 1997, North American Beer Awards
- Bronze Medal, Excellence in Brewing 2000 North American Beer Awards
- Consumer Product Award 2000, Award of Excellence by the American Tasting Institute