Red Stripe
Encyclopedia
Red Stripe is a Jamaica
n lager
beer
whose logo is a bold, diagonal red stripe. It is brewed by Desnoes & Geddes Limited
, originally a soft drink manufacturer incorporated on July 31, 1918, by Kingston, Jamaica
natives Eugene Peter Desnoes and Thomas Hargreaves Geddes. In its current formulation Red Stripe is 4.7% alcohol by volume.
that was too heavy to suit local preferences. The current lager
formulation was first produced in 1938 from a recipe developed by Paul H. Cotter (the son of founder E. P. Cotter) and Bill Martindale. The modern brewery was opened at Hunt's Bay in 1958.
Beginning in 1976, Red Stripe has been brewed under license in the UK by the Bedford
based brewers, Charles Wells and is packaged in 484 mL aluminum cans.
In 1985, the brand was first imported to the United States
with poor initial results. With an eye towards the success of Heineken
, Red Stripe for export was packaged in green standard 12 U.S.floz. bottles. American consumers exposed to Red Stripe through their travels to Jamaica
as well as Jamaican expatriates were reluctant to try the brand in the States since it was not packaged in its distinctive squat brown bottle and painted label. This marketing issue was resolved only to have shipments temporarily suspended in January 1989 due to cannabis
smuggling in shipping containers discovered in the Port of Miami
. Red Stripe recovered and rode the popularity of dance hall reggae in the early 1990s to well over a million cases of annual distribution. Red Stripe is a significant sponsor of reggae, ska, and other music events, including the annual Reggae Sumfest
hosted in Montego Bay
.
In 1993, 51 percent ownership in Desnoes & Geddes Limited was purchased by Guinness Brewing Worldwide, now Diageo
, an acquisition that has significantly increased the international distribution of Red Stripe and Dragon Stout. A new Red Stripe Light has also been added which is brewed and bottled in Jamaica and imported by Guinness in Stamford, Connecticut
.
In 2009, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
, was invited to the White House to have beers with U.S. President Obama and Cambridge, Mass., police officer Jim Crowley and to discuss their disagreement over Crowley's arrest of Gates two weeks earlier. Gates initially said he would have a Red Stripe, but facing criticism from Boston beer fans, he changed his choice to Sam Adams Light.
Diageo introduced canned Red Stripe, brewed under contract by Moosehead in New Brunswick
, Canada
,to the United States market in 2009.
In the U.S. in 2010 , the bottling size was reduced from a typical 12 oz. per serving to 11.2 oz. per serving.
. Other major sporting sponsorship activities have included a commitment as the Caribbean regional sponsor for the 2007 Cricket World Cup and a J$100 million sponsorship commitment to the Jamaican Football Federation in support of the national team's regional qualifying efforts for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
In 2007, Red Stripe initiated a campaign in the UK to support new music by sponsoring events such as The Camden Crawl and Great Escape Festival as well as hosting a number of free music events with artists such as The View
and The Rifles. Recent work with new bands puts this initiative in direct competition with the likes of Carling
as a featured sponsor of the underground music scene. In support of this promotional strategy, the Red Stripe Music Awards have been initiated, with the winner of the award receiving featured billing at two music festivals and the opportunity to tour with a high profile act.
Red Stripe sponsors sports talk television program Pardon the Interruption
during the summer months, alternating with Guinness
. Also recently Red Stripe began sponsoring the International Festival of Thumb Wrestling held annually in Mason City, Iowa. Red Stripe Vice President of Marketing Randolph Samuelson II was the first black man to win this festival, and it has held a special place in his heart since he broke the color barrier and won the championship in 1971.
Red Stripe Light has also been announced as the official beer category Major Sponsor for the 2010 Zwack Air Hockey
World Championships taking place in July 2010 in Houston, Texas.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n lager
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...
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...
whose logo is a bold, diagonal red stripe. It is brewed by Desnoes & Geddes Limited
Desnoes & Geddes
Desnoes and Geddes Limited is a Jamaican brewer and beverage producer. D&G was formed in 1918 by Eugene Peter Desnoes and Thomas Hargreaves Geddes, who combined their two shops into one business....
, originally a soft drink manufacturer incorporated on July 31, 1918, by Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
natives Eugene Peter Desnoes and Thomas Hargreaves Geddes. In its current formulation Red Stripe is 4.7% alcohol by volume.
History
The first Red Stripe was brewed in the Surrey Brewery in 1928 as an aleAle
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
that was too heavy to suit local preferences. The current lager
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...
formulation was first produced in 1938 from a recipe developed by Paul H. Cotter (the son of founder E. P. Cotter) and Bill Martindale. The modern brewery was opened at Hunt's Bay in 1958.
Beginning in 1976, Red Stripe has been brewed under license in the UK by the Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
based brewers, Charles Wells and is packaged in 484 mL aluminum cans.
In 1985, the brand was first imported to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with poor initial results. With an eye towards the success of Heineken
Heineken Pilsener
Heineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
, Red Stripe for export was packaged in green standard 12 U.S.floz. bottles. American consumers exposed to Red Stripe through their travels to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
as well as Jamaican expatriates were reluctant to try the brand in the States since it was not packaged in its distinctive squat brown bottle and painted label. This marketing issue was resolved only to have shipments temporarily suspended in January 1989 due to cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
smuggling in shipping containers discovered in the Port of Miami
Port of Miami
The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
. Red Stripe recovered and rode the popularity of dance hall reggae in the early 1990s to well over a million cases of annual distribution. Red Stripe is a significant sponsor of reggae, ska, and other music events, including the annual Reggae Sumfest
Reggae Sumfest
Reggae Sumfest is the largest concert festival in Jamaica, taking place each year in mid-July in Montego Bay. Sumfest, started in 1993, is officially sponsored by Red Stripe....
hosted in Montego Bay
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...
.
In 1993, 51 percent ownership in Desnoes & Geddes Limited was purchased by Guinness Brewing Worldwide, now Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
, an acquisition that has significantly increased the international distribution of Red Stripe and Dragon Stout. A new Red Stripe Light has also been added which is brewed and bottled in Jamaica and imported by Guinness in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.
In 2009, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and...
, was invited to the White House to have beers with U.S. President Obama and Cambridge, Mass., police officer Jim Crowley and to discuss their disagreement over Crowley's arrest of Gates two weeks earlier. Gates initially said he would have a Red Stripe, but facing criticism from Boston beer fans, he changed his choice to Sam Adams Light.
Diageo introduced canned Red Stripe, brewed under contract by Moosehead in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,to the United States market in 2009.
In the U.S. in 2010 , the bottling size was reduced from a typical 12 oz. per serving to 11.2 oz. per serving.
Advertising
A television advertising campaign launched in 2001 features a comedic Jamaican (portrayed by Dorrel Salmon) with variations on the catch phrase, "Hooray, beer!" In the UK, the advertising campaign plays on the 'easy vibe' of Jamaican Beer, with catch phrases such as "easy now."Sponsorship
Red Stripe has been an intermittent sponsor of the Jamaica national bobsled teamJamaica national bobsled team
The Jamaican national bobsleigh team represents Jamaica in international bobsledding competitions. The team first gained fame during their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where they gained international fame as the ultimate underdogs, representing a tropical...
. Other major sporting sponsorship activities have included a commitment as the Caribbean regional sponsor for the 2007 Cricket World Cup and a J$100 million sponsorship commitment to the Jamaican Football Federation in support of the national team's regional qualifying efforts for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
In 2007, Red Stripe initiated a campaign in the UK to support new music by sponsoring events such as The Camden Crawl and Great Escape Festival as well as hosting a number of free music events with artists such as The View
The View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
and The Rifles. Recent work with new bands puts this initiative in direct competition with the likes of Carling
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
as a featured sponsor of the underground music scene. In support of this promotional strategy, the Red Stripe Music Awards have been initiated, with the winner of the award receiving featured billing at two music festivals and the opportunity to tour with a high profile act.
Red Stripe sponsors sports talk television program Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
during the summer months, alternating with Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
. Also recently Red Stripe began sponsoring the International Festival of Thumb Wrestling held annually in Mason City, Iowa. Red Stripe Vice President of Marketing Randolph Samuelson II was the first black man to win this festival, and it has held a special place in his heart since he broke the color barrier and won the championship in 1971.
Red Stripe Light has also been announced as the official beer category Major Sponsor for the 2010 Zwack Air Hockey
Air hockey
Air hockey is a game for two competing players trying to score points in the opposing player's goal.-Equipment:Air hockey requires an air-hockey table, two player-held mallets, and a puck....
World Championships taking place in July 2010 in Houston, Texas.