Special Brew

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For an album by Bad Manners see Special Brew (album).

Special Brew
Special Brew
Brewery	Carlsberg
Style	Lager
First brewed	1950
Alc. vol.	9.0%
Original Gravity
Final Gravity
IBU Scale

Special Brew is a very strong lager (sometimes known as premium lager) brewed in Denmark and the United Kingdom. It comes in a can with a distinctive gold and red colour.

Special Brew was first brewed by Carlsberg to commemorate a visit to Denmark of Winston Churchill in 1950. In May 1951 two crates were delivered to Churchill's London home. In a thank you letter Churchill called the drink "Commemoration Lager". In Denmark the drink was called Påskebryg (Easter Brew), but the Easter Brew has been replaced by a weaker beer (Carls Påske). For the British market Carlsberg called the drink Special Brew and production was started in Northampton in the 1950s.

At 9% alcohol Special Brew is one of the strongest lagers freely available in the United Kingdom, without going to a specialist shop. Some people will say that Special Brew should more properly be described as a Barley Wine, rather than a lager.

In the UK Special Brew is occasionally available in bottles in pubs, but it is almost never served draft. Most pubs refuse to sell it because its high alcohol content leads to excessive drunkenness and unwarranted behaviour among customers. However it is widely sold in off licences and supermarkets nationwide. Special Brew is extremely popular among the homeless and travelling community, and off licence owners will often say it is their best selling item. Its reasonably low price and high alcohol content allow users to become extremely drunk quickly at a low cost should they desire to do so. Drinkers also enjoy the drink for its strong syrupy taste and many will often refute its image as a tramps and travellers drink. As a result Special Brew is sometimes called 'Tramp juice' or 'Tramps piss'.^[1] Many consumers can be seen to have a strong affinity with the drink, as shown in the tribute song by Bad Manners "Special Brew". There is also a tribute band to the two tone era located in Dublin Ireland who are called Special Brew. They took their name from the Bad Manners hit.

In Denmark, where stronger beers are more common, Special Brew enjoys a more refined image and it is a popular drink sold nationwide.

[edit] See also

Tennents Super

[edit] External links

Carlsberg UK Special Brew homepage
Arrys Carlsberg Special Brew Site - Fansite with pictures of special editions, Special Brew culture etc (warning - loud music)