Heineken Extra Cold

wicklowwonder

I know you guys love your craft brews etc and while I do enjoy them at times Heineken is my drink of choice. However over the last year I have noticed more and more pubs now only serve Heineken extra cold. Why? I can tell a big difference between the two. The extra cold is sour and goes flat quicker. It can also at times be so cold its tasteless.

I hate walking into a pub and seeing it. Any ideas why it is now taking over? Will every pub stock it soon? I hope not or I will have to change drinks.

Mr Magnolia

wicklowwonder wrote: »

at times be so cold its tasteless.

You've nailed it right there. It's served this cold so you can't really discern taste. Also, it's more marketable to the masses presented like this.

wicklowwonder

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

You've nailed it right there. It's served this cold so you can't really discern taste. Also, it's more marketable to the masses presented like this.

But it was probably Ireland's must popular draught lager for last five years or more since bud sales died why change it?

Ravelleman

Market research? Desire for a blander product?

BeerNut

wicklowwonder wrote: »

But it was probably Ireland's must popular draught lager for last five years or more since bud sales died why change it?

It's a global change based on global drinking trends. I doubt the guys in Lady's Well get a say in it.

wicklowwonder

BeerNut wrote: »

It's a global change based on global drinking trends. I doubt the guys in Lady's Well get a say in it.

So will we see all pubs adopt it shortly?

BeerNut

Dunno. It's probably up to the pubs whether they want it or not.

rubadub

wicklowwonder wrote: »

The extra cold is sour and goes flat quicker.

As for it in a guinness glass. Load of beer companies are now putting that damn microetching in the bottom of their glasses, which creates bubbles. It give a head for a short while and then turns the beer flat & the head goes.

The square shaped becks glasses are ridiculous for it.

They tend to keep the heineken glasses in the freezer too, if the pub has the cold one, so your guinness one will be luke warm and so warm the beer a little.

Heroditas

BeerNut wrote: »

Dunno. It's probably up to the pubs whether they want it or not.

The pubs are offered them and are told that it'll help their sales.
They're bloody expensive things to run though. From what I can tell, each tap costs about €300 to run and the fridges another €150 or €220 a year.
Throw in a few of the fridges and taps and it's a considerable expense for the publican, particularly when they need to find that extra money to pay the 'leccy and they aren't selling extra beer.
Sometimes they're offered an extra keg or two as a sweetener apparently.
Not too sure what good an extra keg is if you can't sell the original ones!!

BaZmO*

In the absence of something craft styled I'd go for Heineken or Guinness when out, but I hate when all they have is the extra cold option. As a marketing ploy I suppose it adds to perceived 'premium' product sales schtick but it just gives you a headache and makes it feel like you are drinking ice water.

squonk

Heineken is pure mank I've always thought. Carlsberg is a bit better and I'm wondering if they were starting to lose sales to Carlsberg with focus groups citing the taste, hence, lets' just freeze the flavour? out of it altogether. No point in drinking cold flavourless beer IMHO.

irish_goat

A few pubs have extra cold Heineken but don't advertise it as well i.e. just have the regular Heineken tap on display. I used to prefer Heinken over Carlsberg but the extra cold stuff really is awful.

Noticed in the north too that Wetherspoons sell "super chilled" Guinness.

Polar101

BaZmO* wrote: »

In the absence of something craft styled I'd go for Heineken or Guinness when out, but I hate when all they have is the extra cold option. As a marketing ploy I suppose it adds to perceived 'premium' product sales schtick but it just gives you a headache and makes it feel like you are drinking ice water.

Exactly, 'extra cold' is not really any better than a pint with ice - and no sane person would want ice in their beer. I remember in London the bartender looked shocked when I didn't want the 'ice cold' variant.

Sephiroth_dude

Ice cold budweiser is awful too,not the same I know,I hope to god carlsberg don't go down the ice cold road.

BeerNut

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

I hope to god carlsberg don't go down the ice cold road.

Nah, I'm sure they won't.

Oh...

Sephiroth_dude

BeerNut wrote: »

Nah, I'm sure they won't.

Oh...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sky King

It seems to be driven by marketing. Heineken extra cold is very popular in Ireland and Heineken seem to be doing well.

Not a fan of any brand of beer served extra cold myself *at all* but there you go. If you go to Germany and Austria where summers are a lot hotter than here the breweries still specify a serving temp usually around 8 to 12 degrees.

I have no idea why people want to drink beer so cold here when it's bloody freezing outside half the time anyway.

BaZmO*

Sky King wrote: »

I have no idea why people want to drink beer so cold here when it's bloody freezing outside half the time anyway.

Because the telly men tell them to. We're very well behaved us Irish.

the beer revolu

Sky King wrote: »

I have no idea why people want to drink beer so cold here when it's bloody freezing outside half the time anyway.

Also, why is water always served iced, whether requested or not, in our climate?

irish_goat

Sky King wrote: »

I have no idea why people want to drink beer so cold here when it's bloody freezing outside half the time anyway.

Because, god forbid, if it's served any warmer they might actually taste it and nobody wants that. :P

Sky King

the beer revolu wrote: »

Also, why is water always served iced, whether requested or not, in our climate?

I know. I dislike it iced myself.

the beer revolu

Sky King wrote: »

I know. I dislike it iced myself.

People seem to think I'm being difficult because I ask for water without ice!

Sky King

Same! Surely it's easier?!

Frynge

Heroditas wrote: »

The pubs are offered them and are told that it'll help their sales.
They're bloody expensive things to run though. From what I can tell, each tap costs about €300 to run and the fridges another €150 or €220 a year.
Throw in a few of the fridges and taps and it's a considerable expense for the publican, particularly when they need to find that extra money to pay the 'leccy and they aren't selling extra beer.
Sometimes they're offered an extra keg or two as a sweetener apparently.
Not too sure what good an extra keg is if you can't sell the original ones!!

The coolers are more like €600 a year to run, we don't use any of the glasses fridges. But we have 14 of these taps which come with massive electricity bills and no corresponding increase in sales so we are going to probably get rid of them.

Polar101 wrote: »

Exactly, 'extra cold' is not really any better than a pint with ice - and no sane person would want ice in their beer. I remember in London the bartender looked shocked when I didn't want the 'ice cold' variant.

I know a few people who put ice into their draught pints, not sure why they do it. I would say about half of people who get bottled beer in a pub will put ice in it.

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Ice cold budweiser is awful too,not the same I know,I hope to god carlsberg don't go down the ice cold road.

Carlsberg was the first beer I ever seen served ice cold. Many years ago in Hong Kong it was called carlsberg minus I think.

the beer revolu wrote: »

Also, why is water always served iced, whether requested or not, in our climate?

We are changing how people get water with us by letting them get it themselves, we have chilled and room temp just to keep everyone happy.

rubadub

Frynge wrote: »

The coolers are more like €600 a year to run, we don't use any of the glasses fridges.

How did you work this out?

Are they on 24/7 365 days? If so that is 6.8cent per hour which seems a lot, I am not sure of your rates per kW.

One mistake I commonly see is people look at the kW rating on a device and multiply it up. e.g. if they see 1.5kW they wrongly think in 1 hour this is always going to use 1.5kWhr

.jacksparrow.

BaZmO* wrote: »

Because the telly men tell them to. We're very well behaved us Irish.

Oh climb down there will ya chief!ah no seriously I prefer ice cold Heineken purely because I think it is nicer that bit colder.

I cant remember seen an add promoting ice cold Heineken to be honest.All the adds I see the Heineken looks warm and flat!

sham69

If i am in my local (that doesnt sell craft beers) I always drink Heineken, its the beer I started drinking about 20 years ago and I like it.

The extra cold stuff is horrible, I agree with the sour reference, not that you can taste much as its so cold.

Maybe a silly question but does the extra cold come in its own keg or is it just normal heineken dobule chilled or whatever?
I don't get the buzz with the extra cold beers, the missus drinks bud ice now and again, its vile.

.jacksparrow.

One thing that is really doing my head in is the changing of glasses for drink lately,why are they changing the Guinness standard pint glass that has been around for years,and these stupid new tallHeineken pint glasses hate them,much prefer the small stubby ones.

There companies need to stop with all this marketing ****e from people who haven't a breeze about a good pint.

irish_goat

sham69 wrote: »

Maybe a silly question but does the extra cold come in its own keg or is it just normal heineken dobule chilled or whatever?
I don't get the buzz with the extra cold beers, the missus drinks bud ice now and again, its vile.

Same keg, more coolers.

listermint

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

One thing that is really doing my head in is the changing of glasses for drink lately,why are they changing the Guinness standard pint glass that has been around for years,and these stupid new tallHeineken pint glasses hate them,much prefer the small stubby ones.

There companies need to stop with all this marketing ****e from people who haven't a breeze about a good pint.

Trying to grow and attract new clientele to their brand, thats their job tbh. Its about finding the right balance between retention and growth of customer base.

.jacksparrow.

listermint wrote: »

Trying to grow and attract new clientele to their brand, thats their job tbh. Its about finding the right balance between retention and growth of customer base.

That's fair enough,but everyone I know comment on how it doesn't feel the same drinking from the new glasses,surely they don't need to change their glasses to attract more customers?suppose it works both ways,people aren't gonna stop drinking it because of the new ones.

But why change it if it isn't broke.

im invisible

Frynge, do you mind me asking where you work that has 14 Heineken extra cold taps?

Heroditas

im invisible wrote: »

Frynge, do you mind me asking where you work that has 14 Heineken extra cold taps?

Could very well be a hotel with a night club attached.
I was in one place and it had about 14 of those super-cooled taps in it scattered across two function rooms, main hotel bar and the night club bar, all running merrily 24/7, despite the fact that the function rooms and night club are only used two days a week.

Frynge

rubadub wrote: »

How did you work this out?

Are they on 24/7 365 days? If so that is 6.8cent per hour which seems a lot, I am not sure of your rates per kW.

One mistake I commonly see is people look at the kW rating on a device and multiply it up. e.g. if they see 1.5kW they wrongly think in 1 hour this is always going to use 1.5kWhr

I got this info from a pub that had some trial of a device that measured the electricity usage from each outlet. It was a scheme by electric Ireland I think. Also the Guinness tech guy confirmed it. Night rates in most places would decrease that by a bit.

im invisible wrote: »

Frynge, do you mind me asking where you work that has 14 Heineken extra cold taps?

They are not all Heineken.

Heroditas wrote: »

Could very well be a hotel with a night club attached.
I was in one place and it had about 14 of those super-cooled taps in it scattered across two function rooms, main hotel bar and the night club bar, all running merrily 24/7, despite the fact that the function rooms and night club are only used two days a week.

I'm operations manager for a group of hotels and restaurants, some of the bars have no extra cold taps and one of the bars has 6.

wicklowwonder

Out last night after work and once again it is very hard to find a pub not selling extra cold. Messer was extra cold and muck, Mulligans on Poolbeg St. was muck, the Long Stone was awful as well. We ended up just drinking bottles and then we moved to Bowes off D'Olier St. and they served regular Heineken and we stayed for the night. Lovely little boozer actually. Three Heineken drinkers and we all agreed the extra cold was very sour, one guy compared drinking it Guinness in that you need now to know in advance what pubs serve decent normal pints and what pubs don't. Heading out for the a few nights this weekend and I think I will drink Erdinger or something for the rest of the weekend.

minidazzler

wicklowwonder wrote: »

Out last night after work and once again it is very hard to find a pub not selling extra cold. Messer was extra cold and muck, Mulligans on Poolbeg St. was muck, the Long Stone was awful as well. We ended up just drinking bottles and then we moved to Bowes off D'Olier St. and they served regular Heineken and we stayed for the night. Lovely little boozer actually. Three Heineken drinkers and we all agreed the extra cold was very sour, one guy compared drinking it Guinness in that you need now to know in advance what pubs serve decent normal pints and what pubs don't. Heading out for the a few nights this weekend and I think I will drink Erdinger or something for the rest of the weekend.

Look at the normal non frozen green heads, they'll likely say Extra-Cold too... It's something Heineken are rolling out everywhere they get a chance. The frozen taps as best I can tell are mostly for show (though they seem to freeze/block up more than regular taps)