Atella Artois... ?

It has come to my attention that certain members of staff working for this fine website think that Stella Artois is a connoisseur beer.

I get pissed every night on 4 pint cans, that's four 20 oz cans for £5 which is approx US $7.92. (OK "getting pissed" on 4 pints of Stella makes me a lightweight... I'm half Irish, so I accept this)

Then again... in the UK a single bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is US $4.85

Stella Artois is a pretty nice lager, I'll give it that.

Your point is?

I'm from Belgium...More to the point I've lived my entire life so far in Leuven, where the original stella artois brewery is situated. So I've always found it rather odd that Americans have to pay crazy prices for stella artois.

clitoris...that is all.

@Moreau_MD: Bollocks! I totally forgot I was posting this on Giantbomb! My sincere and earnest apologies! I shall find somewhere populated with adults.

Stella Artois is a pretty awful beer.

@JammyJesus: My point was that the high tax on import beers can become a large problem when such dreadful piss, such as Stella, is so expensive in the US, and a delicious craft ale is way more expensive across the pond.

Stella Artois tastes fine. ANY non-American beer is better than American beer, which the latter tastes like water.

As a Belgian I can say that Stella is pretty awful. Especially the British version which is worse for some reason.

Leffe and Duvel are the best widely available belgian beers

@I_am_Lono said:

@Moreau_MD: Bollocks! I totally forgot I was posting this on Giantbomb! My sincere and earnest apologies! I shall find somewhere populated with adults.

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise I was talking to someone who was all grown up! The fact that you even bother to ask a question like this online just shows how you're so mature when compared to little old me. Good job big man. Oh, and be sure to not take a word-play joke too seriously next time m'kay?

@Paulus: Is it still like 50 cents a pintje on student night? Because at that price its the best beer ever. Need to go back to Leuven sometime.

I think his point is that in England Stella Artois considered a cheap (wife-beater) beer, while as I understand it in America it's held in higher esteem.

@theoldhouse said:

As a Belgian I can say that Stella is pretty awful. Especially the British version which is worse for some reason.

Leffe and Duvel are the best widely available belgian beers

There's an English version of Stella? I thought it was all imported, as it's over 5% abv.

Different beers are perceived differently outside their place of origin.

For example, we export Fosters from Australia. For decades, around the world, Fosters is seen as THE Australian beer. In Australia, it's almost impossible to find Fosters, as it's universally regarded as being disgusting, not even worthy of pouring on a barbecue for flavour. Even VB and XXXX, which are the lowest rent beers on the market (I like XXXX a little, I admit), are still at a higher level than Fosters.

Stella is pretty gross, especially considering how mind blowingly awesome so many other Belgian beers are.

Stella Artois is one of the worst lagers I have had. What I find hilarious is when on English TV the advertisements for it try and make it look really classy. In reality, it is disgusting. However, even though I don't appreciate Stella I still hold it in higher esteem to most American beers I have had the pleasure of trying. Also Fosters is one of the worst beverages in the world too...

P.S.: If you ever go to Spain or happen to come across Cruzcampo somewhere else... DO NOT drink that shit! Still not as bad as Fosters though...

What makes it gross? It's a pretty well balanced lager, and isn't full of corn-based adjuncts. No, it's not an Abbey-style beer like Leffe, but it's very drinkable and is made with very high quality brewing standards. I'm always curious when people tell me they don't like a beer because it's gross, then tell me that a beer with a completely different flavour profile is better. I get that it's personal preference, but Stella is hardly gross. Call it pale, with low hoppiness, maltiness, and a thin mouthfeel, but it's hardly something that's offensive--unless it's gone skunky. But then, buy it in the can so that light won't interact with the hops.

@AlexW00d said:

Stella Artois is a pretty awful beer.

All beer, is pretty awful beer.

hey people! At least it isn't Maes!

I am not the biggest fan of it either, but hey

and i agree with paulus, it's kinda weird how it gets marketed outside of Belgium.

Stella tastes like shit. Then again, they openly and without shame drink Budweiser in the US, so their taste in beer is pretty much void at this point.

@Sweep: What qualifies either of these comments? What is it you find offensive, outside of the popularity of the label?

Stella Artois - AKA Wife Beater.

Yeah, I don't really like Stella as a beer. There's just something about it that doesn't sit right with my palate.

EDIT: If I'm gonna pick a Belgian beer, it's Hoegaarden every time.

Man, to me all beer tastes like shit. I'm a hard liquor guy.

@Fbomb: I don't know, it just tastes odd to me, and it's weirdly fizzy. It gives me headaches. To be fair, I don't like Kronenbourg either, and that's not a terrible beer.

@buzz_clik: Hoegaarden is pretty great, though my Belgian poison of choice would be Leffe or, if I plan on getting excessively lampshaded, Delerium Tremens.

I mean, I... er... I don't drink?

@WilltheMagicAsian said:

Man, to me all beer tastes like shit. I'm a hard liquor guy.

Real drinkers will put anything in their mouths. I mean... SAY NO TO BOOZE AND DRUGS, KIDS.

@Sweep: Yeah, Leffe's not bad at all. I've never had that other one, although the name inspires fear and excitement in equal measure.

On the weekend I had a Newcastle Brown, which I've not had in YEARS. Update: I still find that shit delicious.

Stella is one of the classier cheap beers. I like it, though I don't drink it often enough.

@Sweep said:

@buzz_clik: Hoegaarden is pretty great, though my Belgian poison of choice would be Leffe

fuck yeah it is. awesome beer.

Stella's awesome.

@Drebin_893 said:

I think his point is that in England Stella Artois considered a cheap (wife-beater) beer, while as I understand it in America it's held in higher esteem.

Indeed. It's practically our cultural equivalent of malt liquor.

@Sweep: Oooh, just had Leffe for the first time recently, great stuff.

Stella is crap.  A lot of people like it because they've been told by adverts that it's premium stuff and that boat sadly does sail.  On advertising documentaries loads of times execs have said it's something naff made to look like luxury.  If you're in Britain buy some of the 4.8% stubbies from Aldi, they're amazing compared to that swill.

Well, yeah. It's barely an import for people in the UK. Here it's more expensive because it has to travel so far.

But yeah it's totally wifebeater beer in Europe.

@Dagbiker said:

@AlexW00d said:

Stella Artois is a pretty awful beer.

All beer, is pretty awful beer.

"in my opinion". you forgot to add that part.

The only european lager I'd consider buying would be Heineken. Otherwise it's either going to be PBR, or some other variety of beer altogether.

I'd rather drink a Stella then drink a Lucky Lager. That shit is truly the worst.

Like others have said above, it's all in the marketing. The TV ads make it look all classy and Euro-Chic. Corona has brilliant marketing as well, but still stinks as a beer. That said, I'd still pound both of them down if that's all I had in front of me :)

I really don't like beer.

@Toms115 said:

@Sweep said:

@buzz_clik: Hoegaarden is pretty great, though my Belgian poison of choice would be Leffe

fuck yeah it is. awesome beer.

Leffe is indeed a choice ass beer.

@Dagbiker said:

@AlexW00d said:

Stella Artois is a pretty awful beer.

All beer, is pretty awful beer.

lol no

When put alongside some of the other beers that are considered iconic, Stella is pretty good. I prefer it over Bud, Millers, Becks, Heineken and Fosters (ugh, that doesnt even belong on this list), but there are certainly better beers available in Australia for the price.

We have stupid taxes here that make liquor crazy expensive anyway. I once went to New Zealand and was buying premium Australian beer for less than it cost back home o_0 Hence, Stella is able to compete with many locally produced beers.

I find it funny that here in America, Stella's positioned as a high-class, high-quality beer when it's not even close to how it tastes overseas.

I wish I could get pissed every night.

I've heard that during blind taste tests people actually prefer the common cheap shitty beer over the expensive fancy shit.