Premium Beer: Some Considerations

Have you noticed that the term “Premium” is not found in the world of craft beer but in the universe of so-called industrial beers?

If I take up my Concise Oxford Dictionary, I find this: “Of best quality and therefore more expensive.” We could almost say that that says everything…

But is it only a matter of price and quality? No, because in the universe of so-called industrial beer the term “Premium” connotes the notion of an international market, and also defines a higher alcohol content compared to the same non-“Premium” product. Finally, it should be known that it is almost exclusively associated with lagers. But make no mistake about it, in commercial economics, “Premium” refers first and foremost to a segment, that of “Premium Pricing”, which brings us back to our first definition from the Concise Oxford.

We shall return to this matter in a latter post. In the meantime, let’s look at our first “Premium”: Casablanca, “Premium Lager Beer” from Morocco.

It is produced by the Société des Brasseries du Maroc, founded in 1919, based in Casablanca, and owned by the Groupe Castel, which brews under licence the Heineken brand in Morocco.

This 5%-ABV Pale Lager pours a pale straw colour with a nice frothy, very persistent head. The aroma is malty and fruity, the flavour is lemony and spicy, and you get the impression that it has been brewed mainly with rice and corn. So, it’s a stable beer, with an enjoyable touch of sweetness, and I found it very cool when I tasted it not far from the medina in Tangier.

It’s a good, pleasant lager, a “Premium”. And precisely, this kind of beer proves its ability to refresh walkers all over the world, but with the international uniformity so popular in this industrial segment since the 1970s. No more and no less, I’m tempted to say.