Sunday 21 November 2021

Heineken Beers in WW II

A little break from all the pre-WW I Pale Ale stuff. Unfortunately, it just means a return to WW II Holland. 

Still, that's what this blog's all about. It started as a chronicle of my research. With a few detours into travel and family, that's what it's mostly remained. This is the material I'm currently working with. And it does tend to fill up the few empty spaces in my head (between all the craziness. I would tell you my dreams, except I fear you'd think less of me. Public transport features heavily. Especially missing and taking wrong versions of it.)

If you expected this to be material I was working on for my book "Blitzkrieg!", you'd be mistaken. I've processed the hell out of Heineken's records for that. This is for another project. The YouTube series I'm doing with Peter Symons, Currently looking at Heineken in ridiculous detail.

We've already discussed their interwar beers. Next will be the post-war period. With a quick mention of the disaster that was WW II. Which is where these tables come in. Documenting the descent into piss of their beers.

Enjoy.

Heineken Beers in WW II gravity
  Dec 1939 Nov 1940 Jan 1941 Jul 1941 Sep1941 Jun 1942 Jan 1943
Style OG Plato OG Plato OG Plato OG Plato OG Plato OG Plato OG Plato
Licht Lagerbier 8.96 7.38 6.20 6.44 5.30 3.80 3.80
Donker Lagerbier 8.91 7.38 6.20 6.44 5.30 3.80 3.80
Pils 11.91 9.85 8.74 8.30 7.30 7.40 7.40
Münchener 12.59 7.37 9.84 8.46 7.30 7.40 3.80
Bok 17.14 17.20          
Sources:
Heineken brewing records held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document numbers 834 - 1759 and 834 - 1760.

 

Heineken Beers in WW II ABV
  Dec 1939 Nov 1940 Jan 1941 Jul 1941 Sep1941 Jun 1942 Jan 1943
Style ABV ABV ABV ABV ABV ABV ABV
Licht Lagerbier 3.50 2.88 2.40 2.40 2.00 1.40 1.40
Donker Lagerbier 3.50 2.88 2.40 2.40 2.00 1.40 1.40
Pils 4.70 3.88 3.43 3.20 2.80 2.80 2.80
Münchener 5.00 2.88 3.89 3.20 2.80 2.80 1.40
Bok 7.00 7.00          
Sources:
Heineken brewing records held at the Amsterdamse Stadsarchief, document numbers 834 - 1759 and 834 - 1760.

Only very small quantities of the nearly-intoxicating Pils were brewed. Mostly snaffled by the Wehrmacht.



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