Monday, January 7, 2013

stella artois bzz campaign

My exciting BzzCampaign is the perfect one for a booze-infused blogger: the Stella Artois chalice!  If you’ve ever seen a commercial or ad for Stella, then you’ve seen the chalice: that regal-looking glass with the gold rim and fancy handle that looks like it’s meant for a king.  Or a really nice person who likes beer. 
Did you know Stella Artois was originally created as a holiday beer?  I guess that’s why I got this campaign over the holidays.  It was named “Stella” after the Latin word for “star.”  So, star… holiday… see?
Did you also know that there’s a special 9-step pouring process for Stella? It might sound crazy, but these guys are crazy about their beer, and they insist that it’s the only way to guarantee a perfect glass:
1. The chill: The beer should be chilled to and kept at about 36-38 degrees fahrenheit.
2. The purification: The glass should be cleaned will before serving
3. The unveiling: “She is a thing of beauty,” so don’t just open it up like any old beer.  Be nice.
4. The alchemy begins: When you begin pouring the beer from the bottle into the chalice, hold the chalice at a 45-degree angle.
5. The crown: Once the beer is near the top (there’s a line on the side of the chalice to indicate this), turn it straight up and finish pouring to give it a  thick, foamy head.
6. The beheading: Using the flat edge of a knife, slice the extra foam off the top of the chalice.
7. The judgement: Make sure that the head is sufficient– it should cover the distance between that line on the side of the chalice and the very top.
8. The cleansing: Dip the bottom of the glass in water to remove any spilled beer
9. The bestowal: Place the chalice in front of the worthy recipient and watch as their eyes light up
One final tip: that big, pretty star on the handle?  It’s more than just a decoration.  It’s useful, too.  It provides a place to grasp the chalice so that your hands are away from the beer, ensuring that the heat from your hands doesn’t heat up the beer.  Nothing’s worse than warm beer.  Well, a lot of things are probably worse, but right now I can’t think of one.
And in case you care, this is my dad’s favorite beer, and this campaign forced me to try it (because why would I drink something else out of this chalice that is so obviously designed for this beer?), so it gave us something to bond over while we got trashed on New Year’s Eve.  Classy, right?!