- For the metal alloy see Tombac.
Dutch Gold is a low-cost import lager beer sold in the Republic of Ireland.
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The beer
The beer is brewed and canned in the EU under licence of and distributed by Zuidhollandse Bierbrouwerij, a trading name of InBev, a large Belgian brewery that owns the 'Dutch Gold' trademark. [1] It contains an alcohol volume of approximately 4.2%.
Its Irish distributor describes it as
"Brewed and canned in Holland. At 4.2% ABV it is an easy to drink, typically Dutch product and was developed specifically to suit Irish consumers tastes. Dutch Gold is one of the best value for money products on the Irish Market."
The tagline on the can states
"Made from the finest malted barley, hops and pure water Dutch Gold is a premium continental lager beer".
Irish retailing
Dutch Gold retails at a cost of seven euro for six 500ml cans. In the canned beer market in Ireland, it has a market share of between 11% and 14%, making it the third most popular beer after Budweiser and Heineken Pilsener. [2] In-shop advertising is the primary promotional method. Dutch Gold is not advertised on television or radio. Dutch Gold has been sold to consumers in a number of quantities, including 'Six for Seven', 'Four for Five', and 'Twelve for Thirteen' formats. In November 2007 Dutch Gold released an '8 for Eight' Dutch Gold package, their best value promotion to date.
Competitors
Competitors to Dutch Gold include:
- Tuborg, a cheap import beer from Denmark
- Bavaria, made by Bavaria Brewery, another Dutch import
- Pražský a relatively new Czech competitor
- Amsterdam Lager, a less popular 'six for seven' beer
- Druids Celtic Cider, a strong, inexpensive alternative
- Castlemaine XXXX, available for a euro a can in some places
- Biére d'Or, brewed for Tesco, one gets twenty 250ml bottles for €7.99. This is the equivalent of €1.79 a litre, whereas Dutch Gold equates to €2.33 a litre. However Dutch Gold holds a .2% lead in alcohol volume.
Operation Dutch Gold
In 2006, Gardaí launched a campaign against anti-social behaviour in Lucan under the name 'Operation Dutch Gold'. The distributors of the product, Comans Wholesale of Tallaght, complained that the naming of the project was unfair to them. [3]
References
- ^ InBev 2005 Annual Report List of trademarks including 'Dutch Gold' is on page 55
- ^ East European Beers increasing significance Drinks Industry News, 8 November 2006
- ^ Garda drink clampdown 'unfair' to lager company - The Irish Independent 20, June, 2006
