Windhoek's new campaign aims to make beer drinkers think

Windhoek beer has recently launched a national campaign, in which it takes a stand against additives, flavourants and colourants – all for the love of pure beer.

Rolling out its consumer awareness campaign across radio, print, digital and social media, Windhoek is highlighting the facts about what other ingredients are added to some global beers.The award-winning beer has become synonymous with the Reinheitsgebot beer purity tradition since it was first brewed in Namibia in 1920, and to this day still only contains three ingredients – malted barley, hops from Europe and pure water from sustainable African water sources.In its campaign, Windhoek beer is asking consumers to think about whether they really approve of some of the additives that are commonly used in modern brewing practices.Some of the ingredients that are called out include:

• Various colourants and flavourants;
• Isinglass, an extract from a fish’s swim bladder that is commonly used as a beer clarifier;
• Corn starch, a glucose that is commonly used as an accelerant in the brewing process;
• Propylene glycol, an organic compound that is commonly added to beer as an anti-freezing agent;
• Sulphites, which are often added to beer as a preservative; and
• Rice, which is often added to beer as an alternative to more expensive malted barley.

“People don’t always know what’s being put into their beer. In South Africa, it is not stipulated by law to include ingredients on beer labels and that lack of knowledge robs the consumer’s freedom of choice and control over what they put into their bodies. As a brewery that is passionate about the art of brewing pure, additive-free beer, we have taken a stand. It is time for people to take notice of what’s really in their beer, so that they can make informed choices,” says Anton Twigg, global marketing manager of Windhoek beer.

Brewed over 21 days, under the expert eye of master brewer Christian Mueller, Windhoek adheres to the ancient Reinheitsgebot law. Literally meaning 'purity of beer', the Reinheitsgebot was implemented as a law in 1516 when the Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria announced that only three ingredients were to be used for the brewing of beer: barley, hops and water. Malted barley (Malz) gives the beer colour, taste and provides nutrients to the yeast during fermentation. Hops (Hopfen) gives the beer its distinctive, fresh and bitter flavour, and the pure water brings it all together.

Nearly 500 years later, Windhoek still chooses to uphold the Reinheitsgebot tradition of authenticity and purity.“In a world where more is less and where additives are found in many popular beers, the Reinheitsgebot is more than just a set of rules. It's a testament to a time when beer's purity was sacred and preservatives were unknown. It’s a philosophy that continues to ensure every bottle of Windhoek beer is 100% pure,” says Twigg.Beer lovers can look out for the campaign in the media, and here.For more information, visit www.windhoekbeer.co.za. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.