Killian's
{{Short description|Brand of beer}}
{{Infobox beverage
| name = George Killian's Irish Red
| image = George_Killian's_Irish_Red_logo.png
| type = Amber lager
| abv = 5.2%
| proof =
| manufacturer = Heineken N.V.
U.S.: Molson Coors (d/b/a Unibev)
| distributor =
| origin = Ireland
| introduced = 1864
| discontinued =
| colour =
| flavour =
| variants =
| related =
| website = {{URL|georgekillians.com}}
}}
George Killian's Irish Red is a red beer, produced and sold in France by Heineken France, and under license in the United States by Molson Coors under the trade name Unibev.{{Cite web|title=Our Brands - Brands {{!}} Molson Coors|url=https://www.molsoncoors.com/brands/our-brands|website=www.molsoncoors.com|access-date=2020-05-21}} Despite the differences in the brewing methods, the marketing of both beers claim legacy to an Irish "original recipe".
History
George Killian's Irish Red is a beer with an Irish heritage, allegedly based on a recipe created at Lett's Brewery in Enniscorthy, Ireland, in 1864. The beer is named after George Killian Lett, the great-grandson of George Henry Lett, who founded the brewery in Enniscorthy. George Killian Lett died at the age of 84 in Enniscorthy, Ireland in December 2010.[http://www.enniscorthyecho.ie/news/story/?trs=cwidgbqlkf&cat=news]{{dead link|date=June 2015}} It was originally an Irish red ale called "Enniscorthy Ruby Ale," and was brewed from 1864 until the brewery closed in 1956. It is no longer sold in Ireland.[http://www.enniscorthyecho.ie/news/story/?trs=cwidgbqlkf&cat=news]{{dead link|date=June 2015}}
The brand name "George Killian's" was purchased from Lett's by the Pelforth Brewery (Heineken France) in France. In the mid-1980s, Coors acquired the rights to use the brand name "George Killian's Irish Red" in the United States. While the name is most often associated with its present American incarnation as a 5.2% alcohol by volume amber lager, the beer was originally marketed by Coors (d/b/a Unibev Ltd.) as a 4.9% ABV red ale.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZjSKh24ZN9kC&q=George+Killian%27s+Irish+Red&pg=PA162 |title=Homebrewing for Dummies - Google Books |access-date=2009-07-17 |isbn=9781118052440 |last1=Nachel |first1=Marty |date=15 December 2010 }}{{cite web |url=http://ratebeer.com/beer/george-killians-irish-red/2331/ |title=George Killians Irish Red from Coors Brewing Company (MillerCoors) - Ratebeer |publisher=ratebeer.com |access-date=2009-07-17 }} Due to its popularity, Killian's is credited with popularizing the term "Irish red ale", despite the fact that it is a lager.{{cite web|url=https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/ErBHSHyDMW/|title=Irish red ale|work=beerandbrewing.com|access-date=1 October 2021}}
George Killian's is currently available in bottles, cans, and kegs. A 12-ounce (355 ml) serving of George Killian's has 162 calories (677 kJ) and 5.2% ABV.
= Awards =
- 1997 – Great American Beer Festival silver medalist, American-Style Amber Lager
- 1998 – Brewer's Association Beer Cup gold medalist, American-Style Amber Lager
- 1998 – Great American Beer Festival silver medalist, American-Style Amber Lager
George Killian's Bière Rousse
Heineken France's brand is a 6.5% ABV Irish red ale marketed under the name "George Killian's Bière Rousse: Bière Spéciale de Tradition Irlandaise." It is currently brewed in the Heineken breweries of Schiltigheim and Marseille.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Heineken International}}
{{Molson Coors Brewing Company}}