The first beer in O-I’s black glass container has been launched on the Dutch market.
The ‘Ouwe Hut’ craft beer is a Leerdam project to mark the occasion of Leerdam's 250 years as a glassmaking town.
O-I provided the unique black bottle. Bier Atelier Vijfheerenlanden brewed the beer according to a centuries-old recipe, and Libbey tableware manufacturer made the glass that emphasises the characteristics of the craft beer.
"We wanted to celebrate the 250 years of existence of Leerdam with a product that was a first for the Dutch market. The black glass shows our capabilities in the field of glass containers: it conveys a distinctive brand identity as well as being sustainable. This innovation from O-I also offers protection against light and UV rays", stated Gerard Pille, Sales and Distribution Director Benelux at O-I.
Leerdam-based Bier Atelier Vijfheerenlanden brewed the beer to an 18th century recipe. The beer was drunk in those days because drinking the water supply made them ill.
“We called the beer ‘Ouwe Hut’", said Goof van Ameijde, brewmaster at Bier Atelier. "It refers to the former name of the glass plant, the Glashütte or glass hut."
Antoine Jordans, Vice President and General Manager EMEA at Libbey, said: "For the Ouwe Hut beer, we opted for a champagne flute which contributes to the festive character of the anniversary, but above all, retains the foaming character of the beer".
Ouwe Hut is limited in its availability and is the first Dutch beer that is sold in O-I’s black 33cl bottles.
O-I's Leerdam glass plant is located in the heart of the European brewing industry and produces more than 1.3 billion beer bottles each year. They are mostly used in the Benelux countries as well as the international market.
The plant is one of the most modern glassmaking plants in Europe, thanks to a €21 million investment in 2013. An investment of €1.7 million in 2014 for the production of black glass emphasised that once again.
Consumers perceive a bottle made of black glass as distinctive, mysterious and premium.
“A better, conscious lifestyle and a pattern of consumption that puts quality ahead of quantity, are the driving forces behind the prevailing ‘premiumisation’ trend. Black glass offers a premium solution for the unrelenting demand for distinctive packaging", added Robert Brouwer, Speciality Business Leader at O-I Europe.
