Stella Artois Chalice Glass

Few lagers have managed to become both a global brand and a genuinely historic Belgian brewery at the same time. Stella Artois somehow pulled off both.

The beer traces its roots back to Leuven, where brewing history stretches back centuries. The Stella name itself first appeared as a Christmas beer in the 1920s before eventually becoming the brewery’s flagship lager.

The style remains firmly in the European pale lager tradition. Crisp malt, gentle hop bitterness and clean fermentation all sit at the centre. It is designed for refreshment and balance rather than complexity, which explains a large part of its enduring popularity.

Over the years Stella Artois became associated with everything from Belgian café culture to large-scale international advertising campaigns. The image occasionally changed. The beer itself remained fairly consistent.

There are certainly more complicated lagers available. Stella has never really depended on complication. It survives because a well-made, clean lager remains one of the most useful things in the drinks world.