Sweden’s Pistonhead Kustom Lager brings a youthful and cultured beer to Southern Ontario
The interview started with the most traditional of salutations between a Brit and a Canadian – a conversation about the weather. On the other end of my Skype video call was Ben Steadman, Brand Manager for Pistonhead beer.
“I heard it was bloody cold in Canada this morning!” Steadman exclaimed. I sipped my Tim Horton’s coffee, and he, a tea from a mug with the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour artwork on it.
“Minus 15 without the wind chill. That’s Canada for ya,” I told him.
Behind Steadman was the logo for Pistonhead: a Calavera-inspired skull with a flame trailing it, a black spade logo dead centre on the skull’s forehead, and yellow gears for eyes.
The logo perfectly summarizes the image Pinstonhead is going for, and with their recent launch in Canada, it was Steadman’s aim to promote something new, exciting, and youthful.
The beer was originally launched in Sweden and has since planted deep roots in the United Kingdom. “[Pistonhead] is also available in Australia, Canada, and is about to launch in Florida in the next little while too…it’s a rock and roll brand. It’s funky, it’s cool, it’s hip, it’s all those things, and we’re looking at countries that can understand all those things quite quickly,” said Steadman
The funky and hip attributes of Pistonhead, brewed in the Brutal Brewing Company, were incepted as a counter-culture to the drab breweries the Pistonhead team had been exposed to.
“We went to this beer festival to look at all the brands and it was just loads of people in grey suits talking boring rubbish, and it was uninspiring, so we said, ‘why don’t we set up something that brings the fun back to brewing and making beer and enjoying it, and giving it some attitude?’” Steadman explained.
From there, Pistonhead created what they call a ‘Kustom Kulture’ to summarize their grab-all target-audience, which is described as, “Art, cars, bikes, boards, music, haircuts, clothes, and tattoos that define youth culture. Hot Rods, Lowriders, ape hangers, shovelheads, chicano, rock, metal and Calavera and alternative culture. Kustomized for the laid-back hot-rodder and all other good people.”
With the beer already being sold in downtown Toronto indie-styled college bars, such as Sneaky-Dee’s, the Bovine Sex Club, and the Magpie Taproom, Steadman does admit the lager’s marketing does lend itself towards the younger, under-40 crowd; however, this beer is really marketed for anyone who wants to have fun.
“I want to do loads of stuff!” exclaimed Steadman. “With all the crazy shit you guys get up to over there like extreme skiing and snowboarding…that’s going to be something I’d love to do.”
I certainly can’t help but think that Pistonhead will one day be donned on the helmets of extreme athletes and rock stars’ guitars alike, as the image portrayed by the brand’s logo, and its lively ambassador, is nothing short of exuberant, if not a wee bit eccentric. But therein lies the draw for consumers.
On Jan. 13, the company’s Twitter account announced the launch of the lager at the Beer Store in Ontario.
The kick-off for the brand stayed true to their punk-rock persona, as they toured alongside the Canadian “rock and roll 4 piece” band hailing from Ottawa and Toronto, the Balconies.
Pistonhead features a slew of different brews; including a “crude oil liqueuer” that claims hints of licorice and chili – but for now, Canadians will only be privy to the Kustom Lager.
The brand may be international, but with their aspirations to tour with local musicians, it comes off as more of a local brew, which will give those drinking it a sense of community and uniqueness with their flavour.
As the weekend fast approaches, if you have inkling to break with the conventional lager script that breaches tradition and history, this “full bodied lager with a bite” might be the different you’re looking for.