| George Killian's Irish Red | |
| Type: | Amber lager |
| Abv: | 5.2% |
| Manufacturer: | Heineken N.V. U.S.: Molson Coors (d/b/a Unibev) |
| Origin: | Ireland |
| Introduced: | 1864 |
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.[1] Despite the differences in the brewing methods, the marketing of both beers claim legacy to an Irish "original recipe".
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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] [5] Due to its popularity, Killian's is credited with popularizing the term "Irish red ale", despite the fact that it is a lager.[6]
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.
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.