What ever happened to Holsten Pils? I ask this because it’s a long, long time since I drank a 
bottle and for the life of me I can’t remember when I last saw it for sale in a pub. It may still be there though – maybe I’m just not observant enough. I remember it from the late 1980s as being one of the first bottled beers that was widely drunk. It was still of course better value to buy a pint of something else but I knew a few people who preferred a bottle of Holsten. If I remember correctly they also sponsored the Hotspurs of Tottenham and now I come to think of it those of my friends who drank it were Spurs fans.
Whatever, they made some good adverts in their time, and at a period when the U.K. brewing industry was arguably entering a golden age of beer commercials. Let’s check out some of the best.
This was a sort of tie-in with The Fast Show with all the characters at the bar part of the team that wrote and starred in the TV show. The sketch on the show came first and it was then adapted into the Holsten ad. Very funny, possibly made funnier by the slightly dodgy American accent.
Comedian Gryff Rhys-Jones also featured in a series of ads for Holsten, who made a habit of combining classic films with their commercials. The first one especially has some classic puerile innuendo which wouldn’t look out of place in a Carry On film.
Excellent stuff and this last one continues the combination of classic films and Gryff Rhys-Jones seamlessly cut in to the action. Anyone for a pint of Tex’s?