Three Horses Beer

Lore & Background

THB was developed after a brewer recruited in 1957 created 17 different recipes using primarily local ingredients, testing them across the island. The chosen pilsener recipe began production in 1958 at a Star Brewery in Antsirabe. A second brewery opened in Antsiranana in 1968. The beer is produced from mostly local barley, corn, and hops, with barley grown in Betafo and Fianarantsoa and hops from Toliara. The Antsirabe factory was selected for its water, which is low in calcium and other minerals. THB Pilsener is a 5.4% abv pale lager with a light taste, medium body, thin head, and balanced, mildly bitter flavor. It is sold in 33 cl and 65 cl returnable brown bottles, as well as 33 cl and 50 cl aluminum cans, and has been available on tap since 2006. Other variants include THB Fresh (a shandy with less than 1% alcohol), THB Special (6.2% alcohol), and THB Lite (1% alcohol).

Reader's Guide

THB Pilsener remains the most popular Malagasy brand of beer and the most popular of any brand sold in Madagascar. It has been described as an 'emblem' of the country and a 'national symbol', with one Malagasy journalist noting its symbolism of Fihavanana Malagasy, a cultural value emphasizing brotherhood and friendship. The beer has won multiple international awards, including gold medals at the Monde Sélection de Bruxelles in 2004, 2012, and 2016, and a silver medal in 2015. After a ban on media advertising of alcohol under former President Marc Ravalomanana, Star Breweries promoted THB through unconventional means such as sponsoring the THB Champions League (Madagascar's national football championship), holding annual beer festivals, and sponsoring local musicians. In 2014 the label was significantly redesigned, and in 2015 a new slogan, 'THB eo foana e!' ('THB always!'), was promoted alongside the longstanding trademark 'Soa Ny Fiarahantsika' ('The Pleasure of Being Together').

Did You Know?

• THB was first brewed in 1958 after a brewer tested 17 different recipes across Madagascar.
• The original label copied a Dutch beer brand called The Holland Beer, which featured three horses.
• THB Fresh is a shandy with less than 1% alcohol, available in lemon and other temporary flavors.
• Star Breweries invested over four million euros between 2009 and 2011, increasing production capacity by 20%.

From Coca-Cola to a National Icon

In the early 1950s, the French firm Rochefortaise established a refrigerated-products company in Antananarivo, Madagascar, initially tasked with producing and distributing Coca-Cola across the island. By 1957, the leadership saw an opportunity beyond soft drinks and brought in a brewer with a bold brief: create a beer suited to Malagasy tastes. The process was far from quick. The brewer formulated seventeen distinct recipes and then traveled the length and breadth of the island, sampling each one using predominantly local raw materials. The recipe that ultimately stood out was a pilsener, and it was selected for production at a purpose-built brewery in the central highlands town of Antsirabe. The first batch of what would become Three Horses Beer rolled off the line in 1958. Over the following decades the brand expanded—opening a second plant in the northern port city of Antsiranana in 1968, navigating a period of partial state ownership in 1980, and passing through private hands before French brewer Castel acquired the company in 2011. What began as a side project for a soda distributor grew into Madagascar's most recognized alcoholic beverage.

Brewed from the Island Itself

The craft behind THB Pilsener is deeply rooted in Malagasy agriculture and geography. The original Antsirabe brewery was sited specifically because the local water is low in calcium and other minerals, a quality that lends itself well to brewing. Barley is cultivated in the nearby towns of Betafo and Fianarantsoa, while corn and hops come from the southern port of Toliara. In the surrounding Vakinankaratra region, more than 2,500 tonnes of malt and 3,500 tonnes of corn are grown each year to feed the production line. Around 1980, a collective called MALTO was formed in Antsirabe, bringing together roughly 7,000 farmers to grow barley and convert it into malt for Star Breweries. The brewing process is methodical: a mash of malt and corn in an 80-to-20 ratio is blended with water and hops, heated in a vat for about two hours, then filtered and sterilized at 100 degrees Celsius before being cooled to 10 degrees for an hour. A mushroom-based agent is then introduced to drive fermentation, which takes approximately eight hours per 130-hectoliter batch. The Antsirabe plant turns out 100 million bottles and 100,000 cans annually, and recent infrastructure investment has boosted overall output by 20 percent since 2011.

A Symbol Poured into National Identity

Few products carry the weight of cultural symbolism that THB holds in Madagascar. The pale lager is not merely the country's best-selling beer; it has been called an emblem and a national symbol in its own right. One Malagasy journalist went further, linking the brand to Fihavanana, the deeply held cultural value that prioritizes brotherhood, mutual support, and friendship among the people. Consumption figures underscore its ubiquity: an estimated four liters per person are sold annually across the island. The brand's standing extends well beyond domestic borders. Since 2005, THB has been exported to France, Réunion Island, the Comoros, and Mayotte, carrying a taste of Madagascar to diaspora communities and curious importers. On the international stage, the beer has collected a steady string of accolades. A gold medal at the 1980 International Beverage Competitions in Vienna marked its first global recognition. The Monde Sélection de Bruxelles in Belgium has since become a recurring venue for THB's success, with gold medals in 2004, 2012, and 2016, and silver medals in 2010 and 2015, while the lower-alcohol THB Fresh also took gold in 2012.

Marketing Without the Megaphone

When former President Marc Ravalomanana banned alcohol advertising in the media, Star Breweries faced a serious challenge: how to keep THB top of mind without traditional commercials. The company's answer was to embed the brand into the fabric of Malagasy social life. It became a sponsor of the THB Champions League, the national football championship, and it hosts annual beer festivals that draw large crowds. Music has been another central pillar. Star Breweries regularly sponsors local musicians through major festivals and touring seasons, and it has hired performers to appear in custom music videos crafted specifically to promote the beer. In 2014 the THB label underwent a significant visual redesign, and the following year a fresh slogan, "THB eo foana e!"—translating to "THB always!"—was rolled out alongside the brand's longstanding trademark phrase, "Soa Ny Fiarahantsika," meaning "The Pleasure of Being Together." Malagasy musical stars and other public figures continue to lend their names and faces to the brand, ensuring that THB remains woven into the everyday celebrations and gatherings of the island's people.

Gallery