‘All Hail the Cara God’ — How Cara Pils Became Belgian Beer’s Surprise Cult Favorite — Good Beer Hunting

Such a brand hijack is evidenced by the popularity of Cara memes. One of the most popular features a young man trying to open a can at the 2010 Pukkelpop music festival in the Belgian village of Kiewit. In a YouTube video which has racked up more than half a million hits, the man is seen smashing the can with a rubber mallet amidst hundreds of festival tents. Beer sprays everywhere, and a woman’s voice from off-camera is heard shouting “wat een verspilling van bier” (“What a waste of beer”). The man’s response is instant. “’t Is Cara, trut”—“It’s Cara, bitch”— he shouts back dismissively. A dance remix video based on the verbal exchange—“’t Is Cara trut! (Jump Up remix)”—has been watched more than 250,000 times on YouTube. 

Charleroi-born comedian Tamara Payne, playing her famous character Stacy Star, filmed a parody commercial for Cara Pils nasal spray. The skit also featured Cara Pils toothpaste and Cara Pils hairspray. The video has received more than 420,000 views. And the Flemish creator Average Rob, who has almost 500,000 followers on TikTok, produced a short comedy video in 2020 in which he staged a conversation with himself to explain Cara Pils to his international audience. “It’s the most popular beer in Belgium,” one character says to the other. “It’s very special. The first one you drink, it tastes like piss of a horse. But then the one after, you’re already used to it, so it’s OK.”

But it’s perhaps the online groups which show just how ardently the Cara brand has been commandeered by the people of Belgium. In the Facebook group Daily Photos of Wild Carapils in Its Natural Habitat, you’ll find photo after photo of empty cans of Cara Pils scattered across fields, bus stops, and city squares. In the group The Church of Saint Cara Pils, you’ll discover images of babies being christened with Cara Pils, the beer poured over their heads from the can instead of holy water. There are online groups with Photoshopped memes of George Clooney, Taylor Swift, and Donald Trump with Cara Pils. On Reddit, there’s a discussion about whether a can in a screenshot of the animated sitcom “Rick and Morty” is a can of Cara Pils or an elaborate fan art manipulation.