Anheuser-Busch introduces a Budweiser ale
By Jeremiah McWilliams
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
03/20/2008
Anheuser-Busch Cos. built its business on rivers of lager beer. But come October, the St. Louis-based brewer will have a little something extra for folks who like “heavier” brews.
“Budweiser American Ale” is meant to attract what A-B’s marketing department calls “experimenters” — drinkers who bounce around among various beers such as Yuengling, Fat Tire, Hoegaarden and Budweiser.
“They love beer, they just try a lot of different things,” said Dave Peacock, vice president of marketing at A-B’s domestic beer subsidiary. Although Peacock acknowledged that some craft beer enthusiasts won’t try a Bud-branded ale, the company expects that a sizeable portion of the market will have no problem with the concept.
The new ale’s task is to bring its own sales while also drawing drinkers to regular Budweiser, which is on a two-decade slide.
A-B is slamming millions of extra dollars into Budweiser’s marketing budget to promote it as the Great American Lager.
Peacock said the new ale, priced somewhat higher than regular Budweiser, is expected to enhance rather than diminish Budweiser’s image.
Introducing a Bud-branded ale now “makes sense,” said Peacock. “It builds on the credentials of Budweiser as a genuine American beer.”
Ales have traditionally been a stronghold of the fast-growing craft beer industry. Dollar sales of craft beer — generally from small beermakers — jumped 16 percent last year, according to the Brewers Association, a trade group based in Boulder, Co.
Meanwhile, sales of pale ales in the craft beer category jumped 6.8 percent to $92 million, according to Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. Amber ales rose 13 percent to $61 million, with India Pale Ale chipping in $36 million in sales.
Anheuser-Busch doesn’t have much of a presence in ales, although it does sell several imported ales — including Grolsch Amber Ale and Leffe Blonde — and its own Shock Top Belgian White.
For years, Anheuser-Busch was loath to spread the Budweiser nameplate over numerous beers for fear of diluting the brand, said Eric Shepard, executive editor of trade publication Beer Marketer’s Insights. That reluctance has diminished.
The push for Budweiser American Ale is expected to be lower-key than, say, the rollout of the new Bud Light Lime. One question, Shepard said, is how nimble A-B will be in selling the new beer without the benefit of a massive advertising campaign.
He asked: “Can they sell these brands without the marketing muscle?”
jmcwilliams@post-dispatch.com
314-340-8372
7 Responses to “Anheuser-Busch introduces a Budweiser ale”
March 26th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Is this worth the effort?
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 am
yes it’s worth the effort. . . there are plenty of Bud drinkers out there who will try it… and plenty of psuedo beer wonks who will have a new favorite beer…especially if it isn’t well received at first, some love to love what others hate
September 15th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I can hardly wait for it but I know that I’ll be the last to get it. It wasn’t till the middle of summer when I was able to try Shock Top and I also found Wild Blue. These are not the typical beers that I consume everyday but I will at least try them and compare with others. From the looks of Bud Ale I think they are trying to compete with Bass Ale and I only hope that its just as good.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Yeah i think this new beer is cool i want to try it!!!!!!!!!! Im more of the craft brew buyer, i prefer ipa. But i dont think regular budweiser is gross, so this should be cool. i hope!
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I bought my first 6pack of BAA last night. I don’t care about any of the talk among so called beer enthusiasts and beers experts, and whether or not AB sold out or is owned by Germans…blah, blah, blah. What I can tell you is that this is a very good tasting beer. I enjoyed it and will buy more.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Scott,
Thanks for sharing your recent feedback. Ian and I tried the Bud Amber in September. We were surprised with the flavor. The aroma was hoppy and the taste was moderately malty. Overall it was the middle of the road.
I challange you to try it blind with 3-4 other craft beers in the flight. Let us know what you think. Were you able to pick out the Bud Amber?
Let us know.
Sean
2Beerguys.com
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