Budweiser American Ale?

[BranCookie]

What are everyones thoughts on Budweiser American Ale?

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/bu...83D7D33AC2D20BFC862574130006DB00?OpenDocument

 

[bigjohnmilford]

I hadn't given it any thought at all.

 

[cubbies]

I'd give it a try.

 

[blacklab]

May as well give it a shot and see what's up.

EDIT - At this rate you'll have four posts this year. Jump in the pool!

 

[RICLARK]

Honestly I didn't know They had an american ale. I can just see the new commercials now.

 

[Beerrific]

I couldn't read the article, the teeth in that ad were freaking me out. But, I would try it.

 

[jdoiv]

Seems a little hypocritical to me. They run an ad campaign that says the "American Lager" is the best beer in the world and that ales are inferior, then they make an ale and charge more for it. WTF? Guess they figure the American public is too dumb to notice.

 

[Klainmeister]

You don't by chance work for Bud do ya?

 

[IrregularPulse]

I'll at least give it a shot. Maybe pick up a TallBoy! haha

 

[Brett0424]

I couldn't read the article, the teeth in that ad were freaking me out. But, I would try it.

Ha, I had to cover them up to get through it. I'll try it.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Since it's probably going to be Bud fermented with an Ale yeast, I think I'll pass.

 

[foulplayer]

Yeah I cant wait for it to come out, it is going to be the best beer on the market!
:rockin: :rockin: :rockin: :rockin:

 

[BranCookie]

You don't by chance work for Bud do ya?

No, just wanted to know what everyone thought about Anheuser-Busch trying to tap into the craft brew market and wondering if anyone around here whould try the stuff.

 

[MrFebtober]

Seems silly to me. If they're trying to seek out the drinkings who "just try a lot of different [beers]," then why would they be interested in trying something as bland-sounding as "Budweiser Ale."

They seemed to be more on the right track with those two organic beers they brought to market a while back. I didn't particularly care for the one I tried, but I did try one, and that shows they had their market targeting skills well honed.

This "Bud ale" however, doesn't interest me at all. Sounds like it's not even trying to target the average craft beer drinker.

 

[foulplayer]

I cant wait to get some so I try to clone it. Im looking forward to winter so I freeze it into ice blocks so I can skate on it, then in the spring I will melt it to drink it!

 

[EinGutesBier]

I'll try it once so I can bad mouth it fairly if it deserves it. If those bastages skimp on the hops, though, I'll feel cheated. There's no way they can have the hop contracts they have and skimp on both their lager and their ale.

 

[Homercidal]

All I can say is who cares. There are plenty of good ales out there already. I'll likely try it, simply because I can leave no stone unturned.

 

[Air Pirate]

id try it, just to see.

there have been plenty of beer that people rave over that i dont like and others that arent popular that i do like.

 

[AFAJ Brew Guy]

Since it's probably going to be Bud fermented with an Ale yeast, I think I'll pass.

This is exactly what I hope they don't do. I hope that put a little thought into and try to shake things up a bit. I will probably try it just to see. Who knows....

 

[SteveM]

I've always been willing to try just about any beer, so I will probably try it - especially if I am at some bar that has it as a Happy Hour special. But candidly I would not expect it to be much competition for a real well made American Ale. I base this on my deconstruction of their atricle:

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.

If there is someone on this earth who bounces from Fat Tire to Bud with all those other stops, I would be shocked.

"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.

Maybe, but with low expectations. They are going into it because they see a market. Others have gone into it because they love great beer. Which is more likely to make a great beer?

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.

That market thing again. And here it is again:

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, Colo.

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.

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.

Translation: They are desperate. People have wised up now that there is really great alternatives, and their old technique from the forties and fifties of buying local breweries and closing them to force consumers to their product won't work when their new competitors spring up like mushrooms.

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.

Bud Light Lime - no wonder they needed a massive ad campaign.

Really, what are the odds that this stuff will be any good? The press release a year from now will start with "AB announced today that they will quietly discontinue the production of their American Ale. Disappointing sales were cited as the main reason. 'The product just didn't find its market,' an unnamed AB official said."

 

[BierMuncher]

I knew it.

Ever since I let the Director of Brand Marketing for Bud have some of my HB's last year at a family (extended family) event...I knew it was just a matter of time...

Can you say "Budweiser Centennial Blonde"?

 

[jdoiv]

Better start having a NDA for people to sign when they come over to your house BM. Their gonna steal all your ideas....

Or, you could send them an invoice for your "consulting" work.

 

[EinGutesBier]

After some though, Bud's going to shoot themselves in the foot on this one. If they're looking to target the "experimenters" and the people who are open to a transition, but don't know what a good gateway beer is, they're in trouble. All they're going to do is get people interested in transitioning from Bud lager to Bud ale and, most likely, microbrews. Hm, seems like Bud's actually going to do the craft brew industry a favor. Nice.

 

[BierMuncher]

I wonder what specific "category" this beer will be.

Kolsch seems logical.
Cream Ale...they have the ingredients.
Light Hybrid Blonde?

They certainly wouldn't have the "what nots" to try and brew an American Pale Ale would they?

 

[Chriso]

They certainly wouldn't have the "what nots" to try and brew an American Pale Ale would they?

Nah. They'd have to show two pictures of hops to the fermenter. And paying employees to show the beer a picture of hops is just too damn expensive!

if there is someone on this earth who bounces from Fat Tire to Bud with all those other stops, I would be shocked.

Voila, here I am. Well, except I hate Hoegaarden. But I still bought a 6pk of it. So... yes. Apparently I am their target audience. Too bad I stick to Miller products when I buy cheap. Or PBR.

 

[bhethcote]

I found some American Ale in a grocery store near my house yesterday. I'm not a really a fan of Bud products, but I figured I'd give it a try and be open-minded about it. The best way I cab describe it is weak. That applies to everything about it. I tasted like Bud with a little ale spilled in it.

On the plus side, it was processed pretty effeciently into urine and disposed of properly and I hope the next beer that lives in those bottles will be much more enjoyable.

 

[Brewno]

Opinions vary

Budweiser American Ale - Anheuser-Busch, Inc. - BeerAdvocate

 

[Seawolf]

Since it's probably going to be Bud fermented with an Ale yeast, I think I'll pass.

I was given a free sample at a bar, and it was very light in flavor for a "craft" brew. Kind of malty, the American hops are present but not really pronounced, and overall pretty boring. As far as macro craft beer is concerned, the best on the market is still Sam Adams. This beer was designed to appeal to the BMC drinkers who are curious about craft beer, but are still faithful to a brand. AB has a lot of work to do.

 

[ChrisS68]

I tried some of this at the Brew Ha Ha in Davenport. When you see the color, you're really expecting a bit more character. To be honest though, after a good round of Pale Ales and Coffee Stouts, my tastebuds were probably in a different gear. I might have to give it another try. They also had a bunch of Michelob varieties I had never seen before. Most of those were a bit closer to what I'd expect, though their IPA seemed pretty light on the hops.

I do find the hoopla over the new Bud Ale to be kind of interesting. This summer, Budweiser released an Ale called "Beach Bum Blonde" with no fanfare whatsoever, and I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. My wife stumbled upon it and picked some up. It wasn't too bad - I think I subsequently picked up another six pack. Wasn't so bland that you couldn't tell it was an ale. I figure one would expect a blonde ale to be light and easy drinking. As I said, the darker color of the new Bud Ale would lead one to expect a bit more character.

Chris

 

[Pete08]

I wonder if American Ale will be followed by American Ale light, AA Dry, AA Ice, etc?