How Coors single-handedly revived the white beer category

[thisisbeer]

Thought some of you would be interested in this article. Here are one of my favorite quotes.

Blue Moon is even taking credit for helping popularize the craft beer movement. “We should be proud to make beers that grow and are popular—that’s the American way,” says MillerCoors Chief Executive Officer Tom Long. “Being small and unpopular, what’s the utility in that?”



The article is here

 

[Xpertskir]

It's a little overzealous and clearly a marketing effort but...

Blue moon has certainly opened peoples minds up to the fact that there is beer out there besides watered down American pilsner.

Belgian Wits arent really my thing and blue moon is IMO a particularly bland version, but you do have to give some credit to Coors for changing some opinions and ideas about beer.

 

[thisisbeer]

Blue moon is still bland. If it is brewed with a Belgian yeast, its not one I have ever tasted. I don't think it has done a lot as far as opening peoples minds. I have some friends that are craft beer drinkers because they drink Shock Top and Blue Moon. These same people can't stand the taste of any other craft beer I have got them to try. Not that there is anything wrong with that, everybody has there own taste. It may have let people know that there is other beer out there but they still expect it to be pretty bland.

 

[Channel66]

It's a little overzealous and clearly a marketing effort but...

Blue moon has certainly opened peoples minds up to the fact that there is beer out there besides watered down American pilsner.

Belgian Wits arent really my thing and blue moon is IMO a particularly bland version, but you do have to give some credit to Coors for changing some opinions and ideas about beer.

+1

I get more often than anything "oh you brew, can you make something like blue moon?" I love this question, because unlike "can you brew something like coors?" My reply is always "sure try this" my wit. And they usually love it because while it's the same basic flavor profile, there is a lot more of it. I usually also turn these people on to different actual craft beers that they will like.

Blue moon is a stepping stone into the world of delicious beer. It is indeed part of the solution, not the problem.

 

[thisisbeer]

I can see what you mean there. Just what I have seen from some of my friends it hasn't worked as a stepping stone. They expect all beer to be bland.

But if it does work as that I can see your point

 

[Teromous]

“They pretty much single-handedly revived the white beer category … in the U.S.”

I know it's not a comprehensive article or anything, but not even an honorable mention of the late Pierre Celis? For shame

 

[thisisbeer]

Agreed

 

[Wayne1]

“They pretty much single-handedly revived the white beer category … in the U.S.”

I know it's not a comprehensive article or anything, but not even an honorable mention of the late Pierre Celis? For shame

Pierre Celis revived wit beer in Belgium. He had financial difficulties and sold a majority share to what became InBev.

He was so disgusted with what they did to Hoegaarden that he left Belgium and relocated to Austin to start Celis Brewery. Again he ran into financial difficulties and sold the majority share to Miller. They really couldn't do anything with the brand and sold it to Michigan Brewing. Michigan Brewing went under about a year ago. MillerCoors bought the recipe and the brewery and are working with Pierre's heirs to bring the brand back.

Blue Moon Belgian White is going to sell roughly 2 million bbls this year. One beer style. That is 15% of the total of ALL craft beer sales across every brand. You may not care for the Blue Moon interpretation of a White beer, but they sell more beer than Pierre ever did. They are introducing more people to the concept that there is more to beer than a light lager.

I was fortunate enough to brew the first batch of what became Blue Moon Belgian White at SandLot Brewery at Coors Field 18 yrs ago. I am a bit biased, but I very proud about Blue Moon Belgian White's success over the intervening years. I have re-interpreted it over the years and I will again in my next brewery.

Enjoy the beer for what it is.

 

[tgmartin000]

“They pretty much single-handedly revived the white beer category … in the U.S.”

I know it's not a comprehensive article or anything, but not even an honorable mention of the late Pierre Celis? For shame

My response exactly. Hoegaarten (forgive the spelling), anyone?

 

[tgmartin000]

Pierre Celis revived wit beer in Belgium. He had financial difficulties and sold a majority share to what became InBev.

He was so disgusted with what they did to Hoegaarden that he left Belgium and relocated to Austin to start Celis Brewery. Again he ran into financial difficulties and sold the majority share to Miller. They really couldn't do anything with the brand and sold it to Milwaukee Brewing. Milwaukee Brewing went under about a year ago. MillerCoors bought the recipe and the brewery and are working with Pierre's heirs to bring the brand back.

Blue Moon Belgian White is going to sell roughly 2 million bbls this year. One beer style. That is 15% of the total of ALL craft beer sales across every brand. You may not care for the Blue Moon interpretation of a White beer, but they sell more beer than Pierre ever did. They are introducing more people to the concept that there is more to beer than a light lager.

I was fortunate enough to brew the first batch of what became Blue Moon Belgian White at SandLot Brewery at Coors Field 18 yrs ago. I am a bit biased, but I very proud about Blue Moon Belgian White's success over the intervening years. I have re-interpreted it over the years and I will again in my next brewery.

Enjoy the beer for what it is.

If I was you, I'd be proud too! I hear the sandlot will be expanding to more regular hours, I'd like to try more of their stuff.

 

[JeepDiver]

My response exactly. Hoegaarten (forgive the spelling), anyone?

Hoegarten sales very little compared to blue moon. And I'd bet a lot of those sales probably came from bm drinkers

 

[the_trout]

That's an A+ post for Wayne1. Really interesting, thanks for sharing!

Blue Moon isnt my thing but its a gateway beer for a lot of people in the same vein as Boston Lager. I think its fair to say its a significant factor in the craft beer movement.

 

[TNTgill]

I actually agree with most of the article. I did get turned onto more flavorful beer by blue moon. I still will drink one now. Are there better examples of the style? Yes but is it good and does/did it turn a lot of people to craft beer? Yes. I don't understand all the hate toward the big corporations.

 

[Beernik]

My opinion: the Brewers Association wants to make a craft beer appellation. It's similar to CAMRA but instead of consumer driven, it's small brewery driven.

 

[sfrisby]

For what it's worth, Blue Moon was the first craft beer I drank in a regular basis and for me, everything grew from there.

 

[Wayne1]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

I think what a lot of people tend to forget is the beer is actually designed and brewed by PEOPLE.

Yeah, most of the corporate brewers I have met don't precisely agree with how the beer is marketed, but that is really what sells the beer and pays their salary.

I do not think anyone would have too much problem with the beer if it was made by Stone, Bells or New Glarus. Dr. Villa did get his doctorate in Belgium. He does know quite a bit more about the intricacies of brewing than most folks.

What is currently known as Blue Moon Brewery at SandLot is again open on non-game days. If you are in Lo-Do, stop by and try some of the beers. I haven't been involved in anything for at least 15 years, but my hires are making amazing lagers. Think on this. In the last 18 years, SandLot has managed to be awarded over 40 GABF medals. I do not think there is another brewery in the country that can match their medal count. You may not like the styles they brew but please accept they know what they are doing.

Blatant plug: I am opening another brewery in Denver. Station 26 Brewing Co. hopefully will be open by GABF. There might be a variation of Blue Moon on tap at some point.

 

[JeepDiver]

Blatant plug: I am opening another brewery in Denver. Station 26 Brewing Co. hopefully will be open by GABF. There might be a variation of Blue Moon on tap at some point.

Whats the address? I'll be keeping an eye out

 

[joshualoomis]

They really couldn't do anything with the brand and sold it to Milwaukee Brewing. Milwaukee Brewing went under about a year ago.

You mean Michigan Brewing, right?

Milwaukee Brewing Company is alive and flourishing, and has one freaking-amazing brewery tour.

Congrats on the new brewpub.

 

[orangehero]

Without Celis there wouldn't be witbier, much less Blue Moon...where do you think Villa got his inspiration from? Although Blue Moon may well be very successful, there is no doubt Hoegaarden is the original and very successful in its own right. What Interbrew did to Celis's original Hoegaarden, Blue Moon did to Hoegaarden (making it even more neutral and inoffensive).

 

[Wayne1]

You mean Michigan Brewing, right?

Milwaukee Brewing Company is alive and flourishing, and has one freaking-amazing brewery tour.

Congrats on the new brewpub.

Sorry, You are correct. I will try to edit my previous post to reflect that.

The new project is a brewery with a tasting room. No kitchen. It will be located at 7045 E. 38th St. That is near the old Stapleton Airport. We will be re-purposing an older Denver Fire Station. Fermenters have arrived and the serving tanks will be delivered on Wednesday. I'm flying into Detroit next week to do a water brew on our brewhouse before is ships to CO.

What Interbrew did to Hoegaarden they did to cut costs. They did not care about the history or flavor of the beer. Just how much money can we make on this.

Keith considered how to make the style more palatable to most of the American beer drinkers. I, personally, do not care for the character that most Belgian yeasts give off. By keeping the grain bill and hopping the same as a traditional Wit but using a more neutral yeast strain, I feel Keith created a new category: American White Beer.

I'm going to say he was correct in his decision. While Alagash White may be closer to what was made in Belgium when Pierre was a young boy, Blue Moon is now what the majority of beer drinkers consider a Wit. Beer styles continue to change and evolve. The IPA of today is nowhere close to what was being called an IPA in the 1970's and 80's.

 

[tgmartin000]

Sorry, You are correct. I will try to edit my previous post to reflect that.

The new project is a brewery with a tasting room. No kitchen. It will be located at 7045 E. 38th St. That is near the old Stapleton Airport. We will be re-purposing an older Denver Fire Station. Fermenters have arrived and the serving tanks will be delivered on Wednesday. I'm flying into Detroit next week to do a water brew on our brewhouse before is ships to CO.

What Interbrew did to Hoegaarden they did to cut costs. They did not care about the history or flavor of the beer. Just how much money can we make on this.

Keith considered how to make the style more palatable to most of the American beer drinkers. I, personally, do not care for the character that most Belgian yeasts give off. By keeping the grain bill and hopping the same as a traditional Wit but using a more neutral yeast strain, I feel Keith created a new category: American White Beer.

I'm going to say he was correct in his decision. While Alagash White may be closer to what was made in Belgium when Pierre was a young boy, Blue Moon is now what the majority of beer drinkers consider a Wit. Beer styles continue to change and evolve. The IPA of today is nowhere close to what was being called an IPA in the 1970's and 80's.

That's excellent, I live right by Stapleton and have been waiting for a while for someone to open a brewery there. Seems like a great market for a brewery - young urban professionals with ca$h.

 

[daksin]

My opinion: the Brewers Association wants to make a craft beer appellation. It's similar to CAMRA but instead of consumer driven, it's small brewery driven.

I don't see any evidence of this, but this is the same Brewers Association that keeps calling Sam Adams "Craft Beer" because it makes their market share look significantly bigger. Sierra Nevada is on track to break the Million Barrel mark this year and is opening another LARGER brewery which will more than double their capacity. What's the cutoff, and when does the distinction "craft" become meaningless?

 

[Homercidal]

Without the Belgian yeast character, Blue Moon is not really what they describe on the bottle as a "Belgian" beer. And they did well to create a beer (Based on the wonderful Belgian Wit that Celis recreated from his youth) that would appeal to the American public. Face it, Belgian Witbier has a funkiness that would be off-putting to a lot of people.

The bottom line is that distribution and recipe alone could not do what Blue Moon did. It was the combination that really got it going.

Celis White was a great beer, and if MBC could have stayed in business and had the distribution of MillerCoors, it may be been able to compete with Blue Moon. There are still a few ood Belgian White beers out there, but they are not readily available everywhere. Blue Moon is.

 

[thisisbeer]

Sorry I missed all this talk. My original post wasn't knocking millercoors or blue moon. It was knocking the article. I was put off by multiple things in the article. Such as them taking a slight shot at the really small guys in the quote "what's the point in being small and unpopular". Some of the best beers are from breweries that are small and unpopular. Thats part of the craft culture. They seem to forget that while it is a business, beer is also an art and a passion. Business will make you brew a beer that appeals to the masses while the smaller guys make things that are infused with there passion and creativity.

Also calling blue moon a terrific representation of the style I believe to be false. Without using belgian yeast your missing key elements to the style. Thats another thing I disagree with in the article.

Now that im done ranting I would like to say I do enjoy blue moon on rare occasion. Mostly at restaurant's that dont carry many beers on tap. Like I said im not knocking the beer just the article. (Coors is absolutely terrible though) I even use waynes original recipe posted here on HBT to make it for a few friends of mine. Just my thoughts I guess.

 

[ghack]

You know, you could actually say the Coors is in large part responsible for ALL craft brewing. I mean, I'm sure their pathetic excuse for beer inspired a lot of craft brewers.

 

[Dan_K]

Blatant plug: I am opening another brewery in Denver. Station 26 Brewing Co. hopefully will be open by GABF. There might be a variation of Blue Moon on tap at some point.

Okay I know this is from 2013 but I have been to Station 26 and it's great! I think Juicy Banger is my favorite that you make, but I also really like the single-hop citra, mosaic, and some of the other beers I've tried. The tangerine cream ale is great as well. The cans are all over Colorado now.

 

[Wayne1]

Okay I know this is from 2013 but I have been to Station 26 and it's great! I think Juicy Banger is my favorite that you make, but I also really like the single-hop citra, mosaic, and some of the other beers I've tried. The tangerine cream ale is great as well. The cans are all over Colorado now.

Thank you for the comments.

In the spirit of this thread, I have actually made some white beers at S26BC. They have sold well, but not as well as IPAs do. We have 4 different IPAs on right now.

Come spring and summer we will have have white beers on again. For anyone coming through Denver, please stop by and try some of the beer at the taphouse.