E-Malt.com News article: USA: Anheuser-Busch launches Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale

Anheuser-Busch announced on September 29 that it gets crafty with the launch of Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale at the Great American Beer Festival. The first in a series of four seasonal draughts the brewer plans to introduce, Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale is carefully crafted by Anheuser-Busch brewmasters, many of whose love and passion for beer originated with homebrewing.

Michelob Pumpkin Spice Ale can also be found for the first time in the Michelob Specialty Sampler Collection along with the malty, full-bodied Michelob Marzen and generously dry-hopped Michelob Pale Ale in addition to three of Michelob's better known brands including Michelob, Michelob Honey Lager and Michelob AmberBock.

Created using a special pumpkin variety known as "Golden Delicious" from the Stahlbush Farm in Oregon, with a distinctive blend of harvest spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, this all-malt beer is designed to strike a chord with beer purists and novices alike attending the Denver festival.

"Brewing seasonal beers allows us to stay close to our roots," said Florian Kuplent, brewmaster, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "Most of the brewmasters here at Anheuser-Busch got started by making their own beers and this is a good demonstration of how a passion rooted in experimentation has grown. Created with the finest two-row and caramel malts and the choicest Hallertau and Tettnang hops, we hope adults will notice the rich copper color, enjoy the aroma of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and appreciate the slightly sweet and malty finish. Overall, it is a true treasure to try -- not overly spicy or too pumpkin-heavy -- but rather a beer that's well-blended, balanced and enjoyable to the finish."

Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale will be available for a limited time until mid- December, with a winter brew to follow in January, a spring brew in April and a summer brew in July. It is available in draught at bars and clubs across the country and has 5.5 percent alcohol by volume.

The Michelob Specialty Sampler Collection will be sold in grocery and convenience stores across the country through early November in 12- and 18- packs. The 18-pack also includes three bottles of each beer, two limited- edition pilsner glasses, a collection of recipes featuring these super-premium brews as ingredients, beer mixer recipes, suggested food pairings, and tips from Anheuser-Busch brewmasters. The 12-pack includes two bottles of each beer.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD - News) is the leading American brewer holding 50 percent of the U.S. beer market. The company is American- owned and brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch ranked first in the U.S. beverage industry in FORTUNE magazine's 2005 "America's Most Admired Companies" and in the top 30 on FORTUNE's 2005 "Global Most Admired Companies" list. The company is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers. For more information, visit http://www.anheuser-busch.com .


30 September, 2005