E-Malt.com News article: USA: Anheuser-Busch launches two brews for holiday season

Anheuser-Busch announced on November 1 that it has created two new, one-of-a-kind brews ideal for sipping and savoring with family and friends this holiday season, Celebrate by Michelob and Brew Masters’ Private Reserve by Budweiser. These richly aromatic, specialty seasonal brews are only available for a limited time beginning this November.

Similar to a fine cognac, Celebrate is a smooth, robust and complex sipping beer carefully hand-crafted in small batches using generous amounts of dark caramel and carapils malts, imported hops and gently-milled imported whole vanilla beans carefully selected for their rich aromatic character.

At 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), this brew is aged on heavily toasted bourbon oak barrels that contribute to its depth of flavor, aroma and full-bodied dark color. Ideally served in a large snifter to open up the brew’s rich aromas and flavors while directing bourbon-like, caramelized notes toward the nose, Celebrate is a truly special and unique style of beer unlike any other currently available.

In addition, Brew Masters’ Private Reserve is an exceptionally rich beer that is a symphony of character, featuring a balanced hop aroma with 8.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Based on the time-honored Budweiser brewmaster holiday tradition of collecting the richest first part of the brew as it is tapped to the brew kettles to celebrate the season, this is the first time it is being made available to the public.

“Creating these one-of-a-kind seasonal specialty brews is something we as brewmasters take great pride in because each recipe is firmly rooted in long-standing brewing traditions,” said Guillermo Moscoso, brewmaster, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “We carefully craft each of these sipping beers to deliver flavorful, full-bodied tastes and aromas that are certain to open the eyes and please the palates of connoisseurs and novices alike this holiday season.”

Celebrate, the perfect complement to those who believe in the spirit of friendship and togetherness, is a wonderful beverage for any occasion, and is an exceptional before- or after-dinner beverage. It is available in single 24-ounce bottles or can be purchased with two imported 13.5-ounce Ritzenhoff Crystal snifters. Brew Masters’ Private Reserve is available in a 46.5-ounce magnum bottle with swing top closure. Celebrate and Brew Masters’ Private Reserve can be purchased at grocery and convenience stores nationwide.

“Anheuser-Busch has been brewing specialty beers throughout our history,” said Pat McGauley, vice president, Innovation/New Products, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “From our Bock beer of the 1870s to the launch of Celebrate and Brew Masters’ Private Reserve today, our commitment to the art and craft of specialty beers has withstood the test of time and certainly continues this holiday season.”

Anheuser-Busch also recently introduced Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale, the first of the company’s specialty seasonal draught beers. The new pumpkin spiced beer also can be found in the new Michelob Specialty Sampler Collection along with Michelob Marzen and Michelob Pale Ale, which both won gold medals at the 2005 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver. The Sampler Collection also includes Michelob, Michelob Honey Lager and Michelob Amberbock.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer holding 49 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 www.anheuser-busch.com.



01 November, 2005