E-Malt.com News article: USA: Pyramid Breweries launches major branding campaign for craft wheat beer drinkers

Pyramid Breweries, Inc. announced on August 15, a major branding campaign to introduce Americans to American-style wheat beers and dramatically showcase the visual point of difference and appetite appeal of its award-winning line of unfiltered wheat beers. The highlight of the Refreshingly Unfiltered brand positioning includes new breakthrough packaging for the craft-beer industry and two innovative new beer selections.

As the specialty-brewing pioneer in the rapidly expanding market for the handcrafted American-style wheat beers, Pyramid Breweries in 1985 introduced the first year-round wheat beer brewed in America since prohibition. Since then, the success of Pyramid's flagship HefeWeizen(TM)(pronounced Hayfuh Vizen) has paved the way for a dynamic and popular new category of American-style wheat beers. These specialty brews are inspired by Bavarian tradition but without the spicy, sometimes harsh aftertaste of traditional European wheat beers.

Wheat beers have been called the "sparkling champagne of the beer world," providing a thirst-quenching taste that is less bitter and more aromatic versus traditional selections. Pyramid's American-style HefeWeizen (in German, "Hefe" means yeast and "Weizen" means wheat) unfiltered wheat beers are uniquely brewed with malted barley, malted wheat and yeast, rather than only barley and other adjunct grains. The addition of wheat lends a lighter flavor and paler color than most ales, which tend to be darker. Not filtering out yeast retains the wheat proteins that give a glass of HefeWeizen its signature cloudy look and naturally refreshing aromatic flavor.

In 2005, Pyramid HefeWeizen is the fastest-growing brand style in the Western U.S., according to Nielsen Data. Amid a downturn in traditional beer sales, Pyramid has been a driving force in the resurgence of the craft-beer market and is among the fastest-growing craft brewers in the United States, also according to Nielsen Data. Consumers can feel good about the fact that Pyramid Weizen beers are the only wheat beers that are refreshingly unfiltered for a smooth, natural taste, and recognized by beer drinkers everywhere as gold medal selections, most recently at the 2004 Great American Beer Festival.

In addition to Pyramid's flagship HefeWeizen, beer drinkers have two new Pyramid Weizen beers to enjoy. Pyramid Apricot Weizen(TM) expands on the popularity of America's #1 fruit beer -- Pyramid Apricot Ale(TM). This adventurous unfiltered wheat beer offers a pleasing aroma and flavor of fresh apricots while delivering the smooth and refreshing character for which Pyramid Weizen beers are recognized. Amber lovers will really enjoy the newest Pyramid Amber Weizen(TM), a rich-in-color unfiltered wheat beer featuring three different kinds of caramel, malts and nugget hops, delivering a malty sweet aroma and flavor.

Consumers will also enjoy new cutting-edge packaging for Pyramid beers complete with information that speaks to the credibility of the fastest-growing Weizen brand in the Western United States. Savvy beer drinkers can learn more about the company's unique history, brewing traditions and characteristics of Pyramid's family of unfiltered beers by reading the package or visiting www.pyramidbrew.com

Pyramid Breweries, Inc. is a leading brewer of specialty, full-flavored beers and sodas produced under the Pyramid, MacTarnahan's and Thomas Kemper brands. The independent company operates five western breweries with adjoining Ale House restaurants in Seattle, Portland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Sacramento. More information about Pyramid Breweries is available at www.pyramidbrew.com.




17 August, 2005