E-Malt.com News article: USA: AB launches innovative holiday-themed packaging

Anheuser-Bush said on November 7, that America’s best-selling beer, Bud Light, brought adult beer drinkers much needed refreshment during the hot summer months, but don’t think that once bathing suits are packed away that the great taste of Bud Light goes with them. With the holiday season around the corner, Bud Light has some fun, fresh ways to bring good cheer to all of the important drinking occasions this winter.

Beginning Nov. 7, Bud Light is introducing eye-catching, 7-ounce shrink wrap bottles that come in six colorful, festive designs. Available in a case of four six-pack carriers, this cool packaging will be on display in grocery stores, convenience stores, and other off-premise locations just in time to take to holiday get-togethers or enjoy at home with friends. The Bud Light holiday bottles also make unique stocking stuffers and gifts, and they’re a great way to show gratitude to party hosts.

“Not only will Bud Light bring fun and refreshment to special occasions this holiday season, but it’s also a gift that surely tops every beer lovers’ wish list,” said Rick Leininger, director, Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch Inc. “The holidays are a special time to celebrate with friends and family, and we can’t think of a better way to toast the successes and special moments of the year than with the beer that has been with you during it all.”

In addition to its special holiday look, Bud Light is also adding flavor to standard holiday drink recipes with customizable beer mixer recipes. As part of the Drink Innovations ’05 recipe book, Anheuser-Busch created 24 recipes that use beer as the base. Two of these recipes highlight the great taste of Bud Light and put a new spin on holiday drinks.

Contemporary adults will be thrilled with the zesty, refreshing Bud Light Orangutang. Best served in a thin, fluted glass, the Orangutang makes a great Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve cocktail with its festive color and citrus tang.

The Bud Light Berry Blast pops with a ripe red color and tastes like sweet strawberries. By garnishing the Berry Blast with a wedge of lime, adult drinkers can enjoy a unique splash of Christmas red and green during parties.

Beer mixers, like the Bud Light Orangutang and the Bud Light Berry Blast, are particularly popular because they are more moderate alternatives to hard liquor. And, they are really fun ways to enjoy beer in different settings, for different occasions – from home entertaining to nights out on the town or fine dining. What’s really exciting is that beer – America’s favorite beverage of moderation – is getting dressed up and appealing to adults in new, fun ways. And there’s no time to get dressed up like dressing for the holidays.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch Inc. 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 also holds a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in Tsingtao, the No. 1 brewer in China.

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.budweiser.com and www.budlight.com.



11 November, 2005