BMC craft beer strategy

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by otispdriftwood, Jan 9, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 1 of 3
  1. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    I haven't heard of any seasonal BMC releases but seeing how BMC is, so to speak, getting on the craft beer bandwagon, we shouldn't be surprised if the macro geniuses take a page from craft brewers and limit some of their beers to seasonals. Hell, even McDonalds trots out the McRib every few months/years [I don't eat there so I'm not sure of the timing but it sure seems that way]. Unless, of course, those geniuses are afraid they'll miss some sales when the release sells out. But they could take a page from Disney movies that come out as "limited availability", which is usually only limited to what they are able to sell. If you follow these forums, it's a provable fact that seasonal releases get hyped up whether the beer is outstanding or just run of the mill so by releasing a new beer every few months . . . . I'm stopping now so I don't give them any more ideas.
     
    #1 otispdriftwood, Jan 9, 2013
  2. ilikebeer03

    ilikebeer03 Pooh-Bah (2,616) Oct 17, 2012 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    They already make a "brewmasters selection" or something of the sort. It's a variety 12 pack with "craft" beers. I havent had it, so I can't vouche one way or the other for their tastes.
     
    #2 ilikebeer03, Jan 9, 2013
  3. Derranged

    Derranged Initiate (0) Mar 7, 2010 New York

    Word on the street is they're gonna make a barrel aged Natty Ice.
     
    #3 Derranged, Jan 9, 2013
    Zach136, StoutLover4life, jglowe77 and 6 others like this.
  4. tectactoe

    tectactoe Pooh-Bah (2,386) Mar 20, 2012 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    If they were smart, they'd make a seasonal only available during spring break and bump it up to 7% ABV.

    "BRO! We're gonna get soooo wasted this week!!!"
     
    #4 tectactoe, Jan 9, 2013
    Pelican5, flyingmick, otispdriftwood and 1 other person like this.
  5. Mgm54

    Mgm54 Initiate (0) Apr 7, 2011 Illinois

    I think part of BMC strategy is to get the maximum shelf space possible in stores, so that other beers don't get any room. I would think if they made a product that sold, they would just want to keep it on the shelves, hense gaining more shelf space
     
    #5 Mgm54, Jan 9, 2013
    benart likes this.
  6. beerjerk666

    beerjerk666 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,155) Aug 22, 2010 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    They'll figure it out eventually. If the "little guy" craft brewers are doing something and making money and getting a lot of "hype" the macro geniuses will weigh out the financials move on it.
     
    #6 beerjerk666, Jan 9, 2013
  7. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Coors started brewing seasonal "specialty" beers back in the late 80's, with their release of Winterfest. At first, it was a Colorado-only beer but eventually went national. They followed that with a spring Eisbock, summer Weizenbier and an Oktoberfest Marzen by the early-mid- '90's.

    AB put out a winter/Holiday seasonal Brew Master Private Reserve Budweiser in the early 2000's that was rumored to be high gravity Budweiser (pre-dilution- but that apparently was not true :slight_frown:) . It was later switched to a doppelbock recipe, IIRC. Around the same era, and also for the holidays, they had a Vanilla and Chocolate Michelob in some fancy "bullet" shaped bottle and that Bourbon Cask Ale with a snowman as it's logo.

    And, before the craft era, like most US brewers, they all had spring seasonal Bock beers at various times in the post-Repeal era. The Bud Bock was supposedly still available as a draught-only product into the the 1980's (but I never saw it.)
     
    #7 jesskidden, Jan 9, 2013
    Chaz and crushedvol like this.
  8. mychalg9

    mychalg9 Pooh-Bah (2,123) Apr 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    I've been thinking about it lately , and I actually think the BMC strategy is to make shitty craft beer knockoffs that people will try and determine that "craft" beer sucks and go back to their regular BMC crap.
     
    #8 mychalg9, Jan 9, 2013
    pjs234, Barrel_age_me, Ernest_Hooper and 8 others like this.
  9. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    So as of recent times, they've all been discontinued?
     
    #9 otispdriftwood, Jan 9, 2013
  10. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado


    I guess this could happen but I doubt this was their entry strategy.
     
    #10 otispdriftwood, Jan 9, 2013
    thepartybird likes this.
  11. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Don't know what happened with AB's Brew Master Private Reserve - my impression was that it may have been a casualty of the InBev merger. Coors Winterfest still exists or, at least, was recently revived by their Tenth & Blake/A. C. Golden subsidiary.
     
    #11 jesskidden, Jan 9, 2013
  12. cubbyswans

    cubbyswans Zealot (623) Jun 10, 2008 Missouri

    Seriously? There are plenty of them....

    http://www.michelob.com/ExploreSeasonalSummer.aspx
    http://www.michelob.com/ExploreSeasonalwinter.aspx
    http://www.michelob.com/ExploreSeasonalfall.aspx
    http://www.michelob.com/ExploreSeasonalspring.aspx
    http://www.shocktopbeer.com/s/index.php/our-beers/lemon-shandy/
    http://www.shocktopbeer.com/s/index.php/our-beers/pumpkin-wheat/
    http://www.shocktopbeer.com/s/index.php/our-beers/shock-top-honeycrisp-apple-wheat/

    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/spring-blonde-wheat-ale
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/summer-honey-wheat
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/harvest-pumpkin-ale
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/winter-abbey-ale
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/valencia-amber-ale
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/agave-blonde-ale
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/caramel-apple-spiced-ale
    http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com/OurBeers/Product/spiced-amber-ale
     
    #12 cubbyswans, Jan 9, 2013
    beerme411, Ernest_Hooper and brewbetter like this.
  13. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Yeah, all of those Blue Moon seasonals are pretty prevalent on shelves.
     
    #13 steveh, Jan 9, 2013
  14. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    I didn't make my point very clear. I was referring only to their major brands under their major labels, not their "craft" brands, but I didn't know about the Michelob releases.
     
    #14 otispdriftwood, Jan 9, 2013
  15. jglowe77

    jglowe77 Initiate (0) Jan 24, 2011 Massachusetts

    I just read a press release; it's aged in Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio barrels for 6 minutes.
     
    #15 jglowe77, Jan 9, 2013
    IcemanCometh and justintcoons like this.
  16. cubbyswans

    cubbyswans Zealot (623) Jun 10, 2008 Missouri

    This whole thread makes no sense then. It's not an AB seasonal if it's not Bud or Bud Light Fall, in your book, then? You said BMC seasonals, and I pointed out several.

    Any seasonal, by that definition, would not be one of their major brands. Blue Moon and Shock Top are everywhere. I don't know how you wouldn't consider them major BMC brands.
     
    #16 cubbyswans, Jan 9, 2013
  17. cubbyswans

    cubbyswans Zealot (623) Jun 10, 2008 Missouri

    Also... there are Budweiser 'limited edition' releases all the time. They put out special Olympics cans, or World Series winner aluminum bottles, or Hooters bottles....

    I'm not sure where you are coming from that you think AB hasn't taken a page from the craft beer book. They put out a metric shit ton of seasonal and limited availability products either via their pseudo craft products or their 'collectible' containers.
     
    #17 cubbyswans, Jan 9, 2013
  18. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    There are plenty:
    Goose Island Summertime
    GI HArvest Ale
    GI Mild Winter
    GI Christmas Ale
    Bourbon County
     
    #18 SammyJaxxxx, Jan 9, 2013
    Providence, CommanderOfAwesome and brewbetter like this.
  19. imbrue001

    imbrue001 Zealot (673) Aug 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    For serious. There are a lot of shitty mix-a-six walls out there. 2/3rds of it will be comprised of BMC + fake craft + stuff that's not even beer. Then the other 3rd is old craft beer. Noob comes in, wants variety, buys six new "craft" beers, drinks them -doesnt understand the hype. Never tries craft again.
     
    #19 imbrue001, Jan 9, 2013
  20. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Lame. All developed without an A-B influence.
     
    #20 steveh, Jan 9, 2013
Page 1 of 3
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.