beersipper.com

Ever think to yourself, “wow this is a great craft brew. I just wish it was available in a watered down form, you know, one that hobbles it’s ability to carry the same malt character or unique hop combination”… nah, i didn’t think so. Ok, maybe I’m being too hard on the macro… here’s the skinny.

Miller Brewing Co. is test marketing the Miller Lite Brewers Collection, a trio of craft style beers that are lower in calories and carbohydrates than other craft beers, beginning in February 2008 Milwaukee-based Miller will test the products in four markets: Minneapolis; Charlotte, N.C.; San Diego, Calif.; and Baltimore.

The Miller Lite Brewers Collection will feature Blonde Ale, Amber and Wheat, each with significantly fewer calories and carbs than a typical beer for that style, according to Miller.

“Miller is seeking to again establish a whole new category for the beer industry - craft-style-light” (referring to the claim that they are responsible for the concept of light beer) said Miller chief marketing officer Randy Ransom. “The brewer who can provide a more refreshing and drinkable craft style can stake out a whole new niche in the market. That’s what we intend to do.”

So there it is, the macros have entered the craft game and they want to change the rules. I mean Coors has effectively made inroads into the micro market with the Blue Moon series and Killian’s Red. And though Killians as a “red lager” practically marketed as an Irish red ale represented a corporate approach to driving into the craft market. But this is a new creature. Miller, unlike Coors, is putting it’s own label forward, instead of creating a new one. Will it work? I don’t know.

Info about the “collection”:

Blonde Ale
Fermentables: Pale and caramel malt; maize
Hops: Willamette, Galena, Cascade, Chinook
IBU: 14
Ale fermentation

Wheat
Fermentables: Pale, caramel and wheat malt; maize
Hops: Willamette, Galena
IBU: 6
Lager fermentation

Amber
Fermentables: Pale, dark crystal malt; maize
Hops: Willamette, Mt. Hood
IBU: 15
Lager fermentation

Here’s my take; upon first being presented with this “light craft beer” idea i threw up in my mouth a little, at first it struck me that this product was appealing to a donut whole of a market. I mean if you want a craft brew you want a craft brew and vice versa, but then I started thinking of myself in real terms… what if these beers are priced the same as miller lite, what if i’m at a rock show and have already blown a chunk of coin on the tix. What if I had relegated myself to PBR for the evening and I see that I could actually have a beer that at least makes a head nod toward malt character or hoppy aroma instead of the ole maize body and a game of hide the hop? Maybe i would, though I may wrap my hand around the bottle to block the label, maybe i would. Tough call… at least it’s not Coors.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 1:48 pm and is filed under Beer History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.