Two of the USA’s most prominent alcohol brands, Budweiser and Jim Beam, have entered into a collaboration to craft a new beer this autumn.
Budweiser’s brewmasters and Jim Beam’s seventh-generation master distiller Fred Noe will launch a limited edition collaborative brew, Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager, in September, to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the US.
The lager is brewed with two-row barley and aged on Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves to create a toasted oak aroma and nutty taste with caramel rye and vanilla notes, according to Jim Beam's parent company Beam Suntory.
The two all-American brands will come together to celebrate their 365 collective years of stateside distilling and brewing history in a cross-merchandising marketing program starting in this month.
The two brands will start appearing side by side at bars and retail venues across the country, just in time for baseball season, according to Beam Suntory.
Beer And Bourbon Shot
Inspired by the ‘beer and a bourbon shot’ occasion, the new on-premise cross-merchandising programme will feature Budweiser and Jim Beam bourbon together for the 'perfect pairing', according to Jim Beam.
“We are very excited about this partnership not only because both brands share common history but also an obsession for quality and a decade’s long connection to America,” said Ricardo Marques, vice president of marketing for Budweiser. “This is a truly unique partnership and innovation that will surely drive excitement with our drinkers.”
“This partnership feels especially natural given our brands’ common values and the pivotal roles they’ve both played in American history,” added Rob Mason, vice president of marketing for Jim Beam.
“Our family distillers have produced ‘America’s Native Spirit’ since 1795, using traditions and techniques passed down through the generations. This is another exciting milestone in Jim Beam’s history.”
Prohibition History
The two brands both share a historical experience surviving the Prohibition era, when the production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages was banned nationwide in the US during the 1920s and into the early 1930s.
In the case of Jim Beam, the brand’s fourth-generation distiller, James B. Beam rebuilt his family’s distillery in 120 days to produce the popular bourbon that customers know today.
Budweiser kept its doors open through Prohibition by creating other non-alcoholic packaged goods as they waited to bring beer back to America, according to the company.
The new partnership between the two brands is set to deliver unique product innovations, integrated marketing efforts and a unique way to delight both beer and bourbon fans, according to Beam Suntory.
The move marks a inward focus for the two American brands just weeks after the EU threatened to slap tariffs on typical American products, including whiskey, Levi's jeans and Harley Davidsons, in response to Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
