Bud Ale Coming in Fall

Will retail at higher price point.

Budweiser American Ale will hit retail this fall, according to a report in Beer Business Daily.

The new line extension from Anheuser-Busch -- which was first reported by Brew Blog -- will be available in draft and six packs, top A-B marketing exec Dave Peacock told BBD in an interview.

It will sell at a higher price point than regular Budweiser, according to BBD.

From the report:

A-B vp marketing Dave Peacock told BBD that they just finished an extensive research process which suggests that the concept is "very appealing" to consumers and it "improves the Budweiser image and validates our Great American Lager positioning for the mother brand."

That said, it’s interesting that A-B is rolling out a Bud ale after Great American Lager ads have taken shots at “heavy” and “cloudy” beers.

The big question: What consumer is A-B targeting with this new product? Is it going after craft beer consumers? Recall that A-B started tinkering with a Bud American Ale in the 1996-97 time frame as a shot against Sam Adams Boston Lager. The beer never got out of the gate, however.

Or is A-B hoping to appeal to mainstream beer consumers who are intrigued by crafts?

Miller Brewing Company is reaching out to that group with Miller Lite Brewers Collection, a trio of three craft-style light beers -- a blonde ale, an amber and a wheat.

Miller Lite Brewers Collection is aimed at mainstream light beer drinkers and capitalizes on three beer industry trends: the growth of light beer; the growing popularity of craft beer; and consumers’ growing willingness to pay more for products that deliver a unique or better experience.

A-B already is following Miller’s lead this year as it launches Bud Light Lime, a knockoff of Miller Chill. Now is it hoping to replicate Miller Lite Brewers Collecton?

The BBD home page can be seen here.

Brew Blog's previous coverage of Bud American Ale can be seen here.