Major Brewers Honing Their Craft

Big brewers are producing craft beers to lure consumers.

October 31, 2013

WASHINGTON – As the U.S. craft beer segment continues to grow, major brewers are trying to capitalize on the trend by launching their own specialty brews.

Take, for instance, Golden Knot and Crimson Crossing, 2.54-ounce bottles that resemble vintage beer bottles but in fact are offerings from MillerCoors’ specialty division, Blue Moon Brewing. The beers are brewed in 1,000-barrel kettles at Coors’ headquarters in Golden, Colorado, according to Keith Villa, head brewmaster of Blue Moon.

“We’ve served these beers at festivals in wine country on the West Coast and found wine lovers are turned on by our Vintage Collection,” Villa said.

In addition to Golden Knot and Crimson Crossing, Blue Moon premiered two other lines this fall: its Expressionist Collection, with Belgian-inspired beers; and its Graffiti Collection, which includes free-style brands such as Pine in the Neck, an ale spiced with lemon grass and basil.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Anheuser-Busch released its second annual Project 12, a 12-pack of three experimental lagers that are named after the zip codes where they‘re produced. One current offering, 23185 (Williamsburg, VA) aged on barrel staves from a Virginia distillery along with sacks of Madagascar vanilla beans. It’s extremely labor-intensive to produce, said senior brewmaster Daniel Westmoreland, requiring one oak stave per barrel of beer.

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