Anheuser-Busch to Debut Souped-Up Beer
Tue Oct 5, 6:59 AM ET Business - AP
By JIM SUHR, AP Business Writer
ST. LOUIS - In an effort to revive flattening sales and attract new drinkers, Anheuser-Busch is unveiling a new concoction — a fruity-smelling beer, spiked with caffeine, guarana and ginseng.
The world's largest brewer said Monday its planned offering — pronounced B-to-the-E, with the "E" denoting something "extra" and shown as an exponent of B — should appeal to 20-something consumers looking for something zippy in their highly social, fast-paced lifestyles.
The St. Louis-based brewer said the new "beer" — pending governmental approval — should debut in November against the backdrop of the company's existing line of Bacardi liquor-branded flavored malt beverages — or malternatives. The drink also faces competition from the ever-increasing line of alcohol-free energy drinks, such as Red Bull, often used as mixers in clubs.
Anheuser-Busch said each can of the B-to-the-E beverage would pack 22.5 carbs, along with 6.6 percent alcohol by volume, 54 milligrams of caffeine and 203 calories. By comparison, Anheuser-Busch's Bacardi Silver Low-Carb Black Cherry has 2.6 grams of carbs and 96 calories per 12-ounce serving.
"The majority of beer drinkers and the people we're trying to approach with this product are not concerned with carbs all the time," Bob Lachky, Anheuser-Busch's vice president of brand management, told reporters during a conference call.
Convinced the carb-counting craze may be waning, Lachky said "there's plenty of room in the beer industry for innovation not tied to carbs."
B-to-the-E will be slightly sweet but tart, coming in the aromas of blackberry, raspberry and cherry.
Anheuser-Busch trumpeted itself as the first major brewer to infuse beer with caffeine, ginseng and guarana, the latter a caffeine-bearing herb used in a popular Brazilian soft drink.
The brewer did not specify possible pricing for the new beverage, suggesting only that the "very unique product" would fetch slightly more than Budweiser as a premium product.
"It's not that people aren't drinking beer," Lachky said. "It is one of those things where variety and innovation is more of a factor than anything else."
Some analysts suggested that Anheuser-Busch was trying to set itself apart in a market with increasing choices for consumers while appealing to a demographic whose taste buds go beyond conventional beer offerings.
"It's consumer marketing — everyone's trying to do something," said Juli Niemann, a St. Louis-based analyst for RT Jones.
Anheuser-Busch shares fell 28 cents to close at $50.20 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites).
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=509&e=20&u=/ap/20041005/ap_on_bi_ge/new_beer
Tue Oct 5, 6:59 AM ET Business - AP
By JIM SUHR, AP Business Writer
ST. LOUIS - In an effort to revive flattening sales and attract new drinkers, Anheuser-Busch is unveiling a new concoction — a fruity-smelling beer, spiked with caffeine, guarana and ginseng.
The world's largest brewer said Monday its planned offering — pronounced B-to-the-E, with the "E" denoting something "extra" and shown as an exponent of B — should appeal to 20-something consumers looking for something zippy in their highly social, fast-paced lifestyles.
The St. Louis-based brewer said the new "beer" — pending governmental approval — should debut in November against the backdrop of the company's existing line of Bacardi liquor-branded flavored malt beverages — or malternatives. The drink also faces competition from the ever-increasing line of alcohol-free energy drinks, such as Red Bull, often used as mixers in clubs.
Anheuser-Busch said each can of the B-to-the-E beverage would pack 22.5 carbs, along with 6.6 percent alcohol by volume, 54 milligrams of caffeine and 203 calories. By comparison, Anheuser-Busch's Bacardi Silver Low-Carb Black Cherry has 2.6 grams of carbs and 96 calories per 12-ounce serving.
"The majority of beer drinkers and the people we're trying to approach with this product are not concerned with carbs all the time," Bob Lachky, Anheuser-Busch's vice president of brand management, told reporters during a conference call.
Convinced the carb-counting craze may be waning, Lachky said "there's plenty of room in the beer industry for innovation not tied to carbs."
B-to-the-E will be slightly sweet but tart, coming in the aromas of blackberry, raspberry and cherry.
Anheuser-Busch trumpeted itself as the first major brewer to infuse beer with caffeine, ginseng and guarana, the latter a caffeine-bearing herb used in a popular Brazilian soft drink.
The brewer did not specify possible pricing for the new beverage, suggesting only that the "very unique product" would fetch slightly more than Budweiser as a premium product.
"It's not that people aren't drinking beer," Lachky said. "It is one of those things where variety and innovation is more of a factor than anything else."
Some analysts suggested that Anheuser-Busch was trying to set itself apart in a market with increasing choices for consumers while appealing to a demographic whose taste buds go beyond conventional beer offerings.
"It's consumer marketing — everyone's trying to do something," said Juli Niemann, a St. Louis-based analyst for RT Jones.
Anheuser-Busch shares fell 28 cents to close at $50.20 on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange (news - web sites).
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...=509&e=20&u=/ap/20041005/ap_on_bi_ge/new_beer
