MICHELOB BREWING CO. UNVEILS GINGER WHEAT AS PART OF NEW WHEAT BEER SAMPLER PACK

Four Diverse Wheat Beers Incorporate Brewing Traditions from Around the World

ST. LOUIS (March 17, 2010) — Building from last year’s success, Michelob Brewing Co. returns with a sampler pack featuring four refreshing wheat beers for the spring and summer seasons. Michelob Ginger Wheat is the newest beer in the brewer’s growing collection of styles and is available exclusively in the seasonal sampler pack.

The 2010 Michelob Brewing Co. Spring/Summer Sampler Pack, available nationwide beginning mid-March, includes the all-new Michelob Ginger Wheat, along with the return of year-round favorites Shock Top Belgian White and Michelob Dunkel Weisse, and the spring seasonal Hop Hound Amber Wheat.

“We received a tremendous response to last year’s sampler pack, as beer enthusiasts enjoyed exploring the diversity within the wheat beer style,” said Craig Heisner, brewmaster, Michelob Brewing Co. “With our sampler pack, longtime wheat beer fans, as well as those just now growing to appreciate the style, have an opportunity to sample four very distinct beers. Pick your favorite from our Bavarian-style dark wheat Dunkel Weisse, our Belgian-style wheat ale Shock Top, our American-inspired Hop Hound Amber Wheat, and our new Asian-influenced Ginger Wheat.”

Michelob Ginger Wheat: A twist on the classic unfiltered Belgian wheat ale, brewed with wheat malt, citrus peels and spices, complemented by a spicy ginger aroma and taste.

• Malt: Two-Row, Wheat


• Hops: Cascade, Willamette; 10 IBUs


• ABV: 5.2%

Hop Hound Amber Wheat: An unfiltered American amber wheat ale that delivers a hint of subtle caramel sweetness.

• Malt: Two-Row, Wheat, Toasted and Caramel


• Hops: Cascade, Willamette, Hallertau; 20 IBUs


• ABV: 5.3%

Shock Top Belgian White: An award-winning unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale with a cloudy and light golden color, brewed with orange, lemon and lime peels and coriander.

• Malt: Two-Row, Wheat


• Hops: Cascade, Willamette; 10 IBUs


• ABV: 5.2%

Michelob Dunkel Weisse: An unfiltered German-inspired wheat ale with a malty body and unmistakable clove and banana tones from the unique Bavarian yeast strain.

• Malt: Two-Row, Chocolate, Wheat, Caramel


• Hops: Hallertau, Tettnang; 17 IBUs


• ABV: 5.5%

“For Michelob Ginger Wheat, we took a Belgian-style wheat ale and looked to Asian cuisine for inspiration,” said Heisner. “The beer has unmistakable ginger aromas on the nose and crisp and spicy flavors on the tongue, without overpowering the other citrus notes. The first sip implores your taste buds to pair the beer with a selection of sushi and the finish cleanses your palate, getting you ready for the next bite.”

The four wheat beers are not filtered during the brewing process, giving them a cloudy, hazy appearance. When unfiltered wheat beers are bottled, the beer’s yeast settles to the bottom. To properly enjoy a wheat beer, pour about three-quarters into a beer-clean glass. Gently swirl the bottle before pouring the remainder to help redistribute the yeast and create a thick head of foam.

Every sampler pack includes a flighting sheet with tasting notes and a summary of each beer’s ingredients to reveal how the brewmasters’ recipes impact the colors, aromas and flavors found among the different styles. The flighting sheet’s glassware and food pairing recommendations provide serving tips to enhance tastings at home. MichelobSamplerPack.com also features an interactive brewmaster tasting video to guide visitors through each beer’s ingredients, color, body and brewing process.

The Michelob Spring/Summer Sampler Pack is available at grocery and convenience stores nationwide through September in 24-packs (six of each beer) and 12-packs (three of each beer).

Visit www.michelob.com for more information about Michelob Brewing Co., a small, state-of-the-art research brewery located next to Anheuser-Busch’s historic St. Louis brewery. At any given time, up to 50 different beers are being brewed in this brewmasters’ playground. Michelob Brewing Co. is a place for our brewmasters to create and experiment, with the best results earning a place in our specialty beer collection.

MICHELOB BREWING CO. TURNS UP THE WHEAT

The Michelob Family Continues To Offer New Beer Styles with Its Latest Wheat Sampler Pack

St. Louis, MO- After a long winter, beer lovers have anxiously waited to see what new recipes Michelob Brewing Co. brewmasters had up their sleeves to usher in the new year. Well, wait no longer – Michelob Honey Wheat is the newest beer to join the growing collection. This hand-crafted filtered wheat ale, brewed with orange blossom honey from the groves of Florida and California, completes an all-wheat sampler pack created just for spring and summer.

The Michelob Brewing Co. Spring/Summer Sampler Pack, available beginning March 2, includes Michelob Honey Wheat, year-round favorites Shock Top Belgian White and Michelob Dunkel Weisse, and the spring seasonal Hop Hound Amber Wheat.

Sampler packs are an easy and convenient way for adults to try several new beer styles. Brewmaster Kristi Zantop suggests arranging a wheat beer sampling at home with friends to have some fun and brush up on your beer expertise. The Michelob Brewing Co. brewmasters have made it easy by including an informative flighting sheet in each sampler pack and posting interactive videos to Michelob.com to guide beer lovers through the ingredients, coloring, body, bitterness levels and brewing techniques for the four styles, along with suggestions for glassware pairings.

To sound like a brewing pro, Zantop shares some key facts to bolster wheat beer know-how:

“When you’re sampling beers, always select the proper glass style and shape. This will enable you to enjoy the beer’s aroma and coloring – key parts of the tasting experience. With wheat beers, try a traditional tall, wide-mouthed glass.”

“Typically wheat beers are not filtered during the brewing process, giving them a cloudy, hazy appearance, but it’s not uncommon to encounter filtered wheat beers as well, like Michelob Honey Wheat. When unfiltered wheat beers are bottled, the beer’s yeast settles to the bottom, so when you’re pouring an unfiltered beer from the sampler pack, like Dunkel Weisse for instance, roll the bottle slowly in your hand before topping off the pour with the last inch of beer from the bottle – this helps redistribute the yeast.”

Over the past four years, wheat beer sales have skyrocketed – and it’s no wonder. Adults love wheat beers’ refreshment and endless variety of flavors and aromas, making an all-wheat beer sampler pack the ideal choice for the Michelob Brewing Co.’s newest special collection.

The four distinct wheat brews featured in the Michelob Wheat Beer Sampler Pack are:

Michelob Honey Wheat: a silky, smooth filtered wheat ale brewed with orange blossom honey. Zantop and her team wanted to push the envelope with their newest creation, playing around with different varieties of honey until they found just the right kind to give Honey Wheat a pronounced floral aroma and hints of orange citrus flavor.

Hop Hound Amber Wheat: an unfiltered American amber wheat ale brewed with Cascade, Willamette and Hallertau hops and a blend of the finest caramel, wheat and pale barley malts.

Shock Top Belgian White: an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale with a naturally cloudy and light golden color, brewed with orange, lemon and lime peels and coriander.

Michelob Dunkel Weisse: a surprisingly light unfiltered dark wheat ale with unmistakable clove and banana tones, a result imparted from the unique Bavarian yeast strain used.

“We played around with several recipe concepts before honing in and perfecting the Honey Wheat. Its smooth citrus flavor and strong floral aroma are just the right balance to our Bavarian-style dark wheat Dunkel Weisse with roasted malt and banana flavors, our Belgian-style wheat ale Shock Top with subtle citrus and spice notes, and our American-inspired Hop Hound Amber Wheat with its caramel sweetness,” said Zantop. “Whether you are hosting a sampling party or pairing the beers with your favorite foods, there’s something for everyone in this craft collection."

The Michelob Spring/Summer Sampler Pack is available at grocery and convenience stores nationwide through September in 24-packs (six of each beer), 12-packs (three of each beer) and six-packs (two of each beer, Hop Hound Amber Wheat not included).

Each recipe in the collection was developed in the Michelob Brewing Co. – a small, 10-barrel, state-of-the-art brewery with access to the best ingredients and brewing equipment.

Michelob Brewing Co. is a team of Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and sales and marketing professionals who focus their attention on creating new beer styles and bringing them to adults across the country. Once new recipes are perfected at the Michelob Brewing Co. they are brewed and packaged at Anheuser-Busch’s 12 regional breweries. For more detailed information and photos, visit www.michelob.com or www.anheuser-busch.com/ABMarketingmichelob.html.