10th Mar 2007
News: Anheuser-Busch goes gluten-free
Crazy news today kids… Beer in the US is going gluten free! Now if only WonderBread or Hostess Twinkies went gluten free I’d really be excited! Read on…
Anheuser-Busch goes gluten-free
Nation’s largest brewer enters niche inhabited successfully by Milwaukee’s Lakefront
By TOM DAYKIN – tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 20, 2006
Yes, Anheuser-Busch Cos. is the nation’s largest brewer, controlling about half the U.S. beer market.
And, yes, the company that brews Budweiser, Bud Light and other well-known mainstream brands operates an incredibly effective marketing machine, filling the airwaves and other media with clever ads.
Russ Klisch, operator of Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery Inc., freely concedes both points. But Klisch didn’t bat an eye Wednesday when he heard that Anheuser-Busch had launched a beer that will directly compete with a Lakefront niche product – one that’s been driving the tiny brewery’s double-digit sales growth.
Just because Anheuser-Busch is now selling a gluten-free beer – similar to Lakefront’s New Grist gluten-free brew – doesn’t mean “they’re going to be pushing everyone else out,” Klisch said.
“We’re not backing down, that’s for sure,” he said.
Lakefront a year ago launched New Grist, a gluten-free beer brewed with sorghum. It’s targeted to people with celiac disease, a genetic disorder that makes it difficult to digest many grain-based products, including beer.
New Grist has been a big hit for Lakefront, which expects its sales volume to grow by over 40% this year. About 80% to 90% of that growth is tied to New Grist, which is sold in 17 states and is the fastest-growing brand ever launched by Lakefront.
People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats.
Nearly all beers are made with malted barley, making them off limits for people who have the disease. Sorghum has emerged as an acceptable alternative for making beer, with New Grist joining two other small, gluten-free beers in the United States.
Anheuser-Busch acknowledged this summer it was interested in possibly creating a gluten-free beer. The company’s gluten-free brand, known as Redbridge, was officially launched with Wednesday’s announcement.
“We set out to create a fine, handcrafted specialty beer made without wheat or barley,” Angie Minges, an Anheuser-Busch product manager, said in a statement. “We’ve made Redbridge nationally available to make sure adults who experience wheat allergies, or who choose a gluten-free or wheat-free diet, can enjoy the kind of beer that fits their lifestyle.”
Minges said Anheuser-Busch will not buy TV ads for Redbridge because it’s a niche product. But the brewer will spend an undisclosed amount on marketing, including print ads and ads on Internet sites for people with celiac disease.
Klisch said the launch of Redbridge could be good for New Grist because it “validates” sorghum beers. He said New Grist, priced from $6.99 to $9.99 for a six-pack, will match up on pricing with Redbridge, which carries a suggested retail price of $7.99.
Also, New Grist has won praise for its taste, including a gold medal in the experimental beers category at this fall’s Great American Beer Festival. New Grist competed with 36 other beers in that category.
Still, this is Anheuser-Busch.
Last year, it sold around 102 million barrels. Thanks to New Grist, Lakefront expects to set a new sales record for 2006 – of 9,000 barrels.
Klisch, who started Lakefront in 1987 by selling kegs to nearby taverns in the Riverwest neighborhood, admits it gives him pause.
But just enough to make a quip.
“Only 50 percent of the people out there want to drink Anheuser-Busch beer,” Klisch said, referring to his giant competitor’s market share. “I get the other 50 percent.”
Crazy news today kids… Beer in the US is going gluten free! Now if only WonderBread or Hostess Twinkies went gluten free I’d really be excited! Read on…
Anheuser-Busch goes gluten-free
Nation’s largest brewer enters niche inhabited successfully by Milwaukee’s Lakefront
By TOM DAYKIN – tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 20, 2006
Yes, Anheuser-Busch Cos. is the nation’s largest brewer, controlling about half the U.S. beer market.
And, yes, the company that brews Budweiser, Bud Light and other well-known mainstream brands operates an incredibly effective marketing machine, filling the airwaves and other media with clever ads.
Russ Klisch, operator of Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery Inc., freely concedes both points. But Klisch didn’t bat an eye Wednesday when he heard that Anheuser-Busch had launched a beer that will directly compete with a Lakefront niche product – one that’s been driving the tiny brewery’s double-digit sales growth.
Just because Anheuser-Busch is now selling a gluten-free beer – similar to Lakefront’s New Grist gluten-free brew – doesn’t mean “they’re going to be pushing everyone else out,” Klisch said.
“We’re not backing down, that’s for sure,” he said.
Lakefront a year ago launched New Grist, a gluten-free beer brewed with sorghum. It’s targeted to people with celiac disease, a genetic disorder that makes it difficult to digest many grain-based products, including beer.
New Grist has been a big hit for Lakefront, which expects its sales volume to grow by over 40% this year. About 80% to 90% of that growth is tied to New Grist, which is sold in 17 states and is the fastest-growing brand ever launched by Lakefront.
People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats.
Nearly all beers are made with malted barley, making them off limits for people who have the disease. Sorghum has emerged as an acceptable alternative for making beer, with New Grist joining two other small, gluten-free beers in the United States.
Anheuser-Busch acknowledged this summer it was interested in possibly creating a gluten-free beer. The company’s gluten-free brand, known as Redbridge, was officially launched with Wednesday’s announcement.
“We set out to create a fine, handcrafted specialty beer made without wheat or barley,” Angie Minges, an Anheuser-Busch product manager, said in a statement. “We’ve made Redbridge nationally available to make sure adults who experience wheat allergies, or who choose a gluten-free or wheat-free diet, can enjoy the kind of beer that fits their lifestyle.”
Minges said Anheuser-Busch will not buy TV ads for Redbridge because it’s a niche product. But the brewer will spend an undisclosed amount on marketing, including print ads and ads on Internet sites for people with celiac disease.
Klisch said the launch of Redbridge could be good for New Grist because it “validates” sorghum beers. He said New Grist, priced from $6.99 to $9.99 for a six-pack, will match up on pricing with Redbridge, which carries a suggested retail price of $7.99.
Also, New Grist has won praise for its taste, including a gold medal in the experimental beers category at this fall’s Great American Beer Festival. New Grist competed with 36 other beers in that category.
Still, this is Anheuser-Busch.
Last year, it sold around 102 million barrels. Thanks to New Grist, Lakefront expects to set a new sales record for 2006 – of 9,000 barrels.
Klisch, who started Lakefront in 1987 by selling kegs to nearby taverns in the Riverwest neighborhood, admits it gives him pause.
But just enough to make a quip.
“Only 50 percent of the people out there want to drink Anheuser-Busch beer,” Klisch said, referring to his giant competitor’s market share. “I get the other 50 percent.”
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