Michelob Brewing Co., part of A-B, will be rolling out its newest beer in mid-March, and Michelob brewmaster Adam Goodson poured me a sample last night in his brewery’s tasting room.
Michelob Ginger Wheat is an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale with ginger extract added after the beer’s secondary fermentation. It’s also brewed with citrus peels and coriander, which is typical of Belgian wheat ales.
When brewing with ginger, Goodson says, the beer can either develop a flavor of unsweetened ginger ale or something more like the ginger that accompanies sushi meals. He choose to go for the latter. “It’s sort of an East-meets-West kind of thing,” Goodson says.
Ginger Wheat — 5.2 percent alcohol by volume — will be part of Michelob’s spring-summer sampler pack, which also includes three other wheat ales: Shock Top, Dunkel Weisse and Hop Hound. The 12- and 24-bottle packages come with an information sheet that explains specifics about each beer, along with food-pairing tips. Michelob suggests pairing Ginger Wheat with sushi and sashimi, saying the beer “enhances the fresh, clean flavors.”
The spring-summer sampler pack will be available from mid-March through August wherever Michelob products are sold.
For my tasting notes on Ginger Wheat and other new releases, please read my Feb. 12 Hip Hops column in the Post-Dispatch’s Go! magazine.
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Ok guys, let me tell you something…
All craft brews are imitations of European beers… You just have to see their labels… Marzen Style, Weissen stle, Belgian White style…
To me American Crafts are copy-cats… Why don’t you just give up copying the masters and start drinking real beer… i.e. European
At least Bud is a real American Lager…
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The best wheat beers, in my opinion are Goose Island’s 312, and, then the Widmer Bros. Boulevard’s tastes like dishwater–Schlafly makes some good beers, but not a wheat….
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If this latest Michelob variant ties up shelf space and keeps a competitor OUT, then mission accomplished.
The difference is marketability.
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AB made and will continue to make these style beers pre and post inbev as long as it is the only segment of he beer industry with growth. Michelob as a brand is positioned to compete directly with Sam Adams. They don’t have to win to be succesful in tht space either. Just competative is enough.
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The brewmasters at A-BB Inbev can make beers that will satisfy the most critical lager head. At the Microbrewery Fest in Forest Park last spring they had about a dozen styles with plain labels for tasting in the VIP tent. All were superb. Lager heads (and I) may not appreciate Bud or Busch but those same brewmasters are making more than half the beer sold in the USA so there have to be an a lot of folks who enjoy them as much as we enjoy a cool Shlafly
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At one time AB was the trendsetter when it came to beer innovations.Now under Britto and In-Vest Bev.they are Johnnie-come-latelys.No focus or vision,just trying to squezzed out every nickle,dime and yuro they can.Sad!
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why can’t theses companies just stay with one beer, ah maybe that is why they are always complaining that they never make any money.
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Bud Light Golden Wheat
Michelob Bavarian Wheat
Michelob Dunkel Weisse
Michelob Ginger Wheat
Hop Hound Amber Wheat
Shock Top
That’s 6 right there, not counting the old ‘Hefeweizen’ that was marketed under the Michelob label years ago. I don’t know why A-B / InBev is going this direction.
Shock Top is ok, the Bavarian Wheat is very tasty.
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D2theMcV–you should talk to one of the AB Brewmasters sometime. The Schlafly, O’Fallon and other local brewers do. They’re the best at what they do, capable of creative and innovative beer in addition to the more mass produced stuff. Bud Lt Wheat is an attempt at giving the light beer loving public something a little different. Some may not like it, but there is no crime in trying. That’s what all good businesses do–work on new ideas to try and grow sales and profit. And yes, I still work at AB.
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As long as women drink it – ALOT of it on Ladies’ Night – I am a happy camper.
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Only if it has drinkability, RonS. And even if it doesn’t have drinkability, as long as the commercial says so – it will.
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I wonder if anyone would be interested in Budalobe Ulta Select Ginger Honey Tequilla Lime wheat Light?
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I wish InBev and the other mass-production brewers would stop the lame attempts at craft brewing. I’ve never sampled anything they’ve put out that was better than average–at best. They should stick to their mainstays. If I want something other than a typical American lager, there’s no way I’m picking up something from a major brewer. Bud Light Wheat is proof enough of the abominations produced by these guys!
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yeah… because 2 wheat beers of completely different styles is SOOOOOO many. We need a rolling eyes emoticom here.
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how many freaking wheat beers do we need? these folks are completely out of ideas….
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For those who like ginger in their beer and are looking for a good pairing with Sushi, try Dogfish Head Pangaea.
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