2002 HOLIDAY SALES by Gregg Glaser

The December holiday season, followed by the cold winter months represents a time of bigness and fullness for food and drink. Beer is no exception.

For centuries brewers have made extra special brews for this time of the year and they time of year. These are usually bigger versions of the expect and look for some- brewery’s everyday beer — maltier, more flavorful, fuller- thing special. Price promo- Fbodied, deeper in color, richer in aroma and, more often than tions and advertising fea- not, higher in alcohol. These are just the right beers to warm tures and displays are also you on a cold winter night or to serve to friends and guests. part of the mix, of course Often, the brewer’s winter beer will be more than a always targeted to con- beefed-up version of his regular brew. It might very well be a sumers 21 and older.” spiced or . Hops have been the primary seasoning Among the big three agent in beer for the past five hundred years, but there are brewers in the country, only many other spices available for use by the brewer. The most one brews a winter seasonal commonly used spices in holiday beers, cinnamon, nutmeg, b e e r. For a number of years cloves, mace, orange peel and allspice. Other spices can be: A n h e u s e r-Busch, brewed spruce, bog myrtle, rosehips, juniper, coriander, peppers and Michelob Winter Brew, a anise to name a few. spiced ale. But this year, With seasonal beers the rage among America’s craft brew- Michelob dropped the special beer and will instead release a ers, and a centuries-old tradition with many European brew- Michelob Winter Sampler Pack. Miller, the number two U.S. eries, there are dozens of winter beers on the market, often b r e w e r, doesn’t release a winter seasonal under the Miller first released in October or November and available through name but instead has in its portfolio a winter special from its February or March. Even a few of the large U.S. national and s u b s i d i a r y, the Leinenkugel Brewery — Leinenkugel Big regional brewers have joined in the release of special holiday Butt Dopplebock. Miller promotes the holiday season with beers. wintry images from its long running, holiday T Vc o m m e r c i a l Chris Caffey, incoming Chairman of the National Beer and an on- and off-premise POS display that states: “Miller Wholesalers Association, is president and CEO of I.H. Caffey Brewing Company offers warm wishes ‘From our Family to Distributing, a Coors, Guinness, Heineken and Miller whole- Yo u r s ’ this holiday season.” Miller Lite and Miller Genuine salership located in Greensboro and Charlotte, NC. Caffey Draft are the two Miller beers promoted during the holiday says that the Thanksgiving to Christmas season is one of seven season with this promotional campaign. Coors, the third key sales periods during the year for beer distributors. “This is l a rgest U.S. brewer, has reduced its distribution of its winter a good time for consumer giveaways and promo items, both special release, Coors Winterfest, to the Rocky Mountain on- and off-premise,” said Caffey. “People celebrate at this area with the holiday beer available primarily on draft. Among the country’s top regional brewers, only two release a special holiday beer. F.X. Matt of Utica, NY, has two holiday England offerings. Saranac Season’s Best is a six-pack of Saranac Nut Every year for at least two decades the Samuel Smith , and the Saranac Twelve Beers variety pack is a mix of twelve different beers from the brewery. Each year the Brewery of Tadcaster, England has brewed a special Winter Welcome Ale, each year with a unique, origi- Spoetzl Brewery of Shiner, TX, brews Shiner Winter Ale, a nally designed label. This year the label’s artwork is a German-style dunkelweizen. Rolling Rock, of Latrobe, PA, tribute to the Queen of England’s Golden Jubilee, doesn’t put out a special holiday beer, but instead celebrates the marking her 50 years on the throne. New this year season with a number of on- and off-premise vehicles for POS items such as a string of Rolling Rock bottles attached to holi- from the brewery is a Samuel Smith gift box. The box will hold three 18.7-ounce bottles of Oatmeal , day lights, a Rolling Rock winter mitten and holiday themed and Nut Brown Ale, one Samuel Smith case cards. imperial pint glass and two coasters.

Fuller’s Brewery of London has a Holiday Gift Pack The main action in out this year that contains eight beers (two 12-ounce bottles each of ESB, London Pride, IPA, 1845 and London holiday beers comes ) plus one pint glass, two coasters, and a $10 mail-in rebate. from U.S. craft brewers Germany Only two German breweries send a winter to the The main action in holiday beers comes from U.S. craft U.S. From the Weihenstephan Brewery outside Munich comes brewers. These micro and now in many cases, larger-than- Korbinian, a dopplebock (7.4%), and from the Weltenburg micro, specialty brewers have a field day with seasonal beers Brewery in Kehlheim there is Wintertraum, a lager. throughout the year. Here’s a look at some of the holiday offer- The other big German breweries concentrate on special ings now available. promotions for the U.S. winter season. U.S. CRAFT The Netherlands This year Grolsch releases Boston Beer Co. : the Brew Masters Samuel Adams Winter Collection, a variety pack Lager, Samuel Adams containing six 12 - o u n c e Winter Classic (a 12-Pack bottles each of Premium of two bottles each) Lager and Amber Ale. Sierra Nevada Brewing : Grolsch is also offering a Celebration Ale (a strong, hoppy ale; 6.8%) gift package of a 1.5-liter swingtop bottle of New Belgium Brewing : Frambozen (a Belgian-style brown Premium Lager and two ale fermented with whole raspberries) glasses. A POS display Redhook Ale Brewer y: Winterhook Robust Winter Ale titled “Holiday Gift & Party (5.6%) I d e a s” accompanies the Grolsch promo. Pete’s Brewing : 1) Pete’s Heineken is once Wicked Winter Brew; 2) again selling a limited edition, 3-liter, corked bottle of Heineken Pete’s Wicked Winter shaped like a champagne magnum. Sampler. Pyramid Breweries : Snow Austria Cap Ale The Eggenberg Brewery, in collaboration with the Hurilmann Deschutes Brewer y: Jubelale Brewery of Switzerland, each December releases Samichlaus (Santa Claus) Beer. Brewed only once a year in November and Anchor Brewing : Our Special Ale released on the following year’s St. Nicholas’ Day (December Portland Brewing : BobbyDazzler 6), Samichlaus, at 14.5% abv lager, is one of the beer world’s big hitters. Eggenberg also releases at this time of the year Harpoon Brewing : Winter Warmer Icebock , a mere 9.8% lager. Full Sail Brewing : Wassail Winter Ale The holidays are an enjoyable time of the beer year. The tastes and aromas are often marvelous. And the brewers and importers must like it, as well, because each year they present IMPORTS more and more choices. The big exception in the winter seasonal segment is with the imports. None of the largest-selling import brewers send a win- G regg Glaser has cove red the beer beat since 1994 for All About Beer M ag a z i n e, Modern Brewe ry A ge, Ya n kee Brew News and other publ i c a- ter seasonal beer to the U.S. Instead, many smaller brands com- t i o n s . He's also a regular guest on radio and TV prog r a m s , s p e a k i n g pete in this category. about beer, of course.