Special Report
Sweet and speckled
In a move away from our regular wine column, Jo Austin talks to two very different suppliers about the trends and tastes for beer on board
Cool and crafted
MillerCoors is the second largest beer maker in the US with its head office in Chicago and breweries throughout the country. Beer palates are changing in the US, especially among the younger drinkers according to Ron Schroeder, director travel retail and leisure: “The trend of the moment is for craft, speciality beers and it’s a misconception that an unbridgeable chasm divides brewers of large international companies from small regional operations. Number one selling craft beer for us at the moment is Blue Moon, an unfiltered Belgian- style wheat ale spiced with fresh coriander and orange peel. We are selling the product in 12 ounce cans on Delta Airlines.”
“Beer palates are changing in the US, especially among the younger
drinkers...the trend of the moment is for craft, speciality beers”
Blue Moon was originally known as Belly Slide when it started life in Denver at a baseball stadium. An instant success, and described as a beer that comes along once in a blue moon, – Belly Slide soon became Blue Moon and has since topped the million-barrel mark in sales. “Tastes have changed,” says Donna Carpenter, national account executive, travel and leisure at MillerCoors. “The ‘millennios’, or 21 to 25 year olds, are wanting sweeter drinks. They don’t want to be marketed to, but are looking for variety and change. Blue Moon seems to fit the bill but it’s a product where traditional marketing doesn’t work, simply because of its cloudy white, opaque appearance which would not normally appeal. The ‘millennios’ seem to love the wheaten taste and they like to drink
Beer tastes are changing in the US and younger drinkers seem to prefer craft, speciality beers which are sweeter than traditional beers
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www.onboardhospitality.com
it with a slice of orange to complement the orange peel used in the brewing process.” Low calorie, lighter beers are also showing a growth in sales in the US with products such as Coors Light (4.2% alcohol) containing just 102 calories and Miller Lite (4.4% alcohol) coming in at 96 calories for the same 12 oz can. Coors Lite was introduced on Southwest last year with considerable success.
Comments Ron: “Overall the beer industry has flattened down over the last five years while spirits have seen the biggest growth. Spirit prices have reduced and the feeling tends to be, ‘If I can only have one drink then I’ll have a spirit’. Beer, however, is still considered to be the beverage of moderation being lesss expensive and more sociable. Everyone remembers their first beer and where they drank it!”
www.millercoors.com
Ale on sale
Wine specialist, Ratcliffe and Brown, is making the brave move of launching Old Speckled Hen (the number one premium ale according to Nielsen Stats) to the onboard travel market in the UK Comments Andrew Brown, managing director, Ratcliffe and Brown: “There is demand for a really good premium ale on board, over and above London Pride and Marston’s, currently the only two ales on offer in this market. “ Old Speckled Hen will be sold in 33cl sealed cans and a certain British airline is looking at the product very closely. Watch this space!
www.chateaux.com
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