Anheuser-Busch plans big launch for Bud Light Golden Wheat
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It’s been kind of quiet recently on the wheat beer front here at Lager Heads, since we broke the news of the existence of Bud Light Golden Wheat. Now, it appears that Anheuser-Busch is planning a large launch for the latest spin-off of Bud Light.
Teasers for the new brand will break over Labor Day weekend, A-B president Dave Peacock wrote in a memo to wholesalers and salespeople. A-B has lined up major media properties. The music segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live will be owned by Bud Light Golden Wheat, and Anheuser-Busch will be “exploring other impactful ideas to seed the brand with consumers,” Peacock wrote.
Anheuser-Busch will also “hit the market hard with ‘orange’ merchandising to make a statement and spur trial,” Peacock said. The launch has levels of media support similar to the Bud Light Lime launch one year ago. Will Wheat attain Lime’s level of quick success? There’s only one way to find out. With the decline of standard Bud Light weighing on Anheuser-Busch’s results, Anheuser-Busch has got to hope for good things from its new, wheaty offering.
(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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Jeremiah McWilliams is a native Virginian who came to the Post-Dispatch in early 2007 to cover beer and other consumer products. He previously covered manufacturing for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Va. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University. 
Gross.
no way it will be as big as bud light lime, bud light lime easily appeals to summer and sun, what will wheat appeal to?
I love Schlaflys and Boulevard Wheats, but this LIGHT better taste ok…..
Wheat appeals to the autumn crowd and it will likely disappear later this year, just like Bud Light will during the middle fall.
Wheat beer is gross but I would try this just to see…
With so little flavor in Bud Light to begin with, I can’t imagine how mixing in a little wheat with the rice is going to make much of a difference.
Schlafly needs to make a light beer so we can all be rid of AB products once and for all.
I’ll give it a try. I just don’t drink wheat beer on a regular basis…
For my tastes, AB hit a home run with Shock Top and to a lesser degree American Ale.
As a cost conscious drinker however, I just wish they would lower the price. I pay 4.00 dollars a beer on occasion!! Not as an everyday beer to drink as that is obviously too expensive.
Schlafly DOES make numerous light beers. Kolsch, Raspberry Hef, regular Hefeweizen, Pilsner, Helles….
I’ve had this beer. They’ve been test marketing it in Minneapolis and had one while traveling on business. It’s more flavorful than Budlight, but not heavy. I think it will catch on quick.
drinker - you do realize that ShockTop is a wheat beer…don’t you?
AB needs to put Michelob Golden Draft Light into the St. Louis City, County, and St. Charles County markets….in the north-central, that beer beats out Miller in many markets.