Recognizing the ever-increasing value of the craft beer market, Miller (aka CoorsMiller, aka SABMiller) Brewing company has released three versions of their take on craft beers brewed with their flagship product, Miller Lite.
In a quote from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
The three new versions of Miller Lite will be a blonde ale, an amber beer and a wheat beer – each with fewer calories and carbohydrates than a typical beer for that style.
They could help establish a new beer industry category, what Miller Chief Marketing Officer Randy Ransom calls “craft-style light.”
“The brewer who can provide a more refreshing and drinkable craft style can stake out a whole new niche in the market,” Ransom said in a statement. “That’s what we intend to do.”
Randy, Randy, Randy. Think about what you just said. Craft beer itself is more drinkable than Miller Lite. And it has more calories because real beer isn’t passed through a sterile filter to decrease calories and flavor. Craft beer is more flavorful, more diverse, more interesting. That’s why it’s called “Craft”, because there is an art to it. I applaud Miller for making this venture, though. If they introduce a “training wheels” version of craft beers, this can lead to more awareness and consumption of real craft beers, and that’s a good thing for the overall craft beer market. Anything that opens a beer drinker’s eyes to something new and different is a good thing.
However, I don’t see a new “craft-light” niche at all. The same people who drink Miller Lite will be the ones drinking the alternative versions. People who drink craft beers will probably laugh at this. There might be some incremental income from craft beer drinkers who simply try the new Miller product out of curiosity, but I don’t see the BJCP creating a new category for light craft, craft-light, whatever.
Form your own opinion by reading the article here.
