The Style section of the Sunday New York Times of January 30 carried an interesting story on page two. Headlined "Do Not Call It A Brewski," the piece by William Hamilton dissected the new beer beverage from Anheuser-Busch called B(E), or as the company is reportedly referring to it, "Be-to-the-E," which in turn apparently stands for Budweiser Extra.
Extra? I'll say! This pseudo-brew is laced with all manner of flavourings and additives, from caffeine to cherry to guarana extract. However, of greater interest than its ingredients, which World of Beer covered in October, was what the story said about the marketing of the drink. According to company mouthpiece Dawn Roepke, B(E) is being positioned "to go right up against mixed drinks."
So it's a Bud for the cocktail set, suited less to the average bar than to the kind of fancy lounges and nightclubs where the so-called beautiful people gather. In other words, the B(E) is intended to compete directly against cosmopolitans and fancy, flavoured martinis.
Right.
Call me skeptical, but I believe there is a world of difference between a fruity Budweiser and an elegantly presented cocktail garnished appropriately, even if the former is served on the rocks, as the company is suggesting. As kings of image marketing, the folks at Anheuser-Busch should certainly understand that a big part of the appeal of a cocktail is the preparation and presentation, not to mention the fashion accessory aspect of having the drink in hand. Based on the black and white photo that accompanied the Times story, I have a hard time imagining that a rocks glass filled with B(E) is going to present the same sort of sex appeal.
If they wanted a beer that would appeal to cocktail drinkers, then they should have invented a proper beer cocktail, not some caffeine-charged blend that's not quite a beer, more than an alcopop and yet much less than a proper cocktail.
It will come as no surprise to World of Beer readers that I am a proponent of beer cocktails. I have written about them numerous times and invented many, including my latest, the Green Devil, which is a blend of one ounce of quality gin (I use Bombay Sapphire), a splash of Pernod and a full bottle of Duvel, served straight up in a proper Duvel glass. In my endorsement of these creations, I believe that, properly presented, they add an extra dimension to beer enjoyment, complementing rather than replacing the component beer or beers.
Perhaps if the great minds behind Budweiser got together and came up with a drink that used Bud as an ingredient, the club crowd would embrace it and on-premises sales of the beer would skyrocket. Then again, that would also mean they wouldn't get their premium price of $1.29 for a ten ounce can, and in the end, perhaps that's what it's really all about.
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