Blue Moon (beer)

Blue Moon Belgian White (branded as Belgian Moon in Canada) is a Belgian-style witbier brewed by MillerCoors under the name the Blue Moon Brewing Co. It was launched in 1995, and was originally brewed in Golden, Colorado.

Blue Moon
ManufacturerBlue Moon Brewing Co. (MillerCoors)
Introduced1995
Alcohol by volume5.4%[1]
StyleWitbier
Websitewww.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com 
Beer truck in Manhattan
A can of Blue Moon

Background

Originally called Bellyslide Belgian White, the beer was created by Keith Villa, a brewer at the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field, Denver, Colorado (owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company). Blue Moon brewed at the Molson Brewery in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is sold in the US, as well as exported to Europe.[2] Blue Moon Brewing Co. is an entity of Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the craft and import division of MillerCoors.

The grain bill for Blue Moon includes malted barley, white wheat, orange peel, coriander and oats—and is usually served with a slice of orange, which its brewmasters claim accentuates the flavor of the brew.[3]

Available in cans, bottles and kegs, Blue Moon has 5.4% alcohol by volume.[4] In Minnesota, the alcohol content of all Blue Moon beers bought in grocery or convenience stores is 3.2% alcohol by weight (approximately 4.0% alcohol by volume). Blue Moon Brews and seasonal brews sold in liquor stores are 5.4% by volume.

Variations of Blue Moon
Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale and Blue Moon.

In addition to their original Belgian White variety, Blue Moon Brewing Company offers Blue Moon Summer Ale, renamed Honey Moon in 2006. Honey Moon contains 5.2% alcohol by volume in a standard 12 fluid ounce bottle. The beer was renamed "Summer Honey Wheat" in 2011, and is still sold under that name.

In autumn, Blue Moon markets Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale, renamed Harvest Moon in 2007. This variety contains the flavors of pumpkin and other seasonal spices. Harvest Moon is typically available in bottles from mid-September through December. It contains 5.7% alcohol by volume in a standard 12 fluid ounce bottle. The beer was later renamed "Harvest Pumpkin Ale", a name it is still marketed under.

Blue Moon offers Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale during the winter season. Its name was changed to Full Moon with the subtitle "Blue Moon Winter Ale" in 2007. It is brewed with natural flavor and a caramel color. Full Moon contains 5.6% alcohol in a standard 12 fluid ounce bottle. The name was changed to "Mountain Abbey Ale" in 2012.

In spring, Blue Moon provides Blue Moon Spring Blonde Ale, originally known as Rising Moon. In 2011 the recipe was changed removing the Kaffir lime leaves. The new recipe focuses more on orange and lemon peel to add the citrus flavors. In 2013 the beer was changed to "Valencia Grove Amber", an amber ale brewed with Valencia orange peel, roasted malts and a touch of wheat.

It addition to its seasonal brews, Blue Moon released a pale ale called Pale Moon in 2008, with filings commenced to create a Pale Moon Light. Pale Moon is now marketed as "Rounder".

Blue Moon released a revamped and renamed set of seasonal beers starting with the Winter Abbey Ale, in 2010.[5]

In Canada, Blue Moon is marketed as "Belgian Moon" with packaging very similar to the Blue Moon labeling found in America.

Blue Moon brews
  • Blue Moon (1995) (originally Bellyslide Belgian White)
  • Raspberry Cream Ale (1995) (Special release)
  • Nut Brown Ale (1995) (Released with Raspberry Cream Ale)
  • Blue Moon Pale Ale (2008) (originally Pale Moon)
  • Blue Moon Grand Cru (2010) Strong Belgian white ale, originally released to commemorate Blue Moon on New Year's Day 2010 - (Retired)
  • Mountain Abbey Ale (2010) (formerly Full Moon (2006) and Winter Abbey Ale (2012), originally Blue Moon Winter Ale)
  • Spring Blonde Wheat Ale (2011) (formerly Rising Moon (2007), originally Blue Moon Spring Ale) - Valencia Grove Amber (2013) is the current Spring Seasonal Collection
  • Summer Honey Wheat Ale (2011) (formerly Honey Moon (2006), originally Blue Moon Summer Ale)
  • Harvest Pumpkin Ale (2011) (formerly Harvest Moon (2006), originally Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale)
  • Spiced Amber Ale (2011) (Retired)
  • Farmhouse Red Ale (2012)
  • Valencia Amber Ale (2012) (included in the Spring 2012 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • Agave Nectar Ale (2012) (included in the Summer 2012 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • Caramel Apple Spiced Ale (2012) (included in the Fall 2012 Brewmaster's Sampler) - Commemorating Lunar Blue Moon August 31, 2012 & September 1, 2012
  • Sunshine Citrus Blonde (2013) (included in the Spring 2013 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • Blackberry Tart Ale (2013)
  • Peanut Butter Ale (2013) (Special release)
  • Rounder Belgian-Style Pale (2013) (Part of the Expressionist Collection)
  • Gingerbread Spiced Ale (2013) (included in the Winter 2013 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • Cinnamon Horchata Ale (2014)
  • Chai Spiced Ale (2015) (included in the Fall 2015 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout (2015) (included in the Winter 2015 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • White IPA (2015)
  • Belgian Table Pils (2016)
  • Cocoa Brown Ale (2016) (included in the Winter 2016 Brewmaster's Sampler)
  • Mango Wheat (2016)
  • Iced Coffee Blonde (2019)[6]
  • LightSky Citrus Wheat (2020)

Controversies

Craft beer

In 2012, Blue Moon had come under fire from the Brewers Association for not stating on the bottle that the beer is made by MillerCoors. The Brewers Association says that this omission allows the Blue Moon Brewing Company to masquerade as an independent craft brewer.[7] Some other independent craft brewers agreed with the assessment.[8] In May 2015, a California man filed suit against MillerCoors for the "Craft Beer" labeling.[9]

Naming

In 1999, the Confédération des Brasseries de Belgique (The Confederation of Belgian Breweries) sued the then-named Coors Brewing Company over its use of the term "Belgian White". The CBB alleged Coors' advertising was misleading, and could confuse American consumers into believing Blue Moon was made in Belgium. Coors at first responded by adding "Made in USA" and "Belgian-style" in small print to the bottle labels, but refused to change its advertising or packaging.[10]

Coors eventually settled out of court with the CBB, agreeing to change the labeling to "Belgian-style Wheat Ale". Additionally, the CBB distributes the beer to conglomerates in European countries.[11]

The New Belgium Brewery, which makes Fat Tire Amber Ale, also complied with the CBB's request for name changes.[12]

Awards
  • 1995 World Beer Championship gold medalist, White Beer category
  • 1996 World Beer Championship silver medalist, White Beer category
  • 1997 World Beer Championship silver medalist, White Beer category
  • 2008 World Beer Cup gold medalist, Specialty Honey Lager or Ale category for Blue Moon's Honey Moon
  • 2008 World Beer Cup silver medalist, Fruit and Vegetable Beer category for Chardonnay Blonde
  • 2008 World Beer Cup Champion Brewery - Large Brewing Company
  • 2012 World Beer Cup silver medalist - Blue Moon Vintage Blonde Ale, Fruit Wheat Beer Category
  • 2016 World Beer Cup silver medalist - First Peach Ale, Fruit Wheat Beer Category

See also

References
  1. Coors.com Nutrition Information Archived 2015-03-14 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Molson to brew Blue Moon beer in Montreal". CBC News. May 5, 2005.
  3. Blue Moon Brewing Company, accessed April 28, 2012
  4. "MillerCoors Beers". MillerCoors.com. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  5. "Age Verification". MillerCoors. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  6. Pomranz, Mike. "Blue Moon Releases Iced Coffee Blonde Beer Nationwide". Food & Wine. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  7. "Trouble Brewing: The Craft Beer Vs. 'Crafty' Beer Cat Fight". Time.com. 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  8. "Big Beer dresses up in craft brewers' clothing". Fortune. 2012-11-15. Archived from the original on 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  9. Craft Brewer Sues Miller-Coors Over Blue Moon Labeling Archived May 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  10. Belgian Brewers Group Sues Coors; Alleges America's 3rd Largest Brewer Misleads Consumers., Business Wire, November 18, 1999
  11. Coors agrees to change Blue Moon labeling - Brief Article, Modern Brewery Age, December 11, 2000
  12. Belgian brewers sue Coors, Realbeer.com, November 19, 1999
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