The companies say the two brands will introduce a new taste of history to beer and bourbon fans through a cross-merchandising programme starting in the spring and a new collaborative brew launching in the autumn.
Starting this month, the two brands will begin appearing together at bars and retail venues across the US, in time for baseball season. Inspired by the ‘beer and a bourbon shot’ occasion, the on-premise cross-merchandising programme will feature Budweiser and Jim Beam bourbon together as the ‘perfect pairing’.
In September, Budweiser’s brewers and Beam’s seventh generation master distiller Fred Noe will celebrate the upcoming 85th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition with a limited-edition collaborative brew – Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager.
The Copper Lager is said to be brewed with two-row barley and aged on Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves to create a toasted oak aroma and nutty taste with caramel rye and vanilla notes, says the companies.
Budweiser vice president of marketing Ricardo Marques said: “This is a truly unique partnership and innovation that will surely drive excitement with our drinkers.”
“This partnership feels especially natural given our brands’ common values and the pivotal roles they’ve both played in American history,” said Rob Mason, Beam’s vice president of marketing. “Our family distillers have produced ‘America’s Native Spirit’ since 1795, using traditions and techniques passed down through the generations.”
Beam says it was their fourth generation distiller, James B. Beam, who rebuilt his family’s distillery in 120 days after Prohibition was repealed to produce what is today the world’s best-selling bourbon.
Budweiser kept its doors open through Prohibition by creating other non-alcoholic packaged goods as they waited to bring beer back to America.
The companies claim the partnership between Budweiser and Jim Beam promises to deliver “unique product innovations, integrated marketing efforts and a unique way to delight both beer and bourbon fans. The two brands will lean on their incredible American heritage to deliver a modern drinking experience this year and beyond.”
