By Andy Young
Popular US craft beer Blue Moon has launched its seasonal favourite Summer Honey Wheat in Australia for the first time.
The 5.2 per cent ABV, filtered wheat ale will be available across on- and off-premise in draught and 300ml packaged formats.
The Summer Honey Wheat was the first summer seasonal brew launched by Blue Moon Brewing Co in 1995 and has become one of the top-performing seasonal craft beers in the US.
Blue Moon is part of the Molson Coors International portfolio and as such is distributed in Australia by Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA). In a statement about the launch CCA said: "Originally called Honey Blonde Ale, it was a favourite of fans coming to the brew pub during the heat of the Colorado summer. In 2006 under the name Blue Moon Honeymoon, it won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in the Specialty Honey Lager or Ale category, winning gold in the same category the following year, under the name Honeymoon Summer Ale.
"Under the current name, it scooped a third GABF gold in 2010, and now has one of the highest seasonal sales volumes in the US, achieving 6.2 per cent growth in 2014 and outpacing the likes of Sam Adams seasonal (3.9 per cent), Shock Top seasonal (-10.7 per cent) and Sierra Nevada seasonal (-1.9 per cent)."
Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat is available now from Vintage Cellars and selected independent off premise retailers, and in Dan Murphy’s from mid-February.
It is also available on tap at selected craft beer venues across Australia including Beer Deluxe (Fed Square, Melbourne and Albury), The Fox Hotel (Collingwood), The Fox on Montague (South Melbourne), Rose Diner and Bar (Port Melbourne), The Chippendale Hotel (Chippendale, Sydney), Rosie Campbell’s (Surry Hills, Sydney), Buffalo Bar (Brisbane), Surfers Sand Bar (Surfers Paradise), Peak Wine Bar (Maroochydore) and Story Bridge Hotel (Kangaroo Point, Brisbane).