Anheuser-Busch launches hefe-weizen

Modern Brewery Age, March 13, 1995

Anheuser-Busch will begin marketing a new wheat beer in test markets in five states, the company said last week (See photo on this page).

The beer, known as Crossroads, is an unfiltered, top-fermenting beer, said to be in the "hefe-weizen" style. The brewer says that Crossroads is brewed with a proportion of wheat malt and two strains of yeast, and reported that it "has a fruity aroma and a clean, crisp finish."

Crossroads will be brewed at the A-B Merrimack, NH, brewery, and will be available this week in Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN; Raleigh & Durham, NC and Columbus, OH. It will also be available in certain Florida and Texas markets.

"Our goal with Crossroads is to take what has traditionally been a specialty-niche product and turn it into a more mainstream beer that has a wide consumer appeal," said Paul Stoddart, Crossroads' senior brand manager.

"Crossroads is unlike any beer brewed by A-B during our 143-year history," he said, "and it ably demonstrates that we are committed to leading the industry by introducing distinctive beers that offer consumers real taste difference and benefits."

He said Crossroads will be supported with a "broad range of TV, radio and outdoor advertising support."