New Bud beer to launch at the Super Bowl

Anheuser-Busch will launch its new higher-alcohol beer, Budweiser Black Crown, during the Super Bowl at the beginning of February.

Although the new product will be available in shops around the US from 21 January, the first advert will be screened during the Super Bowl on 3 February.

The Super Bowl is one of the premier sporting events in the US calendar, and commercials screened during the American football final have become a huge part of the overall fanfare surrounding the event.

The new beer is 6% ABV, up from Budweiser’s usual 5% and was picked from a range of limited-edition beers that were created by Budweiser’s brewmasters. They were asked to come up with a unique take on Budweiser’s flagship brand and then customers were asked to sample and comment on the range last year.

Black Crown, created by Los Angeles brewmaster Bryan Sullivan, was picked as the best from the sample and Budweiser has decided to take the beer national.

Budweiser vice president, Rob McCarthy, said: “It didn’t matter where in the US we asked, this is the beer that consistently drew the best feedback, and overwhelmingly so.”

Budweiser Black Crown blends “two-row caramel malt with four types of domestic hops, finished on a bed of Beechwood chips”. The beer’s senior brand manager, Nate Scudieri said: “It stays true to the original Budweiser recipe but has its own unique take. It’s flavourful, smooth and highly drinkable.”

Budweiser, who also launched Bud Light Platinum during last year’s Super Bowl, will launch Black Crown with a 30-second commercial on 3 February.