Unadorned, you're assaulted by an almost vegetal nose, like an old produce drawer or like someone has shoved just-chopped weeds under your nose. When one tastes Blue Moon sans orange slice, it becomes apparent why the citrus is necessary. Several sources claim that that a Coors executive came up the orange slice idea as a gimmick to draw attention to Blue Moon when it was served in bars. The citrus slice has no true basis in tradition. We did our tasting without the orange slice that's often served with witbier in American bars. While they're fine on a hot afternoon, the spices and aromas suggest colder seasons.
One question that arose during the tasting: When is it time for white ale? Some friends suggested it was definitely summertime. Some of the creamier examples, like Allagash or even Hoegaarden, were balanced, but the bad ones had an almost milky quality, and the coriander comes across more like celery.
The standard Hitachino Nest showed well, as did Hoegaarden.īut the white ales cleaved into two styles - one more crisp, and another creamier.
Bernardus, crisp, light, and subtle and Quebec's Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue, almost wine-like with lots of body and a thicker head. The two favorites of the tasting were the classic Belgian witbier St. Yet while I found some diverse, interesting options, old favorites like Allagash and Ommegang still showed well. They are also slightly lower in alcohol, almost of all of them under 6 percent and most around 5 percent.ĭespite the ubiquity of Blue Moon and Hoegaarden, the witbier universe is much larger, as I found when I recently did a tasting of 17 of them. Though now there are usually some hops in the mix, witbiers still appeal to the sorts of drinkers who don't love hoppy beers - which may explain their appeal among younger drinkers. These days, gruit is usually replaced with orange peel and coriander. They're related to medieval beer styles that predate the use of hops, and were brewed with an herb mixture known as gruit. In the Belgian tradition, witbiers are made with a high proportion of wheat, often unmalted. White ales are called "white" because of the pale cloudiness caused by the suspension of yeast. Even with the big brands in market, pioneers like Allagash have had a steady witbier following for more than 15 years. In fact, in the world of American craft beer, witbier is one of the more mature styles, and certainly one of the first Belgian styles to gain popularity here. Blue Moon's main competitor here is Hoegaarden, now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. So here's another debate for beer nerds: Is Blue Moon good for craft beer or not?īefore we get into that, though, let's clarify that Blue Moon is MillerCoors' interpretation of a Belgium-style witbier, or what we call "white ales" in the U.S. As most drinkers know, it was created by MillerCoors. 1 "momentum brand" last year - the fastest growing beer in the craft/specialty market.Įxcept that Blue Moon is not really a craft beer. Blue Moon's growth has been astronomical, with a jump of almost 30 percent between 20. These findings are backed up by real numbers. I teach university creative writing courses, and among my female students, 100 percent say Blue Moon is their favorite beer. beer consumption: It's Blue Moon's world. Spend an evening with a bunch of women in their 20s, and you'll quickly realize something about U.S. Everyone else under 30, it seems, simply orders Blue Moon. Beer nerds may debate the merits of Zeus versus Amarillo hops or the effects of bourbon barrels versus new oak. When the waitress walked away, I shot my friend a look.įair enough.
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