4 ms·

I've never heard of blue moon referred to as a craft beer. I always had the sense that it was only a step down from bud light in terms of corporateness.

nkozyra 12y ago
Same. It may have been considered a notch above the normal macros maybe 15 years ago, before the whole craft thing went really nuts, but never itself a craft beer. Hell, it was nationally distributed, available in every grocery store in the United States. This is not a unique scenario. InBev owns Leffe and Goose Island, for example.
- bydo 12y ago
  Goose Island and (especially) Leffe were both extant brands before being acquired by InBev, which is a bit different from Coors creating the Blue Moon myth of whole cloth. InBev's most direct analogue is Shock Top, the packaging of which also avoids any mention of its parentage. Regarding Blue Moon: in the US, at least, their marketing seems dedicated to working in the word "craft" as frequently as possible. I imagine it isn't actually legal for it to be marketed as a "craft beer," as that's a controlled term, but they certainly use both words in isolation.
  - rch 12y ago
    I think Blue Moon was an acquisition too (I went to school in Golden - wouldn't drink it for free).
  - ben1040 12y ago
    >I imagine it isn't actually legal for it to be marketed as a "craft beer," as that's a controlled term On that note, Boston Beer Co (the ones behind Sam Adams) had been pushing for changes to the definition of "craft beer" so their mass-market beer could still fall under that heading. Specifically the 6mm barrel threshold mentioned in the Pricenomics article. http://beerpulse.com/2011/01/brewers-association-enacts-sam-adams-provision-as-brewery-nears-threshold/ http://beerpulse.com/2011/01/brewers-association-enacts-sam-...
    - ghaff 12y ago
      I didn't realize there was an official definition. Interestingly, at the time Sam Adams and other brews that were a step up from the mass market lagers in the US, as I recall a distinction started being draw between craft beers (Sam Adams, Harpoon, Anchor Steam, etc.) and microbrews--where microbrews were the very small local brews with limited distribution. As I remember things, this first microbrew movement (as well as something of a homebrewing fad) sort of declined but it's more recently really roared back in force. On trend I've noticed recently is the big "craft" brewers like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada have really expanded their lineups and come out with all sorts of limited time as well as higher-end products like barleywines.
rossk 12y ago
I do think they've tried to blur the lines-- their slogan for a while was "expertly crafted".
bfuller 12y ago
I have experienced numerous individuals irrationally argued against me when I told them blue moon was brewed by coors, not a 'microbrewery', whatever that means. I'm personally sick of having to associate every consumer product with some sort of public good or political cause. I don't like blue moon, but if I did, the fact that coors brews it would not stop me from partaking.

nkozyra 12y ago

Same. It may have been considered a notch above the normal macros maybe 15 years ago, before the whole craft thing went really nuts, but never itself a craft beer. Hell, it was nationally distributed, available in every grocery store in the United States. This is not a unique scenario. InBev owns Leffe and Goose Island, for example.

bydo 12y ago
Goose Island and (especially) Leffe were both extant brands before being acquired by InBev, which is a bit different from Coors creating the Blue Moon myth of whole cloth. InBev's most direct analogue is Shock Top, the packaging of which also avoids any mention of its parentage. Regarding Blue Moon: in the US, at least, their marketing seems dedicated to working in the word "craft" as frequently as possible. I imagine it isn't actually legal for it to be marketed as a "craft beer," as that's a controlled term, but they certainly use both words in isolation.
- rch 12y ago
  I think Blue Moon was an acquisition too (I went to school in Golden - wouldn't drink it for free).
- ben1040 12y ago
  >I imagine it isn't actually legal for it to be marketed as a "craft beer," as that's a controlled term On that note, Boston Beer Co (the ones behind Sam Adams) had been pushing for changes to the definition of "craft beer" so their mass-market beer could still fall under that heading. Specifically the 6mm barrel threshold mentioned in the Pricenomics article. http://beerpulse.com/2011/01/brewers-association-enacts-sam-adams-provision-as-brewery-nears-threshold/ http://beerpulse.com/2011/01/brewers-association-enacts-sam-...
  - ghaff 12y ago
    I didn't realize there was an official definition. Interestingly, at the time Sam Adams and other brews that were a step up from the mass market lagers in the US, as I recall a distinction started being draw between craft beers (Sam Adams, Harpoon, Anchor Steam, etc.) and microbrews--where microbrews were the very small local brews with limited distribution. As I remember things, this first microbrew movement (as well as something of a homebrewing fad) sort of declined but it's more recently really roared back in force. On trend I've noticed recently is the big "craft" brewers like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada have really expanded their lineups and come out with all sorts of limited time as well as higher-end products like barleywines.

rossk 12y ago

I do think they've tried to blur the lines-- their slogan for a while was "expertly crafted".

bfuller 12y ago

I have experienced numerous individuals irrationally argued against me when I told them blue moon was brewed by coors, not a 'microbrewery', whatever that means. I'm personally sick of having to associate every consumer product with some sort of public good or political cause. I don't like blue moon, but if I did, the fact that coors brews it would not stop me from partaking.