Alcohol by volume 5.4% Introduced 1995 | Style Wheat beer | |
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Manufacturer Blue Moon Brewing Co. (MillerCoors) | ||
Blue Moon Belgian White is a Belgian-style witbier brewed by MillerCoors under the name the Blue Moon Brewing Co. originally in Golden, Colorado, and launched in 1995.
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Originally called Bellyslide Belgian White, the beer was created by Keith Villa, a brewer at the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field, Denver, Colorado (owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company). Blue Moon brewed at the Molson Brewery in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is sold in the USA, as well as exported to Europe. It's sold under the name Belgian Moon in Canada. Blue Moon Brewing Co. is an entity of Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the craft and import division of MillerCoors.
The grain bill for Blue Moon includes malted barley, white wheat, orange peel, coriander and oats—and is sometimes served with a slice of orange, which its brewmasters claim accentuates the flavor of the brew. Keith Villa admitted the orange slice garnish was mostly for attention-getting when Blue Moon is served in a bar.
Available in cans, bottles and kegs, Blue Moon has 5.4% alcohol by volume. In Oklahoma, Minnesota, Colorado and Utah, the alcohol content of all Blue Moon beers bought in grocery or convenience stores is 3.2% alcohol by weight (approximately 4.0% alcohol by volume). Blue Moon Brews and seasonal brews sold in liquor stores are 5.4% by volume.
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Craft beer controversy
Blue Moon has come under fire from the Brewers Association for not stating on the bottle that the beer is made by MillerCoors. The Brewers Association says that this omission allows the Blue Moon Brewing Company to masquerade as an independent craft brewer. Independent craft brewers, such as CEO Greg Koch of Stone Brewing Co., agree that the multinational conglomerate brewers' use of bottle imagery similar to independent craft beers misleads consumers. In May 2015, a California man filed suit against MillerCoors for the "Craft Beer" labeling.
Naming controversy
In 1999, the Confederation des Brasseries de Belgique (The Confederation of Belgian Breweries) sued the then-named Coors Brewing Company over its use of the term "Belgian White". The CBB alleged Coors' advertising was misleading, and could confuse American consumers into believing Blue Moon was made in Belgium. Coors at first responded by adding "Made in USA" and "Belgian-style" in small print to the bottle labels, but refused to change its advertising or packaging.
Coors eventually settled out of court with the CBB, agreeing to change the labeling to "Belgian-style Wheat Ale". Additionally, the CBB distributes the beer to conglomerates in European countries.
The New Belgium Brewery, which makes Fat Tire Amber Ale, also complied with the CBB's request for name changes.
Variations of Blue Moon
In addition to their original Belgian White variety, Blue Moon Brewing Company offers Blue Moon Summer Ale, renamed Honey Moon in 2006. Honey Moon contains 5.2% alcohol by volume in a standard 12 fluid ounce bottle. The beer was renamed "Summer Honey Wheat" in 2011 and is still sold under that name.
In autumn, Blue Moon provides Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale, renamed Harvest Moon in 2007. This variety contains the flavors of pumpkins and other autumnal spices. Harvest Moon is typically available in bottles from mid-September through December. It contains 5.7% alcohol by volume in a standard 12 fluid ounce bottle. The beer was renamed "Harvest Pumpkin Ale" and is still marketed under that name.
Blue Moon offers Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale during the winter season. Its name was changed to Full Moon with the subtitle "Blue Moon Winter Ale" in 2007. It is brewed with natural flavor and a caramel color. Full Moon contains 5.6% alcohol in a standard 12 fluid ounce bottle. The name was changed to "Mountain Abbey Ale" in 2012.
In spring, Blue Moon provides Blue Moon Spring Blonde Ale, originally known as Rising Moon. In 2011 the recipe was changed removing the Kaffir lime leaves. The new recipe focuses more on orange and lemon peel to add the citrus flavors. In 2013 the beer was changed to "Valencia Grove Amber", an amber ale brewed with Valencia orange peel, roasted malts and a touch of wheat.
It addition to its seasonal brews, Blue Moon released a pale ale called Pale Moon in 2008, with filings commenced to create a Pale Moon Light. Pale Moon is now marketed as "Rounder".
Blue Moon released a revamped and renamed set of seasonal beers starting with the Winter Abbey Ale, in 2010.