Beer gets a push onto the mixed-drink bandwagon

Springtime in St. Louis: Time to sit on the porch, knock the mud off your shoes and enjoy a Bud Light Orangutang. A what, you ask? The Orangutang is one of many Drink Innovations created by Anheuser-Busch to liven up our beer-drinking experiences – or, perhaps, to stay competitive in a market where mixed drinks are outpacing beer in popularity. The marketing and brewing divisions worked together to create the program, which promotes a whole line of beer mixers. “We understand today’s contemporary adults appreciate variety and want the ability to customize when choosing a beverage,” said Angie Minges, manager of innovations and new products at Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser-Busch caught wind of a long beer-mixing history in Europe, where the tradition can be traced to a German drink called the Radler. A mix of lager and lemon-lime soda or lemonade, the Radler (which means “cyclist”) was created by Franz Xaver Kugler, who owned a tavern so popular with cyclists that on a day in 1922 he served 13,000 of them. When Kugler began to run out of beer, he mixed his brew with lemonade and told the cyclists he did it especially for them so they’d make it home safely. Whether or not they believed him, the drink caught on. In England there’s a similar cocktail called the Shandy. If you’re so inclined, you can insult Brits who can’t hold their ale by calling them “Shandy drinkers.” Although women in particular might be attracted to the lower alcohol content of the Drink Innovations, Minges said, “We’re targeting all adults who really enjoy variety and are open to trying new and exciting beverages.” The Orangutang is a mixture of beer, orange juice, simple syrup, a blush of Grenadine and a few ice cubes. Pretty enough to be served in a champagne flute, the Orangutang tastes surprisingly similar to a Mimosa and looks like a Mimosa/Tequila Sunrise hybrid. The only hint of beer comes from the small, familiar bubbles of carbonation, which cling to the sides of the glass in a way bubbles from sparkling wine don’t. What’s on the horizon in the innovation department? “We’re continuing to develop new recipes and receive fun ideas from adults who go to www.drinkinnovations.com,” Minges said. Anheuser-Busch ambassadors sent out to promote the drinks have found that bartenders are interested in trying new mixes and making up drinks on the spot. “It’s about personal taste and customization, taking your favorite liquor and mixing it with your favorite beer,” said Jill Vaughn, a staff brewmaster at Anheuser-Busch who works on new products. On the Drink Innovations site you can experiment with ingredients on the screen instead of in the glass, which allows you to try variations before you order them from a bartender or make them at a party. “They’re easy to make,” Minges said, “so they fit both at home and at bars.” For those who want proven combinations, the site also has an archive of favorites and a drink of the month, such as the BEatch, a combination of Chambord and BE (beer with caffeine, ginseng, guaraná extract and natural flavors, according to the can). I admit I’m not the coolest beer drinker on the block. I’ve been spotted toting a 12-pack of Busch Light cans on hot days with no glass in sight, let alone mixers or garnishes. Yet I’ve enjoyed every innovation I’ve tasted – including the Budweiser Ginger Beer and the dessert-sweet Bud Select Budberry Tini – and everyone I know who hears about the drinks speculates about what they might be able to make for themselves. So don’t be alarmed if you find your drinking buddies sipping their beers out of stemware and cutting fruit for garnishes. It’s OK, because they’ve been doing it in Europe for decades, and besides, it tastes good.