Budweiser is giving New York beer lovers the chance to experience and taste history with the release of its limited-edition 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager.

The recipe behind Repeal Reserve dates back to the pre-Prohibition era when Adolphus Busch created and brewed a special Amber Lager for his friends and local community to enjoy. Due to the onset of Prohibition in 1920, the beer wasn’t distributed widely outside the St. Louis area, but Budweiser is now releasing the historically-inspired recipe across the US to celebrate the Repeal of Prohibition, which took place on December 5^th, 1933.

To promote the new limited-edition 1933 Repeal Reserve Amber Lager, Budweiser is partnering with ride-share app Lyft and unleashing a fleet of vintage cars in Manhattan, New York, tomorrow (Wednesday, October 25^th, 2017).

“We are excited to mark the upcoming holiday season and the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition with this new brew based on a forgotten recipe,” said Ricardo Marques, vice president, Budweiser. “While Budweiser Repeal Reserve is a great tasting Amber Lager, it also tells the story of an important part of our history and gives reason for celebration.”

As part of the launch, the brand is bringing the Prohibition era to life by unveiling a fleet of antique cars in partnership with Lyft, Budweiser’s preferred safe rides partner. On Wednesday, October 25^th, New Yorkers aged 21 and over will have a chance to enjoy the Bud Vintage Mode and experience a ride in an authentic, vintage car. They can register for the rides by visiting  www.lyft.com/BudVintageMode.

During the specially-designed ride, passengers will cruise through the streets of New York, passing landmarks and neighbourhoods that were integral to Prohibition, while learning about the newly released beer.

“When Budweiser told us they wanted to offer a fleet of vintage cars to launch Repeal Reserve, we knew Lyft was the perfect option to celebrate the new recipe in a stylish and unexpected way,” said Melissa Waters, vice president of marketing, Lyft. “We encourage everyone to make the right choice to drink responsibly and keep our roads safe, and that’s why we continue to team up with Budweiser, a brand that shares the same commitment.”

Budweiser is also partnering with online beer delivery company Drizly, with a special code for $5.00 off their first purchase of 1933 Repeal Reserve, using the code Prohibition.

Budweiser, an American-style lager, was introduced in 1876 when company founder Adolphus Busch set out to create the United States’ first truly national beer brand – brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes.

Lyft, founded in 2012, is the fastest-growing ride-share company in the U.S and is available to 95% of the US population.

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Greene King, the official beer sponsor of English cricket and grass-roots rugby, is hosting a major sports-themed nationwide on-pack promotion, created and implemented by Farnham-based marketing agency Ten Feet Tall.

Appearing on 250,000 bottles of IPA, IPA Gold and IPA Reserve, the promotion is running off-trade and is supported by a TV spend in excess of £250,000.

Each bottle wrap showcases one of 10 ‘Great Sporting Moments’, from England’s 1966 World Cup victory to Saracens’ European Double in 2017, and the series of collectable labels features not only football, cricket and rugby but also golf, motorsport and cycling.

Customers are driven online to read not only the full story behind the sporting triumph, but also to discover whether the unique code on their label means they have won a summer-themed gift from the £50,000 prize fund.

Ten Feet Tall MD Ed Hughes says: “Our marketing expertise in the sports and sponsorship arena combined with Greene King’s legendary support of both professional and grass-roots sport make for a winning combination.”

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Heineken 0.0 alcohol-free lager was one of the sponsors for the first-ever Mindful Drinking Festival in mid-August.

The Mindful Drinking Festival, which took place on August 13^th, 2017 in London’s Bermondsey Square, featured a range of innovative drinks to taste and buy, talks from producers, mocktails from top mixologists, and more. The organisers say it was the first event of its kind to truly showcase the emerging no alcohol/low alcohol sector of the drinks industry.

The festival featured:

• Zero to 0.5% abv drinks; beers, wines, adult soft drinks.
• 30 stalls with innovative drinks and food.
• Talks and tastings from producers and experts.
• Non-alcoholic mocktails by leading mixologists.
• Free samples of some of the latest drinks available.

Heineken was one of the sponsors, and the company’s Master Brewer, Willem van Waesberghe (pictured), was on hand to explain more about the dedicated brewing process which is used to create Heineken 0.0’s premium flavour.

Van Waesberghe commented: “We were delighted to welcome so many fans and teach them more about Heineken 0.0. This new beer gives consumers choice for a variety of drinking occasions. It also contributes to the growing trend around the importance of responsible alcohol consumption and living a balanced, healthy lifestyle”.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Heineken employs around 2,000 people. In addition to being Britain’s leading cider and beer business, Heineken owns around 1,049 pubs through its Star Pubs & Bars business. Its portfolio of brands includes Foster’s, Heineken, Strongbow, Desperados, Kronenbourg1664, John Smith’s, Bulmers, Amstel, Birra Moretti and Old Mout plus a full range of niche and speciality brands.

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Premium Spanish lager San Miguel has launched two new promotions, one targeting the on-trade and the other consumers under the ‘San Miguel La Experienca’ campaign banner.

The activity has been developed to celebrate consumers embracing experiences in the on-trade and to recognise the venues that deliver on this.

The brand will initially try to identify venues that offer great food and also venues with the best outdoor spaces, amongst other factors. Successful venues will be supported with local press advertising and social media encouraging consumers to visit these venues.

In addition, a select number will be given the ‘San Miguel La Experiencia’ treatment, which will include a bespoke San Miguel branded event and widespread local publicity to drive footfall to the venues.

In the off-trade, San Miguel will also release 200,000 special edition Explorers chalice glasses across selected grocery and independent off-trade outlets this month.

Alongside the special edition chalice glass, packaging will offer shoppers the chance to win their own bespoke experience. San Miguel says that in recognition of the fact that today’s consumers want choice, the winner will work with an events company to create a unique experience that taps into their own interests and aspirations.

The multi-channel campaign launched in April this year with cinema, print and digital support which lasts through to December. There will also be a celebrity endorsement.

Dharmesh Rana, senior brand manager for San Miguel at Carlsberg UK, said: “We’ve evolved the campaign for 2017, so that it supports on-trade operators who focus on creating fantastic experiences for their guests and shoppers. It’s inspired by San Miguel’s founding family who were explorers and adventurers, and we want to reward and celebrate those pubs and bars up and down the UK which place a higher value on experience above all else.”

Rana added: “Our chalice glass is a real brand strength, reflected by the fact that so many are ‘borrowed’ from pubs up and down the country. This activity gives shoppers the chance to get their hands on a special edition version that tells our story, and creates an opportunity for them to enjoy our great beer at home in a perfect serve, ensuring drinkers have a great San Miguel experience.”

The on- and off-trade activity will run in conjunction with a nine-month consumer campaign which seeks to find 20 ‘life-rich’ individuals and collectives from across the globe to appear in the San Miguel Rich list 2017, published in the national media in the autumn this year.

‘The San Miguel Rich List’ first appeared in 2016. Consumers are invited to nominate people (either individuals or collectives) who they believe are explorers or trailblazers in some way and who have rejected the pursuit of wealth and status in a search for other kinds of value: people, in other words, who are rich in experience.

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