Wild Blue Blueberry Lager

Beer-a-Day #261Wild Blue

Brewed with a blend of two- and six-row barley malt, classic Aroma hops from the Willamette Valley in the Pacific Northwest and German hops from the Hallertau region in Bavaria and all-natural blueberry syrup made from real blueberries.

This is actually a “stealth” faux-craft offering from Anheuser-Busch. It first hit test markets in 2005 and won the gold medal in the fruit beer category at the 2006 North American Beer Awards. It went nationwide in spring 2008, but this is the first I’ve seen of it.

It's pink!It’s red. Not a deep amber, but red. And the head is pink. I can smell the blueberries all the way from over here. It smells like Boo Berries. The blueberry overpowers any beer that might be in there. My wife says that it’s not the worst fruit beer she’s ever had (and I concur) but, as so often happens, the fruit is so overwhelming that it tastes like Kool-Aid made with beer. Some people might like this, but it’s not for me. And a whopping 8% ABV, too.

Anheuser-Busch press release on nationwide release of Wild Blue, including a recipe for vinaigrette dressing

Sea Dog Bluepaw

Sea dog BluepawBeer-a-Day #141

Our unique contribution to the fruit ale category features the nutty quench of wheat ale combined with the delightful aromatics and subtle fruit flavor contributed by Maine wild blueberries.

The website says that this beer is 3.5% ABV, but the bottle proclaims it is 4.7%.

Yellow and clear. Lots of blueberries in the aroma. Not overly sweet; the blueberries don’t overpower it.

Sea Dog Brews