Bud introduces a nitro beer as the style linked with Guinness grows in popularity

Budweiser is getting gassed. The beer today announced a new variety called Nitro Reserve Gold, which is infused with nitrogen. The most famous nitrogenized beer is Diageo-owned Guinness, which is of course known for its dark color and Irish heritage. But plenty of craft brewers have come out with nitro beers in recent years. Craftbeer.com wrote about the trend back in 2013, noting that “because of the complex science (and secrecy) that goes into the canned or bottle offerings, most are sticking to draft.” Bud Nitro, on the other hand, will be sold in can and on draft. Other canned nitro beers such as Guinness use nitrogen filled capsules known as widgets that are used to generate bubbles once the can is opened. Bud Nitro does not include a widget. Instead the brand will instruct drinkers to flip the can three times to infuse the nitro bubbles, “then pour hard straight down the middle of a glass for that extra smooth finish with smaller and denser bubbles,” according to informational materials. The brand will also encourage drinkers to wait for the bubbles to settle. Marketing will plug that pouring experience, using the line “flip, pour hard, wait for it.” A TV ad from VaynerMedia (above) called “Wrong is Right,” illustrates how the pouring ritual differs from the conventional wisdom that you should never shake a beer or pour it straight down the middle. Nitro contains 5 percent alcohol-by-volume, the same as regular Bud. The brewer touts the variety as having a "silky-smooth finish." “We see this launch as an amazing opportunity to connect with the hugely important trend towards premiumization and the rise in popularity of nitro-infused beverages in other categories,” Ricardo Marques, VP marketing for U.S. core and value brands at AB InBev, said in a statement. Non-beer brands getting in on the nitro trend include Pepsi, which last year announced Pepsi Nitro. ~ ~ ~ CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Bud Nitro would not be sold on draft. A brand spokesman later clarified that it would be sold on draft.

Bud introduces a nitro beer as the style linked with Guinness grows in popularity

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