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Budweiser launches nitro beer you can shake

AB InBev-owned beer brand, Budweiser, has launched a new nitro lager with a corresponding ad campaign which encourages drinkers to shake the can.

The lager will be rolled out across the US in six-pack 12-ounce cans from this month.

With its 5% ABV brew, Budweiser is attempting to disrupt traditional beer serving techniques, encouraging customers to shake the can three times before serving, and rather than tilting the glass, to pour the beer straight down the middle of the glass.

The new beer will be promoted via a 30-second television advertisement illustrating the best way to serve the lager. With the instructions ‘Flip. Pour hard. Wait for it,’ the ad is accompanied with the tagline: “a lager best enjoyed the wrong way.”

Ricard Marques, Budweiser’s vice-president of marketing, core and value brands, said: “Nitro Pour ritual adds some theatre and excitement to the traditional beer pour – offering something new without the sacrifice of the traditional Bud flavor they love.

“With Budweiser Nitro Gold, it’s all in the flip – three times to be exact – to ignite smaller, denser bubbles for a silky-smooth tasting experience.”

Using nitrogen in the beer industry is not a new concept, with Diageo’s Guinness having developed the concept for its ‘Easy Pour’ system. Since then, the largely insoluble gas has been used in beers produced around the world, and is said to give the resulting liquid a smoother mouthfeel.

Marques is confident that the nitro beer category has great potential.

He said: “We’re very excited about the introduction of Budweiser Nitro Reserve because it meets the growing demand for premium products and the rise in popularity of nitro-infused beverages. With its unique serving ritual, Budweiser Nitro Gold produces a beautiful cascade visual and delivers a silky-smooth taste due to smaller, denser bubbles.”

In a statement, Budweiser says that unlike other nitro-infused beers, its Nitro Gold does not require a ‘widget’ – usually a plastic, nitrogen-filled ball with a hole, which helps to release some CO2 from the beer in the can in order to create a head. Instead, Budweiser claims shaking the can helps “energise the nitro bubbles”.

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