MillerCoors Brewing Co.MillerCoors
MillerCoors Yanks MGD 64 LemonadeLow-Calorie Citrus-Flavored Beer Proves Sales LemonMillerCoors' experiment with lemonade-flavored beer has fallen flat, with the brewer planning to pull MGD 64 Lemonade from the shelves. The limited-time offering debuted in May and had been planned to run through Labor Day. But the beverage, billed as "64 calories of crisp, refreshing beer with a lemonade twist," looks more like a lemon, with the brewer not pleased with the results. "Winning in beer requires testing the bounds of the market with innovation," MillerCoors said in a statement. "With that commitment, however, comes a recognition that not every innovation will succeed. That is the case with MGD 64 Lemonade, so we have decided to discontinue this line extension." The brewer plans to buy outstanding cases from distributors and "where legal, we will cover destruction costs up to $2.50 per case." The beer is an extension of the MGD 64 base brand, which MillerCoors says it is sticking by, while "asking distributors to redouble their efforts" behind the low-calorie beer, which competes with Anheuser-Busch's Bud Select 55. Targeted at 24- to 34-year-old females, MGD Lemonade is classified as a "flavored beer," not a flavored malt beverage, because it "maintains the brewed characteristics of MGD 64, with the complementary flavor of lemonade, [which is] not [the] defining flavor," MillerCoors said when it was launched. The brew is somewhat similar to MillerCoors-owned Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, a seasonal summertime brew that has gained popularity among females. The ad agency for MGD 64 is Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi, New York.
Minnesota Shutdown Stops Beer Distribution
July 13, 2011 5:29 PM EDT As the Minnesota government shutdown drags on, residents may soon be without one of their favorite cold beverages: beer. Minnesota state officials informed MillersCoors on Wednesday that the company must remove its 39 brands of beers from Minnesota shelves because it was unable to process the necessary licenses before the government shut down.
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(Photo: REUTERS / Rick Wilking)
It must take its products out of liquor stores, restaurants, bars, and any other place that sells the alcoholic beverages. The second biggest U.S. beer distributor claims it got all of the necessary paperwork in before the deadline, but yet the company still does not have the necessary licenses to sell in Minnesota. "When they resubmitted their application it wasn't received in time for us to process it before the government shutdown occurred," Doug Neville, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said. In Minnesota, companies are expected to obtain licenses every three years for a price of $30 a brand. For MillersCoors the cost of registering would have been a paltry $1,170, but now the company stands to lose far more money if the situation cannot be resolved. Summer months typically tend to be very popular for beer sales and alcohol sales, which doesn't bode well for MillersCoors. "With 39 brands at stake in one of our largest markets in the country during the most important selling period of the year, we do not take our business of ensuring proper state licenses lightly," MillerCoors spokesman Julian Green told The Wall Street Journal. "We are currently in discussions with the state to bring this issue to resolution." As long as the shutdown continues there isn't much the company can do, though. Neville said that Minnesota has already informed MillersCoors on the removal process and that it expects products will begin to be pulled from shelves in the next day or two. "They're unable technically to either distribute or sell their product in the state," Neville said. "There's no room within the statute for us to make any accommodation." Not only will the company itself lose money over the administrative snafu, but restaurants and liquor stores that serve the products could take a financial hit. The head of the Minnesota Licensed Beverages Association was disgusted by the situation. "A large percentage of our beer consumed in Minnesota comes from MillerCoors," Frank Ball executive director of the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, told Reuters. "We think it is ludicrous to think they have to pull all of their product because an administrative clerk is off duty." The Minnesota government shutdown began when officials were unable to come to a budget agreement before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1st. The shutdown has had far-reaching effects, forcing 22,000 employees on furlough and now the loss of a major beer brand's products.
MillerCoors, Chicago, IL
MillerCoorsFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search
MillerCoors is a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company, announced on October 9, 2007. The joint venture has the responsibility of selling brands such as Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors, Coors Light, Molson Canadian, and Blue Moon (beer) in the United States, with the purpose of combining all of their US brewing operations to better compete against Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company is also tasked with brewing brands of beer and lager that are owned by Pabst Brewing Company. Pete Coors has been named as chairman of the new company, and Molson Coors Chief Executive Leo Kiely is the CEO of the joint venture. Tom Long, CEO of Miller, is appointed president and chief commercial officer.[1] U.S. antitrust regulators approved the joint venture on June 5, 2008. The venture was completed on June 30, 2008 and MillerCoors began operation as a combined entity on July 1, 2008. The combined venture is headquartered in Chicago, IL. SABMiller and Molson Coors are still independently run.[2][3] Notes^ Daykin, Tom (2007-10-09). "Miller, Coors to combine U.S. operations". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20071211152625/http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=672364. Retrieved 2008-01-17. ^ Roeder, David (2008-07-15). "MillerCoors to make Chicago home". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/business/1057306,beer071508web.article. Retrieved 2008-07-15. ^ Daykin, Tom (2008-06-05). "U.S. signs off on Miller, Coors merger". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2008-08-03. Retrieved 2008-06-05. External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MillerCoors" Categories: Beer and breweries in the United States | Companies based in Chicago, Illinois | Joint ventures | Companies established in 2008 | Beer and brewery stubs Related PostsGoose Island Brewery, Chicago, ILMiller High Life, MGD 64 Light Beer, Miller, MillerCoors, SABMiller Brewing Company Chambers Wine & Liquor Aurora,CO Tenth and Blake Brewery | ||||||||||||
