Brew Blog, sponsored by Miller Brewing, reports “Anheuser-Busch appears set on creating a brand to fight Miller Chill, according to Beer Business Daily.”
BBD reports that A-B appears to be conducting Internet market research surveys to gauge consumer interest in brands with Latin influences. These bear more than passing resemblances to Miller Chill.
There’s no disputing Chill’s success:
Miller hopes to sell 400,000 barrels of Chill in its first year. That would put Chill on roughly the same sales level as Foster’s Lager, Miller’s biggest import.
In supermarkets, Chill is outselling such established brands as Dos Equis, Michelob Light, Heineken Light, Beck’s, Blue Moon White, Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Rolling Rock, according to data from AC Nielsen. Supermarkets account for around 20% of U.S. beer sales.
Meanwhile, A-B already has Bud and Bud Light Chelada in the marketplace.
three letters. FAD
Or…five letters. GROSS.
The question that comes to mind is this: what were all these Miller Chill buyers spending their money on before this product arrived on the scene. It is a safe bet that most of them were buying various mega-brewer pale lagers, or Mexican or other imports of similar ilk. In effect the larger brewers and importers are likely just swapping volumes. I don’t believe the craft beer industry is being seriously threatened by Miller Chill and any others trying to jump on this bandwagon.
Miller Chill is gross. The sales they are getting are first time buyers looking to try something new. Everyone I know agrees it sucks. Return customers are highly unlikely.
Miller is saying that most of the drinkers (of course at the moment I cant remember where I saw this) are coming from outside the beer category. So the majority of the volume is not from mega brewers or craft brewers but wine and spirits.
I have to agree everyone. Chill is definitely nasty. Sales are going to drop off a cliff soon.
I run a bar and have already quit carrying it. The first batch went quit until everyone tried it once.
I don’t buy their explanation that most of the consumers are from non-beer categories. A non-beer drinker does not consume beer -most who prefer other spirits are not going to cross over -oh, they MAY try it ONCE if its perceived as ‘trendy’, but these folks are very unlikely to be repeat customers.
Tried it once myself (and I really like beer) -I won’t try it again. While not the worst thing I’ve ever tasted, it was certainly in the running for most foul concoction with the ‘beer’ label.
Hype can generate sales, but hype rarely sustains sales numbers. There are just too many ‘good’ options out there for the non-brewing public -and it probably goes without saying that the brewing public are more likely to well, make their own 🙂
I’ve had no interest in even trying this. I like my beer “plain,” I guess you could call it. I might have a lime wedge with a Red Stripe, but that’s as far as that goes.
Chill is not as bad as everyone here is maiking it out to be. I believe that most Chill drinkers are coming from the fruity cooler sect- I would take a Chill before a Smirnoff Ice anyday. While it is not a classic beer, I don’t think it’ll burn out too soon- I’m betting it’ll outlast Mic Ultra.