Blue Moon

When most of us picture a vacation to Mexico, we think of white sandy beaches and crashing waves. Not our brewmaster. His trip itinerary consisted of visiting agave cactus fields and tasting local beers that use natural agave nectar. Lucky for us, because now we have Blue Moon® Agave Blonde Ale to enjoy as a result. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener similar to honey, but with a nuttier taste. Our limited summer release is crafted with agave cactus nectar and white wheat for a subtle sweetness and a balanced taste with a smooth finish. It’s like a little shade in a bottle.

It started with our brewmaster, Keith Villa, wanting to craft a beer inspired by the flavorful Belgian Wits he enjoyed while studying brewing in Belgium. He brewed his interpretation using Valencia orange peel versus the traditional tart Curaçao orange peel, for a subtle sweetness. Then he added oats and wheat to create a smooth, creamy finish that’s inviting to the palate. As a final touch, he garnished the beer with an orange slice to heighten the citrus aroma and taste. Its natural unfiltered appearance adds to the depth of flavors in Belgian White*.

Our limited release stout is brewed with cocoa then a rich blend of decaf coffee is added for a fresh roasted-coffee taste and a subtly sweet finish.

In anticipation of the blue moon on August 31, 2012, we reached out to our fans to help us craft our next Blue Moon®. We started by taking suggestions from our fans, and then we brewed three beers based on their input. Then came the hard part—tasting the beers. Our fans voted for their favorite, and with that we now welcome Caramel Apple Spiced Ale to our collection of limited seasonal releases. We blend apple juice with cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel malts for a warming spice taste to stir up the tastes of fall.

Blue Moon Christmas? Maybe. Gingerbread Ale. A wheat beer brewed with ginger, spices, and molasses.

We first brewed our Grand Cru in 2009 as a celebratory beer for the blue moon that just happened to fall on New Year’s Eve. For this rare event, we created a bolder expression of our classic Belgian White*. It blended the familiar flavors of orange peel and coriander with generous amounts of wheat, oats, and barley malts to create a richer, more robust ale.

In 1995, we crafted our first autumn seasonal—Pumpkin Ale. At the time, Oktoberfest beers were in high demand. For our version, we wanted to create a beer that was a little different than what was already out there and complemented the season by highlighting the flavors we’ve all grown to love during this time. It was so popular that it became the first nationally available pumpkin ale. Harvest Pumpkin Ale, as it’s called now, is crafted with pumpkin and spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice for a taste you’ll want to fall right into.

Inspired by Impressionist artists and their ability to capture the beauty in fleeting moments, Impulse™ is crafted with the juice of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wheat for notes of dark berries that blend effortlessly into the evening.

That’s how John Legnard, our brewmaster, refers to drinking Peanut Butter Ale. The best of beer and peanuts, all in one. That’s hard to beat. We craft our Peanut Butter Ale using real peanut butter for the taste of fresh-roasted peanuts with a nice malty backbone.

Inspired by Impressionist artists who carefully placed colors side by side to portray light radiating across landscapes, Proximity™ is crafted with the juice of Sauvignon Blanc grapes and wheat for citrus notes followed closely by a light floral finish to balance your day.

One of the first beers our brewmaster originally created in 1995, Raspberry Cream Ale is crafted with red and black raspberries for an aroma of fresh raspberries with a hint of tart sweetness. Inspired by our original recipe, we still brew it today for special events and festivals.

In the 1940's, Belgian-Style Pale Ales grew in popularity and were ordered by the round due to their balanced taste. Rounder, our expression of this sessionable style, is crafted with hibiscus and orange peel for a hint of spiciness and touch of wheat for a smoother, rounder taste.

Farmhouse Ales were brewed for the diligent farmhands who drew the short straw and had to work the arduous harvest. Our brewmaster’s expression blends the spiciness of a Farmhouse Ale with the tartness of a Flanders Red for a remarkably refreshing finish.

When our brewmasters crafted Spiced Amber Ale, they wanted to use a familiar winter spice that tasted as special as the season. They selected Indonesian cinnamon for its rich cinnamon aroma and taste with hints of lemon. The malt character adds a subtle sweetness to round out the taste of the beer. One sip, and you’ll want to light a fire, kick off your shoes, and enjoy the flavors of the season.

When we first opened our doors in 1995, our summer seasonal was one of the first beers we brewed. Back then, we called it Honey Blonde Ale, and it was a favorite of baseball fans coming to a game during the heat of the Colorado summer. It took an extended summer break in 1999, reappearing in 2006 in time to win a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival® under the name Honeymoon Summer Ale and then again in 2010 as Blue Moon® Summer Honey Wheat. The beer with more name changes than a professional athlete, today Blue Moon® Summer Honey Wheat is crafted with Colorado clover honey and orange peel for a refreshing taste that makes the most of sun-soaked days.

Living in Colorado, we’re lucky enough to get a taste of all the seasons. Some longer than others, but we can’t complain. One of our favorite times of year is spring. Mainly because it means winter is on its way out and summer is on its way in. We specifically crafted Sunshine Citrus Blonde with this transition season in mind. As we were moving on from the heavy, darker beers of winter, we started to crave a beer that would awaken our palates for the warmer weather ahead of us. That led us to use orange and lemon peel to give the beer a fresh citrus taste and wheat for a smooth malt character. It’s perfect for some long-awaited patio time.

Maybe it’s not time to shed that winter coat just yet, but we’re hoping this beer gets you one step closer. Valencia Grove Amber is for all those in-between days when you try to coax spring out by wearing short sleeves or flip-flops. You’re still cold. We get it. Cozy up with roasted malts, Valencia orange peel, and a touch of wheat for a hint of citrus that’s ripe for the season.

Keith has an obvious passion for brewing beer. That goes without saying. But he also has a little-known passion for wine-making. In 1995, while he was crushing grapes and thinking back to his travels through California and French wine country, the idea of blending a beer with a wine popped into his head. Intrigued, he had to give it a shot. He started by using the juice of Chardonnay grapes to give the beer a crisp, light quality, very much like a glass of Chardonnay. He then used white wheat as the only grain to create a clean, smooth finish that could not be achieved with other malts. After cellar-aging the batch for a couple of months, he tasted his latest work. He was pleasantly surprised with the clarity and refreshing taste. In 2006, with wine and Craft beer growing in popularity with drinkers, he decided it would be a good time to bring it back. After a couple of years at festivals and special events, it started to gain a following. Then in 2010, it just happened to take home a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival®. Knowing an ale this good should be shared, we distributed it in 2011 as Vintage Blonde Ale™. So now, after six years, Vintage Blonde Ale is released nationally for all to enjoy.

It’s no secret that it gets pretty cold here in Colorado. So early on in the brewery’s history, our brewmasters wanted to create a beer that would do the trick on a snowy winter day. Today, we craft our winter wonder with roasted malts and dark Belgian candi sugar for rich caramel and toffee notes. It’s perfect on those winter days when you’re stuck inside.