BleedGopher
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The Most Popular Beer in Each State, Mapped (Minnesota: Coors Light)
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GophersInIowa
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I would have guessed Mich Golden
Cruze
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Unraveling Minnesota’s Love Affair with Michelob Golden Light
Mich Golden is both rumor and legend in Minnesota. Local lore tells that the beer was introduced by Anheuser Busch to compete with Miller Genuine Draft, but the only people who took a shining to it were Minnesotans.
The demand was so great that Michelob made the beer a Minnesota exclusive. Now, you can buy cans of the St. Louis-made macro with Minnesota’s jagged silhouette emblazoned on the side. A simple tale for a simple beer. But where does the truth diverge from the legend?
Fact: Mich Golden was launched to compete against draft lagers like Miller Genuine Draft
Mich Golden first appeared in 1991 as Michelob Golden Draft, a corn-y American adjunct lager. At the time, the beer world was abuzz with so-called “draft” beers like Bud Draft, Coors Banquet, and Miller Genuine Draft, but MGD is most commonly cited as Mich Golden’s impetus for existing because the beers share the same initials. In the early days, both sported a black and gold label, linking them inextricably in the annals of Minnesota beer.
Jessica Potter, Senior Director of Trade and Regional Marketing at Anheuser Busch, confirms that Mich Golden was introduced to corner the draft beer market for Anheuser. “Michelob Golden Draft Lager was initially launched in the early 1990s nationally to provide consumers with a high quality draft-style lager,” she says.
Soon after, the Michelob Golden Light variation was introduced, which proved so popular it made its predecessor obsolete. Somewhere along the way, they dropped the “draft” part altogether.
Myth: Mich Golden is only sold in Minnesota
Here, the myth diverges. Some claim that, Mich Golden was only ever sold in Minnesota. Others proclaim that it was introduced in the entire Midwest, but only the sales in Minnesota were good enough to justify its continued existence. Neither is correct.
Anheuser Busch tested Michelob Golden Draft in the Upper Midwest, a region that contains Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Currently, it is sold in seven states other than Minnesota, and Potter says that Michelob is always exploring opportunities for expansion. The brand tested limited SKUs in Montana as recently as last year.
Myth: Mich Golden owes its success to the bland palates of Minnesotans
While approachability does play a factor in any macro beer’s success, according to Doug Hoverson, author of Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota, what separated Mich Golden from the competition and gave it generational staying power was its magical marketing. Not only did the beer come in a distinctive ridged can, it was promoted with the tagline: “Smooth over everything.”
“It’s the ultimate beer that was brewed for refreshment rather than flavor,” Hoverson says. “There’s never been any argument from Mich Golden about how it’s made with the finest barley and hops. It’s just smooth.”
The appeal of a smooth beer isn’t something specific to any one region. If you came of age in Minnesota during the Clinton years, you’re tied to Mich Golden not by taste but by time. 1991 was 28 years ago, when drinkers in Minnesota were weaned with “smooth over everything” blaring across their televisions.
If you were a young drinker, you weren’t looking for a challenge. And Mich Golden was the cheapest, least challenging beer you could buy.
Fact: Nobody loves Mich Golden like a Minnesotan
Potter confirms it in simple terms: Minnesota is far and away Michelob Golden Light’s strongest market and the brand’s primary marketing priority. For Michelob’s distributor Capitol Beverage, Mich Golden represents 25% to 40% of total sales in Minnesota.
“Minnesotans like to set themselves apart,” Walsh says. “That’s the appeal. When Mich Golden was coming out, that’s when you would’ve seen legacy brands like Hamm’s and Grain Belt Premium going under. So that was the Minnesota beer to take ownership of.”
Read complete article at: https://oct.co/essays/unraveling-minnesota-love-affair-michelob-golden-light
Mich Golden is both rumor and legend in Minnesota. Local lore tells that the beer was introduced by Anheuser Busch to compete with Miller Genuine Draft, but the only people who took a shining to it were Minnesotans.
The demand was so great that Michelob made the beer a Minnesota exclusive. Now, you can buy cans of the St. Louis-made macro with Minnesota’s jagged silhouette emblazoned on the side. A simple tale for a simple beer. But where does the truth diverge from the legend?
Fact: Mich Golden was launched to compete against draft lagers like Miller Genuine Draft
Mich Golden first appeared in 1991 as Michelob Golden Draft, a corn-y American adjunct lager. At the time, the beer world was abuzz with so-called “draft” beers like Bud Draft, Coors Banquet, and Miller Genuine Draft, but MGD is most commonly cited as Mich Golden’s impetus for existing because the beers share the same initials. In the early days, both sported a black and gold label, linking them inextricably in the annals of Minnesota beer.
Jessica Potter, Senior Director of Trade and Regional Marketing at Anheuser Busch, confirms that Mich Golden was introduced to corner the draft beer market for Anheuser. “Michelob Golden Draft Lager was initially launched in the early 1990s nationally to provide consumers with a high quality draft-style lager,” she says.
Soon after, the Michelob Golden Light variation was introduced, which proved so popular it made its predecessor obsolete. Somewhere along the way, they dropped the “draft” part altogether.
Myth: Mich Golden is only sold in Minnesota
Here, the myth diverges. Some claim that, Mich Golden was only ever sold in Minnesota. Others proclaim that it was introduced in the entire Midwest, but only the sales in Minnesota were good enough to justify its continued existence. Neither is correct.
Anheuser Busch tested Michelob Golden Draft in the Upper Midwest, a region that contains Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Currently, it is sold in seven states other than Minnesota, and Potter says that Michelob is always exploring opportunities for expansion. The brand tested limited SKUs in Montana as recently as last year.
Myth: Mich Golden owes its success to the bland palates of Minnesotans
While approachability does play a factor in any macro beer’s success, according to Doug Hoverson, author of Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota, what separated Mich Golden from the competition and gave it generational staying power was its magical marketing. Not only did the beer come in a distinctive ridged can, it was promoted with the tagline: “Smooth over everything.”
“It’s the ultimate beer that was brewed for refreshment rather than flavor,” Hoverson says. “There’s never been any argument from Mich Golden about how it’s made with the finest barley and hops. It’s just smooth.”
The appeal of a smooth beer isn’t something specific to any one region. If you came of age in Minnesota during the Clinton years, you’re tied to Mich Golden not by taste but by time. 1991 was 28 years ago, when drinkers in Minnesota were weaned with “smooth over everything” blaring across their televisions.
If you were a young drinker, you weren’t looking for a challenge. And Mich Golden was the cheapest, least challenging beer you could buy.
Fact: Nobody loves Mich Golden like a Minnesotan
Potter confirms it in simple terms: Minnesota is far and away Michelob Golden Light’s strongest market and the brand’s primary marketing priority. For Michelob’s distributor Capitol Beverage, Mich Golden represents 25% to 40% of total sales in Minnesota.
“Minnesotans like to set themselves apart,” Walsh says. “That’s the appeal. When Mich Golden was coming out, that’s when you would’ve seen legacy brands like Hamm’s and Grain Belt Premium going under. So that was the Minnesota beer to take ownership of.”
Read complete article at: https://oct.co/essays/unraveling-minnesota-love-affair-michelob-golden-light
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All the good tiki bars must be in California & Washington.
Isn't all beer beer-flavored water?
Cruze
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Good point. I need to come up with a different way to describe beer that tastes mostly like water.