(Boston, MA) – Here’s a brief update on the collaboration between Boston Beer Co. and Weihenstephan.
[11/17 Update: Some beautiful shots featured in The Dieline.]
[11/11 Update: Latest article says that this beer will be on shelves by mid-December.]
[11/8 Update: Per Reuters, Infinium will be available later this month at a suggested retail price of $19.99/bottle. There are 15,000 cases hitting the North American market. Do not be fooled by retailers who charge an exorbitant price because of rarity that’s not there.]
[10/21 Update: Per the Washington Post, this beer will be released in the U.S. in late-November. Click here for the official website.]
[6/19 Update: It’s official. Infinium will be the first beer as part of this collaboration. We’ll have to wait and see if there are more beers after that.]
Sometime last month, Boston Beer Co. received label approval for three beers: Infinium, Valtus and MXL. It’s hard to say what the story is with these three labels as they are all marked ‘For Sample Purposes Only.’ Yes, like some other big companies, Boston Beer Co. occasionally passes through labels explicitly for use at events and by media.
But why three? I was under the impression that the breweries were creating a “beer” but Jim Koch did tell the Associated Press last fall that they were creating a “brand.” So three beers or one? Given that BBC is probably pouring a good chunk of change into this artwork, there’s a chance that one (or three) of these will be the actual beers released but alas, nothing has been confirmed.
The beer, said to be Champagne-like and 10% ABV, will be imported through Total Beverage Solution, Weihenstephan’s U.S. importer. Though the original press release stated that this would be available in the spring, a rep with the company told me a while back that the new timetable is fall.
Boston Beer CEO, Jim Koch, revealed to the Wall Street Journal in April that whatever is going into this beer is special enough that the companies are filing a patent for the process. A recent search for the patent came up empty though. Beer Connoisseur Magazine is supposed to have more on this story in an upcoming issue.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they released three beers at once. They came out with three beers in the Imperial series and then three again with the barrel aged corked series. Growing a brand with a slow roll out of one beer at a time seems to be a foreign concept to Sam Adams these days.
Rarity can be regional as well. For example my region is expecting a total of 40 cases. As soon as it’s here we’ll be selling it for $19.99
That is a good point. Good to see you’re going with the suggested price though I guess all I’m saying to readers is don’t get taken for thinking this should go for $30+. $20-25 doesn’t seem unreasonable depending on locale.
I was very glad to hear about the collaboration between Boston Beer Co. and Weihenstephan. Back in 1967-68 I was stationed in the U.S. Army in a small town named Freising, Germany. This is the town that Weihenstephan was founded in back in 1040. I had the honor to visit the brewery many time to tour it and also enjoy eating there in their outside restaurant. After coming back to the states I missed that wonderful tasting beer called Weihenstephan. About a couple of years ago I found a store in NJ who was importing it.I bought up just about all they had. Everybody around my neighbor drinks so many other different brands. Then I read about Sam Adams and Weihenstephan and said to myself that I got to get a few bottles of that “Infinium” I couldn’t find it anywhere. Everybody was sold out or didn’t get any in. Finally I found four bottles which I bought up in a heart beat. I am going to save them for a very special time. To think that I lived in the same small town in Germany forty four years ago. What a lucky man I was.