Two iconic beverages unite: Budweiser and Jim Beam release new beer in Western Canada
The most spirited crossover event of the season took place in Calgary last month as the King of Beers and King of Bourbon joined forces to launch Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager, a flavourful American copper lager with a toasted oak aroma, a deliciously nutty taste, and notes of caramel rye and vanilla.
Diners at an exclusive gathering were treated to the first taste of the Copper Lager, the result of a first-of-its-kind partnership between Budweiser and Jim Beam. The new beer, a bourbon-inspired twist on the flagship Budweiser beer, had guests raving about the unique, full-bodied taste. A limited run is available now solely to Canadians in Alberta and parts of BC.
Budweiser Brewmaster Eric Carteciano and Jim Beam Ambassador Ray Daniels were on hand to introduce the lager and offer an inside look into its innovative production process.
“Budweiser has a history of developing quality, unique innovations, and bringing those innovations to Canada,” said Carteciano. “This distinctive beer will delight both beer and bourbon fans, and we’re excited to give Calgarians a first taste.”
The beer is aged on actual Jim Beam bourbon barrel staves, previously used to age Jim Beam bourbon, giving the lager its distinctive aroma and hints of nuttiness. Jim Beam barrels are made from white oak that has been charred to release its natural wood-sugar. The sugar is gradually liberated into the bourbon as the cask leisurely expands and contracts over the four-year aging process. This complex and beautiful chemical dance gives Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey—of which Jim Beam is the acknowledged King—its inimitable taste.
To marry this legendary flavour to Budweiser, experts disassembled the charred white oak staves, fresh from their long rendezvous with Jim Beam, then sterilized and added them to the lager tank. The limited-edition Copper Lager is prepared for this meeting after undergoing its own unique and complex process. The brew starts with two-row barley—kilned by the maltster to the desired flavour—along with rice and other specialty malts. Primary fermentation occurs as the yeast dines on the beer’s sugars, creating alcohol and carbon dioxide. Before long the beer is ready for its date with Colonel Beam.
The Copper Lager may be inspired by the barhouse favourite of a “beer and a bourbon shot”, but this is no boilermaker-in-a-can. Like the classic Budweiser, the Copper Lager is an American-style lager beer, crisp and refreshing, but with a spiciness and subtle notes of smoke absent from its forerunner. It also packs more of a punch: Budweiser Copper Lager has 6.2 percent alcohol by volume, compared to 5 percent for classic Budweiser.
The Copper Lager’s forward taste profile is smokey with roasted malty flavour notes, making the drink an excellent pairing for meat or seafood, and unlike most lagers, the full body of the beer makes it ready to go toe-to-toe with bold mains like calamari or roast beef.
Budweiser has a long history of innovations in beer, including the 2016 launch of Prohibition Brew, a non-alcoholic beer, and earlier this year, it released Brewery Fresh, an unpasteurized version of Budweiser available directly from the tank. The choice of Alberta to launch the Copper Lager was no accident: the province is Budweiser’s home above the 49th parallel, and Edmonton is home to the first Budweiser brewery in Canada since 1980.
The crowd gathered in Calgary that night returned this affection. The Copper Lager is “a solid beer, it’s aromatic, easy drinking and very smooth,” said Candy, a food blogger on the site Candy Eats YYC. “[G]et a chance to try the Copper Lager before it’s gone!”
And for beer lovers in Eastern Canada; You’ll just have to come out West and visit.