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Brew Master Keith Villa on the newest twists he and the Blue Moon Brewing Company are ‘brewing’ up
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Welcome back everybody I'm -- and -- -- and -- have a very special -- right now the founder of -- -- Expensive for college case but I got a flashback to college it's -- -- -- popular beer.
He -- joining us now on set founder and head brew master and you're story is really.
Interesting I hate to use them that the basic word like interest interest -- perception not basic story but how -- -- -- had a few signs.
Well eventually.
Perfection back in the old days 1985.
That's restarted blue moon brewing company in Denver Colorado.
And we started started -- -- enough Coors Field to the little baseball park -- Home of the Colorado Rockies -- Denver Colorado enough if you grew from nothing in 1985.
But in 1985 EU our out of college you.
Went to Belgium actually impeached -- -- and so -- let's go -- -- The big -- I know a little bit of your story OK so Erie college university Colorado yes you see an ad for an intern ship on a bulletin board.
-- -- Before that I was headed to medical's -- was I was gonna become a pediatrician.
I wanted to work with kids and be a doctor.
And I saw that.
Bulletin board advertisement from Coors Brewing Co.
asking for someone to do your research not want to -- out of -- only -- -- -- checked it out and yes.
-- co -- a couple of articles as an undergrad so this that I was the most qualified and kids went over and talk to them so after that this if you -- start working next week after you graduate to we've loved to have you -- And so I had to go back to my dorm room and ask myself up of one of the work with sick people are bigger than.
Ten on the trigger for a year I don't like it'll go to medical school.
So our -- did it -- after two years.
Yeah I loved researcher I said you know and equipment to give my doctorate from these had pulled on would have reason to Belgium to get your Ph.D.
in -- He can secure took on a micro seconds say yes and so they sent me there was there for four years and was at university of Brussels and Belgium get my doctorate -- brewing -- But during that time my travel to most of the -- in Belgium and and Europe.
And just learn how the Europeans brewed Beers specialty Beers German Beers English I -- -- everything.
And -- -- my doctorate came back in the 1995 started the blue moon brewing company.
And it's a division of MillerCoors but it's -- it's a very small -- who started with nothing in 1995.
And with the resources and the help of our parent company.
We're able to grow it to the largest craft brand in the United States so was that a lot of fun lot of hard work but a lot of fun -- after -- I -- doctor -- but to.
Yeah so how did you incorporate the European tastes -- and well I stock with tried and true traditional recipes.
But with a twist of -- traditional recipes with a little twist problem goals and whites which is our or -- Couples of -- over there.
That's our franchise -- when that started it all in 1995 -- basic first product -- that was it it was it was a huge risk back then because people weren't familiar with Belgian Beers and so we launched with our beer that was cloudy.
Nicolaus.
You just easy.
-- with coriander and orange -- Three different greens with -- with or we've -- we molten Ochs and that's it it's all natural.
And we've launched in of course it was very difficult to -- -- -- -- -- because people were familiar with that style.
And don't sort of hope people get interest -- -- -- -- -- it's gonna take what they took it took a long time because the first two years was very difficult.
Sort created that -- slices garnished that you see blue moon.
-- with in 1997 I did that and that helped to get people more interest in the beer and it's a functional -- because it brings up your fuel that has -- with.
But it still didn't quite -- until.
-- 2003 as we hit critical mass of started taking off what did it and 2000.
A lot of hard work -- was that the beer itself through time later at eight you have to have a lot of patience when you start something like that because.
When you start -- trend like that.
They don't take off right away trend down this -- change the way people think and we people drink.
And or cloudy -- was very different back then having orange garnish on I was very different -- but together that plus hard work that is.
Going out and educating people about here about our beer and how to enjoy beer with food.
That's what really.
Came together about our -- to the forefront where we started experiencing.
Says he doesn't really issues here you got on the map really and that's really took -- -- okay hadn't cheated during the recession.
Actually we did well -- -- look what -- he -- right -- -- Well yeah but some people do try to do that but responsibly.
I think we did very well because -- although not recession proof it's it's fairly -- recession resistant.
OPEC has -- -- in -- it's a very affordable luxury for a lot of people.
But the counter to that would be you know lots of construction workers on auto workers -- of the people you.
Stared typically think of this being your he veered drink they lost their jobs during the recession and that didn't affect sales well.
Most of those people are drinking the premium Beers in the premium light fears.
The drinkers of craft beer different typically -- wine drinkers and spirits drinkers and more upscale.
Worker got it I wanna get into the wind aspects that.
Craft Beers booming right now it really is a big market and how are you playing into that -- should -- his competitor what are you doing differently.
Well because Kraft competitors are terror and in a lot of our friends really it's it's it's nice not competitive business but -- -- -- -- -- we we dependent and children and this kind of like a fraternity sorority and yeah.
So Tim Adams or they're the biggest craft brewer.
-- of that new Belgium.
I mean these names -- people who probably heard of.
And there's also really small names that are popping up.
You know you are you buying any of those small craft breweries and it really haven't heard of the to have a good product to China fire them.
We we really trying to grow organically.
Ourselves and then of course -- -- and -- division of MillerCoors -- specialized in in these type of imports and specialty Beers and insiders.
And so businesses may have reported in the last year we purchase -- insider.
Because that outsider categorically is really growing and it's it's really an interest in fund category to be -- And -- wine is entering the next but it really into the mix along time ago but it's kind of like now we're discovering it yes this -- helped you big time you're.
Profits are up in the double digits and.
-- -- -- year double digit growth he yes we do have a lot of fun we've been growing like crazy and I'm making.
Just enough beer tuned to fill the markets and that we we wish we could make more but.
But it's tough -- other reason behind that double digit growth right -- this is our newest product this is actually a beer meet with cabernet someone on Greenwich.
Likewise purple listed.
Relatively trends.
And -- you are designed to actually.
Taste like wine with a hint of -- its.
It's one of the very first Beers brewed with 100% wheat there's no Barley -- in here and it's very difficult to do although -- Ph.D.
sort of can figure out how to do it.
And we put the cabernet sauvignon grapes into the for -- -- And at formats and not result is a beard that looks and smells like cabernet sauvignon on with a hint of beer -- and I thought that -- have a -- smell it's up.
I -- the line.
Yeah I didn't believe me we can't taste but it tastes like -- and oak barrel.
It's it's very nice infected goes well with food you can enjoy this with but really nice piece of beef you can usually with dark chocolates just like -- company wine.
It's interesting because in the wine industry food pairings very bank Clinton -- language and it seems like it very similar in the craft beer industry as well.
It is in effect the -- world really took the cue from the Belgians who.
-- -- -- -- Many years ago we've kept up that it there -- really the world's experts when it comes to appearing here with food beer is unique because it has carbonation.
Wind doesn't so -- considerate so there's that like this guy right if you're to amusement park with wine and food he -- -- -- writing on this high during the evening at the end you generally get often.
Can go home.
With beer -- -- carbonation and and so scrubs of the politics.
So that with each four full of food you treat your beer your experiences nice taste sensation and it's scrubbed and -- It's -- you can experience it again so it's like a roller coaster kind of -- a frightening like this in.
You can not happen here valley key -- united.
Let's -- and then spit out.
Years -- I figured out that.
I do you have to keep working out running -- mountain biking and I come from Colorado which you know there's an inactive tells -- culture now insulate them.
Keep your reactive to make sure that I don't you can gain a lot of -- you know most popular -- at a party.
Usually -- yeah I -- -- -- that's right.
Thank you sound -- think you know I think -- happy holidays.
We'll -- the web site on the screen now.
And -- you've all heard -- it you probably I'll love it.
And well nine you know comes in different varieties and they're doing really really well that was an interesting story from keep -- okay quest.
