On March 26th, Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado announced that Aspen Edge™ - its super-premium, low-carb light lager-is now available at on- and off-premise outlets in 17 new markets including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Nevada. The company intends to complete its national rollout of Aspen Edge by Memorial Day.

Aspen Edge beer -- referred to as a light lager -- is already available in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland, Virginia, Maine, and Texas.

According to a recent ACNielson Home Survey, 17 percent of American households include someone that is currently following some form of a low-carb diet.

Aspen Edge has been created for the carb-conscious consumer.

Merrill Lynch analyst, Martin Feldman wrote in a report issued last month, "The goal of launching Aspen Edge is to capture those consumers aged over 30 years who are shifting into the low-carb segment."

This lager with 2.6 grams of carbs and 94 calories in a 12-ounce long neck twist-off bottle, is available in 6- and 12-pack bottles. In comparison: Anheuser-Busch's Michelob Ultra has 2.6 grams of carbohydrates and 95 calories in a 12-ounce bottle. It has a 2.1 percent share of the beer market less than 18 months after its launch and helped drive the high-end category up by 7.2 percent in 2003. Michelob Ultra is the fastest-growing brand in the company's history, selling 400,000 barrels in its first quarter. Coors hopes the new brew will be a formidable answer to Anheuser-Busch's Michelob Ultra beer. They also hope the Aspen name will bolster their marketing power. As The Aspen Daily News reported in March, "like Aspen cologne and Aspen Pure, Aspen Edge isn't bottled here either; the beer comes from Golden, Colo., where Coors is headquartered.

After studying the potential of various monikers for the new brew, "our research showed 'Aspen' scored higher than all the others," Company spokeswoman Kabrira Hatland said. "We feel like 'Aspen' communicated a super premium beer," she said, "and we felt Aspen conveyed a high quality and our heritage is in the Rocky Mountains."

Coors' Master Brewers Keith Villa and David Bright created Aspen Edge through extensive research and development, a special blend of malts and a proprietary brewing and fermenting process.

"Coors' unique brewing process allows us to brew great flavor into the beer," says Keith Villa. "We also have one of the longest brewing processes in the industry. The result is a smooth taste, a distinctive color, and a crisp, clean finish. From the first sip, you'll notice it has the same complex aroma that premium lager drinkers are used to tasting."

Coors was founded in 1874 in Golden, Colorado by a German immigrant named Adolph Coors. In 1993, W. Leo Kiely III became the Coors Brewing Co.'s first president from outside the Coors family. Last year, Kiely, 57, was voted CEO of the Year by the Colorado business community. At the age of 86, Adolph's son, Bill Coors retired from his company's board.

Last March, Coors became the National Football League's official beer sponsor, beating longtime NFL sponsors Anheuser-Busch and Miller.

Today, Coors is the United States' third-largest beer maker.

Coors Light currently makes up 75 percent of Coors' U.S. sales.

Go Coors go!

Eat ... and drink right. Live better.

~Jennifer King, a CU alum who first acquired her taste for beer thanks to Coors

Previous Story Reported in RuggedElegantLiving.com, 12/4/03