Stella Artois releases first-ever limited-edition seasonal brew

AB Inbev's Stella Artois released a brand new, limited-edition seasonal beer right after the world’s largest brewer suffered a sales slump due to weaker demand.

Midnight Lager – inspired by the midnight sky – welcomed a bold new black and gold look as it hit store shelves nationwide on Nov. 4

Prior to its release, AB Inbev noted consumers are looking for more sophisticated products, a trend that has hurt sales for some of its top brands in recent years.

The black lager features notes of Belgian dark chocolate and freshly brewed espresso with a hint of smoke in the finish. It is brewed with roasted dark malts that give the beer its signature look.

The beer which is said to make "the season feel original again" will be available until the end of the year.

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PRNewsfoto/Stella Artois

PRNewsfoto/Stella Artois

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“The rich taste of Stella Artois Midnight Lager along with the deep, warm notes perfectly complements the cold crisp weather and will be the brew worth toasting with this holiday season,” said Lara Krug, vice president of Stella Artois.

Stella Artois is owned by Interbrew International B.V., a subsidiary of the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV.

Their brewing tradition dates back to 1366 in Leuven, Belgium, which is also where the original Den Hoorn brewery was founded.

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Den Hoorn is known for laying the foundation for the quality taste and standard of Stella Artois which was originally brewed as a holiday gift in Leuven.

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The holiday release comes just after AB Inbev said the amount of beer it sold fell in the three months ending in September due to weaker demand as well as temporary shipping disruptions in China.

The Belgium-based company said sales of beer by volume fell 0.9 percent. Meanwhile, its overall revenue grew 2.7 percent to $13.2 billion as it managed to increase the profitability of some products.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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