PEAKS OF DELICATE SWEETNESS, SPICY AROMAS HIGHLIGHT ASCENT 54, ANHEUSER-BUSCH’S NEW BREW FOR COLORADO

German-Style Dark Wheat Specialty Beer Honors State’s 54 Mountain Icons

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (April 9, 2007) – It isn’t dubbed a Rocky Mountain state for nothing. With 54 mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet each, Colorado was made for climbing. In honor of that fact, Anheuser-Busch introduces Ascent 54 – an authentic German-style dunkel weisse (dark wheat) beer available on draught in select bars and restaurants in Colorado starting today.

Developed and brewed locally at Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins, Colo. brewery, Ascent 54 is an unfiltered beer with a delicate sweetness, complex taste and a surprisingly light finish that complements its blend of specialty malts and unique spicy aromas. The beer is a deep-bronze color and has a distinctively dense and long-lasting foam head.

This specialty beer was crafted by a small, hand-picked group of beer lovers from various areas of expertise at Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins brewery who chose the beer style, created the recipe and selected Ascent 54’s name and tap marker design.

“As members of this community for more than 20 years, we took great pride in crafting a beer specifically geared toward the discerning palate of Colorado’s adult beer lovers,” said Steve Presley, senior assistant brewmaster of Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins brewery. “People who thrive on trying new and different styles of beer at their favorite neighborhood pubs will enjoy discovering this one.”

For Ascent 54, the development team chose a blend of German Hallertau-Hallertau and Hallertau-Tettnang hops, which contribute to the brew’s complex taste and light finish. Also included is 50 percent malted wheat, combined with the finest Munich, caramel and chocolate malts, which give the beer its rich, deep-bronze color. A Bavarian weisse yeast strain was imported for use during fermentation to ensure the beer developed its expressive palate and characteristic weisse aroma.

Ascent 54’s unique tap marker, designed to catch the eye of local beer lovers looking to try a new and different brew, features a distinctive climbing axe embedded in a mountain rock, with blue and white diamonds on the handle. The diamond pattern mirrors that featured on the Bavarian flag, which ties in to the overall authenticity of this German-style brew. The rock symbolizes the ruggedness of the Rocky Mountains. A diamond-shaped plaque positioned in the center of the rock displays the beer’s name and is similar in color and typeface to the Colorado license plate.

In addition to paying homage to Colorado’s peaks through its name and tap marker, Ascent 54 is supporting the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), a non-profit organization that maintains and improves hiking trails and educates the public about minimum-impact use of fragile mountain areas.

“Ascent 54 is a special beer named for a highly-recognizable part of the Colorado landscape,” Presley said. “We could think of no better way to honor the beer’s namesake than to partner with an organization dedicated to preserving the peaks.”

Ascent 54 is best served in a tall glass with a wide opening, which allows the beer’s aroma to funnel straight to the nose. The beer’s complex flavor pairs well with barbequed meats, spicy cuisine, traditional German fare, cheese and a variety of sweet desserts including apple pie, strudel, pecan pie and lemon cake.

Brewed at Anheuser-Busch’s Fort Collins, Colo., brewery, Ascent 54 contains 5.5 percent alcohol by volume. Ascent 54 is part of Anheuser-Busch’s company-wide local specialty beer program, which was introduced to brew specialty beers that are uniquely tailored to regional taste preferences. The program was initially launched at Anheuser-Busch’s Merrimack, N.H., and Columbus, Ohio, breweries in March 2006 and was later extended to the company’s St. Louis brewery in September 2006.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser‑Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.8 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser‑Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country’s best-selling premium beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2006. Anheuser‑Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

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