Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Budweiser Celebrates Moon Landing With Discovery Reserve American Red Lager

By

buzz aldrin moon landing 1969
Buzz Aldrin salutes the U.S. flag (July 20, 1969). Neil Armstrong/NASA

Budweiser is celebrating the moon landing this year with a new beer.

Recommended Videos

With the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s famous steps approaching in July, Budweiser has released the Discovery Reserve American Red Lager, the fourth beer in the brewery’s Reserve Collection.

Brewmaster Karissa Norrington, a former U.S. Air Force captain, developed the recipe with the help of Budweiser’s archival recipe from when the Apollo missions were shuttling astronauts back and forth between the moon and Earth.

Discovery Reserve American Red Lager is made with Voyager barley malt, a medium-roast evoking the cosmic theme. The beer has a light hoppy aroma, along with toasted barley and toffee washing over the palate. The special-edition logo is circled with 11 stars and a moon in the background, representing the Apollo 11 mission, while alternating bottle caps signify the astronaut’s moon footsteps and future potential journeys to Mars.

Budweiser

The limited release will support the Folds of Honor Foundation with a contribution of $1 per 24-pack sold of the Discovery Reserve American Red Lager. The foundation supports educational scholarships for military families. It’s the eighth year Budweiser has partnered with Folds of Honor, donating nearly $16 million to the foundation for more than 3,000 scholarships.

“I salute Budweiser and their life-changing donations and continued commitment to Folds of Honor over the last eight years,” Folds of Honor CEO and founder Major Dan Rooney said in a statement. “We are proud to stand with them as they release Discovery Reserve, further illustrating their commitment to our armed forces.”

The beer will be available through the summer, as long as supplies last. The Reserve Series was debuted in fall of 2017 to debut new recipes and packaging tied to historic moments. Other beers in the series include the Reserve Copper Lager, Freedom Reserve, and Repeal Reserve.

As the American public gazes up to the moon in the summer sky this year, drinkers can toast to the July 20, 1969, footsteps of the Apollo 11 crew.

“This Bud’s for those who challenged the odds and made the impossible, possible,” said Ricardo Marques, Anheuser-Busch vice president of marketing core & value brands. “Budweiser Discovery Reserve is our tribute to this epic moment in history, one that will certainly continue to inspire generations of present and future explorers.”

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
Gin goes with everything! From strawberries to carrot
The Connaught

As an avowed gin lover, one of the things I enjoy about the spirit is its ability to mix with a wide range of ingredients. It can do some much more than a Gin & Tonic, as depending on the botanicals used in a particular gin it can be combined with everything from herbal lushness to bracing bitterness to fruity sweetness.

A balanced gin like Fords is a great choice for mixing as it isn't overly sharp or bitter, but still has enough interest to add depth to any drink you make with it. These recipes from bartenders around the world show just how diverse gin drinks can be, combining ingredients from strawberries and coconut to carrot and grapefruit.

Read more
The best gin drinks: Our 5 favorites
The best gin cocktails for you to make at home
Gin cocktail

When it comes to spirits, there are none as unique as gin. When distilled, gin doesn’t have much flavor, save for the ingredients it’s made with. It’s not all that different from vodka. It’s the addition of juniper berries and various herbs and botanicals either in the distillation process itself (or a second distillation), through vapor infusion (the herbs and botanicals are hung in a basket in the still), or through maceration (adding the flavors to an already distilled gin) that give the gin its distinct, memorable aromas and flavors.

If you’ve ever had gin (or even sniffed it), you know the most potent ingredient is juniper berries. They are what gives gin its patented pine tree aroma and flavor. Other common ingredients include orris root, angelica root, orange peel, and licorice.
Our 5 favorite gin drinks

Read more
Give your gimlet a herbal twist with this vodka cocktail
Ghost Hill Organic Vodka

The Gimlet is one of those cocktails that is so simple and such a classic that it's easily overlooked. Whilst I lean toward a Gin Gimlet (and I have strong feelings like it should be made with fresh lime juice and sugar syrup rather than a pre-made lime cordial), you can also experiment with different spirits such as the also popular Vodka Gimlet.

The simple recipe is ripe for experimentation though, and especially when you are working with vodka, you have a lot of leeway to incorporate other ingredients to add more interest and unique personality to your drink. This recipe from Ghost Hill Organic Vodka showcases the smooth and clean notes of the spirit while also allowing space for the other ingredients to shine -- not only lime juice and simple syrup, but also the addition of sage leaves for a more herbal note.

Read more