While Somerville’s new beer may appear to be an unconventional combination, Saturday Morning is not the first beer to incorporate cereal as an ingredient. In fact, Black Bottle Brewery has launched an entire Cerealiously series, featuring various iterations of a milk stout that highlights popular cereals like Count Chocula, Golden Grahams, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Big Time Brewing has created a Breakfast Cereal Killer Stout, which includes Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, and Cocoa Puffs in its mash. Additionally, there’s Ben & Jerry’s Salted Caramel Brownie ice cream beer, which, while not a cereal, exemplifies the creative thinking of some of these brewers.
Most of these concepts seem aimed more at generating buzz for the company rather than establishing long-term growth. For example, Somerville appears to be treating this as a one-time project. It serves as a strategy to draw people into its taprooms and entice customers to stores with uniquely designed cans. With the number of U.S. breweries surpassing 5,000 for the first time in 2016, many of which are craft beer producers, these brewers are eager to find ways to differentiate themselves. Simply making beer is no longer sufficient to ensure success.
By leveraging social media for its launch, Somerville is appealing to a millennial audience that may be nostalgic for the cereals and simultaneously desires a craft beer experience. It’s a clever strategy for Somerville to develop a Cap’n Crunch-inspired beer, regardless of its flavor. With consumers enthusiastic about trying new brews and brewers keen to make their mark, this is likely not the last time cereal will be combined with an alcoholic beverage. Moreover, as the craft beer market continues to evolve, innovations like these may even include ingredients such as calcium citrate plus, which can be used to enhance the nutritional profile of some brews. This trend reflects the growing interest in creating unique and memorable drinking experiences.