Bell’s Brewery fans across the country can now stay in the Oberon spirit through the colder months, with Oberon Eclipse, a nationally distributed fall and winter seasonal.
The 6.3% ABV citrus wheat ale is an extension of the Comstock, Michigan-based brewery’s popular spring/summer seasonal, Oberon Ale. It will be available October through March in 12 oz. can 6- and 12-packs, 12 oz. bottle 6- and 12-packs, 16 oz. 4-packs, 19.2 oz. single-serve cans and on draft.
The offering will also be available in a new seasonal variety pack, along with Two Hearted IPA, Big Hearted and Best Brown.
“Fans have been demanding year-round Oberon for years now, so we love when we get a chance to give our fans – and our business partners – something they’ve been asking for,” Bell’s EVP Carrie Yunker said in a press release. “Oberon continued to be a top-performer here in the Midwest and our retailer and distributor partners rely on that seasonal release. As we close in on national distribution this year, it’s vital that we continue to provide retailers and distributors with demand-driving products year-round.”
“There’s nothing Bell’s fans anticipate more than Oberon season, which is traditionally from March to September,” Bell’s director of marketing Scott Powell added. “But as Midwesterners, we know the fun doesn’t have to end just because it isn’t 70 and sunny. Oberon Eclipse is our way of embracing those longer nights and colder temperatures.”
In the last 13 weeks (ending August 12), Bell’s Oberon Ale recorded a +2.6% year-over-year (YoY) increase in dollar sales and +0.7% increase in volume in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels, according to data shared by 3 Tier Beverages. In the last 52 weeks, the seasonal offering recorded a -0.8% decline in dollar sales and -3.4% decline in volume.
Bell’s total brands recorded a +2% increase in dollar sales in the 52-week period and +0.7% increase in volume.
October 1 will also mark when Bell’s officially becomes a nationally distributed brand, as the brewery’s beer hit shelves in Hawaii, according to a company spokesperson. Bell’s has been expanding its distribution footprint over the past year, hitting 49 states in 2022. The company also distributes in Puerto Rico.
Achieving national distribution has been a key focus this year for the brewery under Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages’ ownership, as well as the expansion of Oberon and Two Hearted.
Bell’s beers began arriving in Hawaii earlier this month. As a result, the brewery has made sure to be “fully involved in restoring the local communities” in the state that have been impacted by the August wildfires, including donating to the Hawaii Community Foundation and participating in Maui Brewing’s Kokua Project, the spokesperson told Brewbound.
More details on Bell’s becoming a nationally distributed brand will be released at a later date, according to the spokesperson.