So….Blue Moon was conceived there?
Legnard: The Blue Moon was the first place it was ever brewed and available commercially was here. It was like July of 1995. We called it “Belly Slide Belgium Wheat.” The cool thing about it was that we had it on tap and up in the ballparks for a grand total of two weeks before it overtook our big seller. It went from zero to biggest seller in two weeks. We were like, “Huh, I wonder if we are on to something here [laughs].”
With the first batch, did you know that would put you on the brewmaster map?
No. We really didn’t have a clue. Uh, but it is interesting there have been so many people over the past couple years who still think it is a new beer. They’ll like come in and say they had a great beer the other name called Blue Moon, and I will just be like “Well it has been around since 1995…you’re kind of jumping on the band wagon a little late.”
Hahahaha.
But it was real slow. It wasn’t like it was all over the place all the time. Like certain places would have it and other places it was a hot seller. Then it just started catching on with word of mouth. We don’t spend giant television commercials for it….we don’t sponsor the Super Bowl or stuff like that.
No Super Bowl ads?
[Laughs] No Super Bowl ads. Really it is people who like the beer and they tell others they have to try it. It is amazing to watch people. I mean it is a cloudy wheat beer with an orange on the side. One guy never had it before, and he was apprehensive about trying it. But he was like, “Man, that is good!”
