1It all started in 1995.
Courtesy of Blue Moon Over 20 years ago, one creative brewer named Keith Villa started churning out beers at the 2,700-square-foot SandLot Brewery in Denver, CO. Villa would later become known as the brand's founder and head brewmaster.
2The beer was inspired by baseball.
Getty Images The SandLot Brewery was the first-ever brewery housed inside a major league ballpark, so it makes sense that the beers on tap were named after the game played there. Slugger Stout and Rightfield Red went over well, but Bellyslide Wit was the hit that changed everything. The SandLot still makes 1,500 barrels of beer per year to serve during Colorado Rockies home games.
3Blue Moon is sold in 25 countries.
Courtesy of Blue Moon You've likely sipped on a Bellyside Wit and not even realized it — now, the brand's flagship beer is known as Blue Moon Belgian White, a name that came to be when someone said, "a beer this good only comes around once in a blue moon." It's stuck ever since, and today, you can find it all over the world.
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4There's a reason it's served with an orange.
Getty Images Blue Moon's co-founder, Keith Villa, knew what he was doing when he started whipping up creative beers at The SandLot. In fact, he got his PhD in brewing in Belgium, where foreign combinations of ingredients inspired his recipe, consisting of malted barley, white wheat, Valencia orange peel, coriander and oats. When he saw European bartenders serving beer with lemon wedges, it struck him that fresh orange slices would complement his Belgian-style wit perfectly.
5You can try over 20 different Blue Moon beer varieties.
Courtesy of Blue Moon Bet you didn't know that Blue Moon is constantly creating new varieties of beer! The offerings go way beyond the Belgian White that we know and love — thanks to a pilot brewing system, customers have their pick of more than 20 rotating taps year-round, including kicked-up creations like Iced Coffee Blonde and Chile Golden Ale.
6Discontinued beers aren't always gone for good ...
Courtesy of Blue Moon In addition to Belgian White, faithful Blue Moon fans can also find Mango Wheat and Summer Honey Wheat (a current seasonal) on shelves — but what if your long-lost favorite went out of rotation years ago? Lucky for you, the brand occasionally does limited releases, bringing nostalgic picks like Raspberry Cream Ale back for a short period.
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7The beer has won some impressive awards.
Getty Images Blue Moon Belgian White and Honey Moon have both claimed gold medals in the World Beer Championship and World Beer Cup, respectively, and the brand has experts on staff who know what it takes to make really good, quality beer. Manager of Beer Education at MillerCoors, Daniel Imdieke, is also a certified Master Cicerone — the equivalent of a sommelier in the beer world — of which there are only 16 in the world.
8There's more than one brewery location.
Brandon Tormanen Nine million barrels of beer come out of the massive MillerCoors brewery site in Golden, CO every year, but Blue Moon has a dedicated location in the RiNo District of Denver. The tasting room there serves pours of an ever-changing variety of beers, all while tracking sales to test them for success. There's also a Blue Moon TapHouse located in Norfolk, VA.
9You can take a tour for free.
Courtesy of Blue Moon Thanks to the RiNo brewery's walk-through tour, visitors can peek behind the scenes and check out the equipment that Head Brewmaster John Legnard and other brewery staff use to churn out around one new beer each week.
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10... and even get in on some beer-and-food pairings.
Brandon Tormanen The RiNo brewery has a full-service restaurant with menu items meant to be eaten with Blue Moon beers — sometimes the beer itself even makes it into the recipes. According to Daniel Imdieke, the goal of a beer pairing is to select a brew that will complement the food, provide contrast to the flavor profile and cleanse the palate.
11Blue Moon is big in Aspen.
Courtesy of Blue Moon The brand was the only beer sponsor at this year's FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, where pints were poured alongside dishes from the country's best chefs and culinary experts.
12And soon, it's coming to Las Vegas.
Getty Images If you're heading to the Strip in Las Vegas, you won't have to look far for a bar with Blue Moon on tap — Planet Hollywood Resort will be home to Blue Moon Bar, where Belgian White will never be in short supply. Customers will also get a chance to sip seasonal, beer-based cocktails at the dedicated watering hole.
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