Boulevard Brewing is looking to the final frontier for its 2025 brand plan.
The Duvel USA-owned, Kansas City, Missouri-based craft brewery has elevated its Space Camper brand family to its No. 1 priority, executives shared during a live-streamed presentation of its annual business plan for wholesalers last week.
“Space Camper has taken the lead,” Boulevard brand manager Adam Hall said. “The Space camper brand family has six straight years of growth, and this summer, we had our three biggest single months to date.”
Draft sales of flagship Space Camper Cosmic IPA have increased +10% year-to-date and accelerated to +15% during the summer, Hall added.
“The total franchise, fueled by year-round line extensions, will finish the year up over +30%,” he said.
Boulevard is tripling down on extending the space-themed brand after launching Space Camper Quantum Hop IPA last year. The three new stars in the Space Camper sky include:
- Juice Nova Superstellar IPA (9% ABV), launching in November 2024 in 12 oz. can 6-packs and on draft;
- Chillbreak Endless IPA (5% ABV), launching in March 2025 in 12 oz. can 6-packs;
- Space Camper Non-Alcoholic (NA), launching in March 2025 in 12 oz. can 6-packs.
Each of the three new offerings plays to consumer trends within craft. Juice Nova satisfies drinkers’ interest in juicy/hazy IPAs, tropical flavors and higher ABV beverages, but with a 210-day shelf life. Chillbreak, which uses cryo hops, speaks to sessionability. Space Camper NA gives Boulevard a third entrant in the growing craft NA space, in addition to Flying Start IPA and Lemon Wheat NA.
“Space Camper trends are escalating as IPA in the Midwest continues to develop, and just like us, these two can grow together,” Hall said. “There’s a 10-point share difference between the Midwest and national levels for IPA, and we aim to become a top regional IPA and enjoy the momentum of the IPA style gaining steam in our largest market.”
Share of craft dollars spent on IPA is far lower in Boulevard’s key markets than on the coasts. At 26% of all craft dollars, Kansas has the lowest share of IPA in the country, according to analysis of NIQ data by Brewers Association staff economist Matt Gacioch. In Missouri, Boulevard’s home state, IPA’s share is 40%.
The Space Camper family is not available in Boulevard’s full 45-state footprint, but “for the most part, up the middle of the U.S.” “with some select markets on the West Coast,” EVP of sales and marketing Bobby Dykstra told Brewbound.
Space Camper NA will be included in the direct-to-consumer platform Boulevard has “lightly” engaged in since launching its other NA offerings, which accounts for “a very small portion of our sales,” Dykstra said.
Unlike its celestial Space Camper siblings, Boulevard’s other innovation for 2025 is in a well-known, earthbound beer category: light beer. Boulevard Light marks the evolution of the brewery’s journey toward easy-drinking beers.
“Frankly, we’ve always wanted to have a light beer in our portfolio,” Dykstra siad. “We’ve been working on it. We’ve danced around it over the years.”
That trek has included KC Pils (4.8% ABV), which “had a little bit more of a malt and hop character to it than I think consumer preferences were trending at the time;” BLVD ‘89 (4.5% ABV), which “was the next iteration;” and Unfiltered Wheat 100, a 100-calorie version of flagship Unfiltered Wheat, which was discontinued after an eight-month test, Dykstra said.
“We’ve danced around just being very on the nose of having a craft light beer proposition,” Boulevard VP of marketing Ali Bush told Brewbound. “We make a lot of different beers. We get excited. And honestly, sometimes we get so excited about doing something that’s very straightforward, because I think we can engage with our consumers that way.”
Boulevard Light’s potential target drinkers are consumers who could be completely new to the brand, Dykstra said.
“For some of them, I don’t know that we’ve ever sold them a beer, which is exciting,” he said.
The brewery’s decision to zero in on light beer comes at a time when consumers of all legal drinking ages (LDA) are reexamining their relationships with craft beer and alcohol in general. Boulevard Light gives the brand a new entry point for younger LDA consumers whose palates differ from the older millennial and Gen X drinkers who propped up the craft beer industry.
“It might be easier to recruit those young drinking-age consumers into your portfolio with something light,” Dykstra said. “Maybe in the past, it was easier to get someone to jump into a pale ale or to an unfiltered wheat beer, whereas now a light beer might be a better vehicle to get into the Boulevard portfolio. And then who knows where we take them from there, maybe ultimately Space Camper or Tank 7.”
Boulevard Light will be concentrated in the brewery’s core Midwestern market, which includes Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois and South Dakota.
“That circle is where Unfiltered Wheat has been a very large player for so many years, and that’s where we want to work with Boulevard Light,” Dykstra said. “But absolutely we’re going to spend our time, talent and treasure in Kansas City first, and then Missouri and Kansas.”
Boulevard Light will be line-priced with the rest of the brewery’s portfolio, but may be discounted during promotional windows in the key summer selling season, a spokesperson told Brewbound.
Barrel-Aged Offerings
The newest offering in Boulevard’s barrel-aged family will be Wood Baron (8.2% ABV), a year-round offering launching in February 2025 in 12 oz. bottle 4-packs and on draft. The beer is a blend of barrel-aged and fresh beer, relying on the depth of Boulevard’s 5,000-barrel library, Hall said during his presentation.
Wood Baron, and other barrel-aged beers, will be supported by a year-round partnership with Whitman’s, the Russel Stover-owned chocolate sampler brand.
In addition to Wood Baron, Boulevard’s year-round barrel-aged offerings include Bourbon Barrel Quad, Rye on Rye, and Whiskey Barrel Stout. Special releases planned for 2025 include Churro Grande, Barrel-Aged S’More, Proper Pour, Rum Barrel-Aged Dessert Beer, Barrel-Aged Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout, and a barrel-aged mix pack.
Tank 7 Family
Boulevard has reworked its approach to Tank 7, its popular American Saison, which will remain available year-round in 12 oz. can 6-packs, with a rotating companion 6-pack.
Last year, the company promoted Dank 7 Belgian IPA to year-round, but is returning the beer to a limited-time offering to accompany Tank 7 for the first trimester of the year. Tropical Tank 7 will be available for the second trimester “for those summer vibes,” Hall said.
Boulevard will release a yet-to-be-named beer for the third trimester to accompany Tank 7 in a 6-pack. The Jackpot Mix Pack, a variety 12 oz. can 6-pack, will return for the third trimester.
Look for additional coverage of Duvel USA’s 2025 plans in coming days.