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Crossroads beer from 1995

Beer Recipe Design
#1

Back in 1995, there was a beer called Crossroads that Anheuser-Busch briefly tried but never made into full production. I’m looking for a way to recreate the recipe and here’s all I can find for a description using an internet search.

“Crossroads is a cloudy, unfiltered beer that uses wheat malt instead of the barley malt used in traditional beers, and a top-fermenting Hefeweizen (or German) yeast instead of the bottom-or middle-fermenting yeast used in traditional lagers and ales. The result is a beer with an “almost fruity or clovey taste” and high effervescence that has a very clear finish and little to no after taste, according to Paul Stoddart, Crossroads senior brand manager at Anheuser-Busch.”

Does anyone remember this beer and know what beers are similar? I think the NB Bavarian Hefeweizen is in the neighborhood but it’s not quite the same. I remember Crossroads having a creamy vanilla finish that I really enjoyed.

#2

I never had it, but sounds like a Bavarian hefeweizen. Use 50% wheat malt and WLP380, and you’ll get very close to what you seek. If you want vanilla, add vanilla.

2 Likes
#3

found this: “high percentage of wheat malt” and, “two special strains of yeast”, “without the aftertaste commonly associated with specialty beers”. “Brewed in the true hefeweizen style”.

#4

This phrase means nothing. Not sure what the other “special” strain of yeast is besides WLP380.

#5

I took it as a slam against the nascent “microbrew” scene of the early-mid 1990’s :joy:
Also interesting that the OP mentioned a vanilla aftertaste/finish…

#6

Being it was 23 years ago, I can’t really describe the finish very well. I just remember very little bitterness and a sort of creamy finish. Is vanilla the best way to describe it? Not sure but that’s kind of how I remember it.

#7

vanilla works for me, taste is truly subjective.

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