Posted on 11/24/2014 8:20:22 PM PST by wetphoenix
Milos Zeman, president of the Czech Republic, has branded American beer as “filthy water” during a business summit in Kazakhstan but US brewers needn’t pay too much attention.
During the trip, Kazakhstan’s long-running president, Nursultan Nazarbaev (who has run the country since 1989), asked Zeman (pictured above) which beer he thought was the best in the world.
According to Reuters Zeman replied that, “Czech beer is the best in the world. No American company that offers filthy water instead of beer can compete with us.”
Zeman is used to controversial and often profane statements, the 70-year-old even calling Russian protest band “Pussy Riot”, “c***s” live on Czech radio.
Meanwhile, earlier this month on the 25th anniversary of the fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia he was pelted with eggs after claiming the police did not use violence to suppress the “Velvet Revolution” of 1989 (Zeman himself was a member of the Czechoslovak Communist Party from 1968-1970).
His approval ratings have fallen from 58% to 37% in little over a month and last week some 71% of Czechs polled said they thought his public statements were harming the country’s image.
The Czechs are indeed Europe’s biggest beer drinkers with a per capita consumption of 148.6 litres.
The comments may cause some offence to Americans but they also come as other headlines from the US claim that Americans are drinking more craft beer than Budweiser (a US brand that had an extremely long legal wrangle with Czech brand Budweiser Budvar).
The Wall Street Journal reported that even Budweiser’s brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev even admits that around 44% of 21-27-year-olds in the US today have never tasted the brew.
Budweiser’s market dominance has been on the wane since it peaked in 1988 at 50 million barrels. It had declined to 16m last year with Bud Light and Coors Light displacing it to the top two spots in 2001 and 2011 respectively.
However, craft beer has also been on the rise and, all-together, now produces 16.1m barrels and holds a 7% share of the overall market in the US, with volumes growing 18% in the first seven months of this year compared to last and commanding an export market worth US$73m.
Craft beer BUMP!
They spared him an ignonimous end from the hangman’s rope and a garbage disposal of a ‘funeral’. Instead, he died a heroes death in battle and got a military funeral.
For "live beer" (unpasteurized beer), I prefer Khadizhenskoe (Хадыженское)
Yuengling is the only beer that does not make me vomit. Lagers in general have the taste anyways, ie. Beers from Hamburg.
Yes, it used to say right on the label ‘Proudly brewed with rice...’ and Rolling Rock and others use corn! Aghhh...
No lie! In addition to Shiner, another favorite brew of mine is from Rahr Brewery in Fort Worth: Buffalo Butt.
Agreed. American mass-produced beer is kind of rancid. I much prefer my home brew.
Many great and not so great local beers: Ortliebs (no two bottles taste alike)in beat-up, indifferently sealed recycled brown bottles, Senators Club, Olde Griesedick, Polski Pivo, Fox Head (the secret ingredient)Yuengling of course, and a thousand others.
The worthy study of lifetime.
Ah, Venezuela, where the men are men and the mosquitos never end. Polar is now in short supply and so is toilet paper. When’s the next coup?
I was recently watching a South Korean television series and here are the characters in a luxury hotel in Hong Kong and what’s in the hotel room mini bar ? PBR ! I LOL’d
Or lukewarm Falstaff in rusty cans....
LOL That, too.
Shiner puts out many good products. Every year they put out an anniversary beer; I think this year it is 104, and those are heavy and yummy, but for my money, I will always go with Shiner Black.
It is so good I served it at my wedding at the Ladybird Johnson wildflower Center.
Don’t know but I sat on the terrace at the Taminaco drinking gin and tonics and eating $15 argentine t- bones with prawns big as lobsters while I watched a failed coup going on down the hill at the GA airport. Until it finished my plane couldn’t take off. Bullets are like mosquitoes some times.
What a hoot!
Nothing wrong with Falstaff. In fact, many consider it the Rolling Rock of the Lower Classes. It can also be used as a stain-fighting pre-laundry soak.
Come on, you made that up!
Take two Narragansetts and call me in the morning.
I haven’t seen a Falstaff in a donkey’s years. Health issues force me to go on the wagon about two years ago. The beer I was drinking before I quit was Stella Artois, outstanding beer. I don’t think much of RR either. A happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Kenny.
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