Budweiser losing the battle with craft beers

New York Post ^ | February 26, 2015

[deadrock]

That is very kind of you. But I must tell you, I like a mid hoppy beer. Pliny The Younger and Pliny The Elder keep winning top awards but I find them undrinkable for the hophophophoppiness.

[SkyDancer]

As for American beers my fav. is Alaska Amber followed by Sam Adams and as for foreign I like Stella Artois ... and there are some Aussie beers in there as well. And then there’s noting like a dark porter with a scoop of chocolate ice cream in it ... yum.

[hoagy62]

I just found a pilsner I used to drink in Germany being sold in my area. Haven’t had it in 30 years. Going to buy some tomorrow.

[Fungi]

ANYTHING tastes better than Bud....

[eldoradude]

Maybe they can team up with all the other large brewers and get the Government to regulate small brewers out of business.

The BATFE's 'Beer Neutrality Act' where all beer is treated equally and you cannot choose the brand when you buy it./s

[DemforBush]

“American IPA beers seem to go over board with the hops to the point of grapefruit being the dominate flavor”

I tend to agree. I’ve tried several of the craft brewery IPA’s and I found most of them to be out of balance, flavor-wise.

Now, if that’s what the “hop heads” like, that’s their business. That’s the great thing about having all these choices. But sometimes I get his vibe that it’s sort of a hipster equivalent of eating hot wings with nuclear/atomic/death sauce. A buffalo wing drenched in ghost peppers isn’t going to taste like chicken anymore, it’s going to taste like “hot”. But it’s the trendy thing to do and brag about. And an IPA that is swimming in hops isn’t going to taste like much like a Pale Ale of any variety. But if it’s the trendy thing...

Just MHO, of course. Each to their own!

[ctdonath2]

During the Super Bowl (which I was surprised to find myself watching voluntarily, not being much of a TV watcher at all), IIRC there were repeated Budweiser ads celebrating the low-brow taste of Bud and making fun of quality craft beers. Struck me how they’d actually run an ad that would, rather than reaching out to reluctant customers, actually insult those who do appreciate a fine small-batch brew.

I started drinking beer in Bavaria (teetotaler until 35), and was surprised to discover that the frequent line about “beer is an acquired taste” was pure BS: _good_ beer is, well, _GOOD_ - as in one’s body is pleased and satiated by the stuff. Coming back to the USA was a shock, as I sought out that taste and couldn’t find it again amid the mass-produced dead crud occupying store shelves; wasn’t until I discovered microbrewery bars that had the so-satisfying wonderful living liquid bread.

[gr8eman]

LOL!

[BreezyDog]

Anchor Steam is yummy but I tell you what...I am disappointed 9 times out of 10 when I crack open a craft beer. It is either bitter, sour, skunky, etc..So I have no problem ordering a Budweiser. My true choice is vodka or bourbon.

[lentulusgracchus]

You're right, Anchor Steam is pretty good, I sampled it and Sam Adams when I was visiting San Francisco 22-odd years ago, and I liked them both, but Anchor Steam better. I still drink it now and again, although I've pretty much tapered off my drinking for health reasons unrelated to alcohol consumption.

I also like Ro-Ro, and I have a continuing careful conversation with Blue Moon and Fat Tire. All Hail the new brewers! And the old ones that fought off the marketing sumo-wrestlers from Milwaukee!!

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Somehow the old joke of the nurse who brought the proctologist a Bud Light comes to mind. He yells at her...”I said I wanted a butt light!”

[Shadow44]

I’m not a big fan of IPAs myself, I don’t get the enthusiasm for them either.

Hefeweizens and the more traditional German styles I like.

[meatloaf]

Horse piss comes to mind. I don’t think the Clydesdales were just for show. They had to get the yeast from somewhere.

[Sawdring]

Four bottles of Breakfast Stout makes me do funny things. Too bad they can’t moderate the alcohol content in it because it really is an excellent beer.

[FlJoePa]

I’m usually on tap, but when I’m not, I always drink cans poured into a frozen pint glass. Bottles are just a poor container when it comes to preserving carbonation.

More and more craft beers are turning to cans - which is a good thing.

[ctdonath2]

Oh, don’t underestimate the effect of heat. Good hot spices do more than add flavor (if it doesn’t, it’s crap), at a high enough level it induces an endorphin rush - a legal high of happiness and laughter. Last time I had “nuclear level hot” wings, I just sat there and giggled for 5-10 minutes despite profuse sweating, ending with an afterglow of joy. Yes, it tasted good too.

I’ve also had Hertz Hot Sauce (”So hot it Hertz!”). Threw it out. It hurt, it was supposed to hurt, and all it did was hurt.

Don’t confuse good vs bad hot sauce. Like good beer, wine, steak, etc good hot spices is a visceral experience that brings you back to your base essence of being human.

[lentulusgracchus]

I’ve generally assume that the brand survived because those long-neck Buds can be handy in a bar fight.

LOL! "Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" Best post of the night.

[Inyo-Mono]

I remember reading some 30 odd years ago that if you wanted to see what beer tasted like in the Old West of the 1870s, drink a warm glass of Anchor Steam Beer. I did, and thought it was good.

[ConorMacNessa]

Colonel, my first job after I left active duty was in a home wine-making and beer-making store. Home winemaking was hot then. - early 1970's. My boss delegated me to be the beermaking maven, a task I gladly embraced.

I learned everything I could about making beer, and produced some good brews, if I say so myself. At that time, I was trying for Pale Ales - about 6% - Bass Ale was the commercial product I used as my benchmark.

I thought I did pretty well - not many around then who could evaluate my product with any expertise.

Side note - I met the first Mrs. MacNessa in that job. She was one of the greatest cooks I have ever encountered, and, of course, her efforts at making wine were far superior to mine. So much for knowledge - her instincts beat the Hell out of me! :)

"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces which guard my country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense."

[deadrock]

You may be on to something.

I took the Amtrak from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego to watch the Chargers. The only beer they had available was 'Arrogant Bastard'(sorry Admin Mod, that is the name).

Nuke hoppy and the label was jokingly demeaning: "You are not man enough." "There is something wrong with you if you don't like this beer."

Like sucking on a 100 year old fermented grapefruit and one of the few beers I couldn't finish.