Posted on 03/29/2012 9:43:21 AM PDT by B Knotts
(NEWSER) Anheuser-Busch InBev is desperate to turn its sales around. Sure, it's still the biggest beer company in the US, but shipments have fallen for three straight years, thanks to the growing popularity of small, independent craft brewers. But this year Budweiser's got a plan, president of North American operations Luiz Edmond tells the Wall Street Journal: It's going to produce more beers, while leaning on distributors not to carry the competition. Anheuser will introduce 19 new products this year, its biggest rollout since the InBev merger.
Some will aim to compete in the craft market, like additions to its Shock Top line, or boast higher alcohol content, like the 6% Bud Light Platinum, which Edmond calls a "game changer." Still others, like Bud Light Lime-a-Rita, will be malt beverages bearing little resemblance to beer. At the same time, Bud has urged 500 wholesalers to distribute fewer rival beers, warning that it will act against those who don't. An unapologetic Edmond says wholesalers must pick sides, and show "loyalty" to InBev.
“They drink less beer all together, I think, but when they do drink it, they want it to be worth drinking.”
Sounds like my son. He buys $8 bottles of craft brew.
-—Another thing I couldn’t quite wrap my head around: being on a train and overhearing a group of late teens/twenties couples coming into the city for a holiday. They couldn’t wait to go to KFC!-—
I have relatives in England we visit occasionally, and they probably laugh at me for getting excited about meat pies.
It’s still hard for me to get used to oriental people speaking with English accents.
Have you been to the Beer Trappe in Lexington yet? 500+ brands, and absolutely no Budweiser. Lots of Belgians.
Belgians are my favorite. I’m there!
BTW, I discovered an amazing brew at an irish pub in the Highlands called BBC Bourbon Barrel Stout. Best beer I ever tasted.
I then bought a four pack for $11. That beer was awful. It was so sour that I checked the brew date. It was only two months old.
I guess some beers really are better on tap.
Cantillon is one of my favorites (have you had their Iris?) It’s hard to get in Kentucky, though; please prevail upon your friend to start distributing it here.
They’ve been having some good stuff on draught this winter; Rodenbach, Rodenbach Grand Cru, Monk’s Cafe sour ale, Liefmann’s Goudenband, etc. Be sure to try Duvel and Cuvee Renee if you haven’t had them yet. (Those are in bottles, not draught).
Also try Planck Heller Weizenbock and Gale’s Prize Old Ale if they have them in stock. Fabulous beers.
I’m all for full capitalism but AnBush has in the past bought entire hop productions to keep them out of the hands of craft brewers. Also, they’ve been caught in collusion with distributors and large grocery stores to suppress competitor beers. I’m sure InBev has continued the practice but at least they do make some good beers, Franziskaner, Leffe, Hoegaarden and Spaten.
A lot of beer drinkers in America are trending toward ‘local’ brews so you’re seeing macro breweries pop up all over. For those of you that don’t follow BrewingTV or The Brewing Network you should.
It's the rice.
Yes, Bud is made partially from rice.
And, for those who don’t know, the reasons big brewers use rice, corn and other adjuncts are:
1) they are cheaper than barley
2) they convert to alcohol while contributing less body and color to the brew, resulting in a lighter-colored brew with less body, which Americans have been conditioned to desire
That's ... umm ... impressive :)
Sam Adams is about the only domestic I can drink. Rice beer gives me headaches. I'm a Canadian beer guy myself, but also don't mind Newcastle.
Newcastle is very good.. now also like Guiness black label
Commercial beers are brewed to a very high gravity (alcohol content) and unfermentable sugar level and left uncarbonated. This "beer concentrate" is shipped by railcar to your local bottling/distribution center where it is mixed to the proper proportions with filtered, carbonated water to formulate the desired beer.
The system is remarkable in it's consistency.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.