Nine Beers on the Decline

Sam Adams Boston Lager
Widmer Hefeweizen
Anchor Steam ?
Probably a plethora of iconic craft flagship types are slowing down in growth too.

 

I remember a few years ago they had Michelob Porter and it actually wasn't that bad. Plus it was only $4.99 a sixer.

 

Michelob was my grandfathers beer. I drink it from time to time with a great amount of respect, because it remains an all malt lager. I don't think it's a bad beer at all, and I think that people are not drinking it anymore because they are all dead or dying.

 

HAHAHHAHA! what about BA DL???

 

That's 6 Miller products and 3 AB products. They did it to themselves by putting out more SKUs.
Michelob died with a horrible label change.

 

North Coast Old Rasputin XI and XII have aged horribly. Sell sell sell!

 

"Remains" is probably the wrong word, Michelob only went back to an all-malt recipe in 2007. From 1961 (when it was first bottled - previously it had been draught-only since first released in 1896) until then, it had been brewed with rice as an adjunct in an 80%-2 row malt/20%-rice ratio (according to MJ's first Pocket Guide to Beer [1982]).

I imagine the IBU's have been greatly reduced during the years, as well. I actually bought a six of the "new" all-malt Mich in '07 (one of only a handful of AB purchases I've made in the last 40 years) and it was nowhere as hoppy as I remember very fresh Michelob could be back even in the 70's.

 

Back in my early days Michelob was basically Pliny the Elder to us. You were awesome if you came over with a 12-pack of that. It was hoppy as crap to us back in the day.

I'd like to point out that at least two of those beers have best-selling brothers-in-law: Michelob Light = Michelob Ultra... Budweiser Select = Budweiser Select 55.

There's basically no advertising for Mic Light and Bud Select anymore. They're shifting the brands.

I know a LOT of people in South Texas that SWEAR by Mic Ultra (weirdos)

 

Thanks. Yeah, I did know that they "went back" to all-malt at one point in time, so "remains" was the wrong word choice. I wish that I had the chance to try old school Michelob side by side with the current formulation.

 

The website says that Michelob lager has 18 IBUs which seems low when one considers that the regular Budweiser was 20 something IBUs back in the day (as I seem to recall your sources suggesting). That would put it squarely at the IBU level of Heineken which also has 18 IBU according to the Finnish alcohol monopoly website (barring any recipe changes). Heineken I would also imagine to have shed a few IBUs over time to cater to an export market which came to be heavily dominated by low IBU lagers (as well as advertising associating bitterness with faulty beer).

 

I really hate to see Amstel on that list Not only was it one of my 'gateway' beers, but it is in a different league than the other shit on that list. Having said that, I don't drink it anymore either though, so I guess I have myself to blame.

 

Hahaha, I signed in just to "like" this post. "Pizza Parlor" is so...Southern.

 

I agree. It gave me a "bitter beer face"

 

When did slowing down in growth represent a decline?

 

I can attest that Lowenbrau is still a tasty brew out of the case (green bottles). A solid Munich helles at $22 a pop - I'll choose it every time over the AALs mentioned here when I need a cheap beer that actually tastes good.

 

Growing up in NJ it was a pizza parlour.
I don't think anyone uses that here anymore

 

PBR in my area has taken a signifigant jump in price now that hipsters are drinking it.

 

Damn hipsters.

 

Which website is that? I don't think I've ever seen anything official from AB as far as IBU's of their standard line-up.

Yeah, I could see the current Mich' being 18 IBU's, and having been reduced through the years just as Bud was. (Ditto for Heineken)

That Finnish "Alko" site is pretty handy for some beers (thanks for citing it in this and other threads) - I take it they do their own testing and those stats are their results, rather than based on brewers' info? I notice they list SN Pale Ale at 32 EBU's and SN says "38 IBU's", and Brooklyn Lager at 30 EBU's while Brooklyn claims "33 IBU's".

 

Schaefer got me through college...well, it also kept me there longer than I should have taken but that's another story. I think 30 packs are still under $20 here in NJ.