Is non-craft really that bad?

Macro beer is more 'Mediocre' than it is bad.

I just try to buy reasonably priced beer that tastes good. If a big brewery could produce that, more power to them.

Low income workers at big breweries aren't any less deserving of their jobs than the ones at small breweries.

 

I dont really know how to answer, so I'm going to put a yes on contingency. At some point with the growth of craft brewers the definition will (already does) keep changing to such a high number that it wont be relevant anymore. Stone, New Belgium, Sierra Nevada, etc. will all be producing so much beer that the definition of craft wont necessarily still fit but I will still be buying their beer (as long as they dont just turn for profits like the big boys) since they started off craft and grew. But also, I bowl, the bowling alley selection sucks ass, so I drink coors light. can't get around it. so yes on two grounds.

 

True. But, what about drink better, drink less?

 

Personally I agree with you, in that I would almost certainly buy it as well.

But I think that people who have strong feelings against buying AB-Inbev etc products, would probably like to think they have a bit more going for their reasoning than a 15 y/o's anti-establishment mindset

 

I voted "yes". On my journey to better beer, and before I discovered the likes of SA, Lagunitas, Founders, etc.; I drank Blue Moon and Leinenkugel. I feel like they helped get me here.

 

I can't tell you the last time I purchased a non craft beer, but I had some free Coors Light and PBR at a golfing event last week. Didn't bother me one bit.

 

If they are great quality brews then yes. Didn't stop me from buying BCBS and variants. Now if the quality dropped off then that would be another story.

 

Lots of great imports are from large producers. I don't really have an issue with large businesses per se.

 

I like to drink beer that I enjoy, regardless of who brews it, for the most part.
On the other hand, the older and more cantankerous I become, the more I choose who to spend my money with based on principals, and ethics.
You win some, You lose some.

 

I always knew you were a cheap bastard. I'd buy anything that tasted great from any brewer I'm a little disappointed that AB-Inbev or SABmiller hasn't produced something stellar you think Rockefeller or Carnagie would have stood for this shit no they would have crushed the competition that is what 'Merica is all about! Of course in reality they are crushing the competition

 

I'm only a Cheap Bastard when It comes to work shoes.

 

I answered yes but the term craft gets thrown around a lot. There are some "craft" breweries (not many thankfully) here that make shit. I won't support them just because they're small. Back it up with some solid brews and big or small, i'll drink it.

 

One more time: if you like it, drink it. You don't need the permission of the word "craft" or of craft beer drinkers to like or enjoy it.

But to answer your actual question, yes, much of it is bad to the point of being undrinkable, in my opinion. If I would rather drink water than drink your beer, as someone who likes the general taste of beer, then yes, your beer is bad, again, at least in my opinion.

 

All things being equal, I would prefer to buy local.

 

Taking all other considerations out of the argument, if the big guys make a great beer, people will buy it. I can see why people may talk a lot about not wanting to support the AB-InBev's of the world because of their business tactics, but they do employ a lot of hard working "local" men and women all over the country and that should not be discounted so easily. Goose Island is a small portion of that company, but it seems to me that they still get to make their own beer pretty much how they want to. Now they just have some bigger backing to get it out to the world. It will be very quiet, but this model will be repeated over and over again and these small "local" brews that "sellout" will still be great. So in these cases I'll still be supporting the little guy, even if they work for a big company. Just my two cents. Try not to overthink this too much.....just have a beer and enjoy it! Cheers!

 

I'd spend the money on it, but probably only if I could get a bottle at a restaurant or somewhere that doesn't have other craft offerings available; there's too many different craft beers I want to try so I probably wouldn't ever get to the mass-produced ones. I like all kinds of beer - I consider Schlizt and PBR 2 of my favs, but if I'm going to buy beer it won't be a pseudo-craft offering.

 

This is a bit twisted. The hypothetical situation of a BMC company producing the pure 'best in class' is farfetched at best. I have no doubt they'll produce some competent beers but I would never purchase them because there are plenty of other craft alternatives that already do that and I'd rather support those companies. It's the same reason I could never imagine buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Do I hate them as a company? Sure. But I also think that even their best efforts are garbage compared to micro roasters. If that makes me 15 and anti-establishment, I guess I'm ok with that.

 

If the big guys consistently made beers that I wanted to drink as much as the craft beers I want to drink, I'd have no problem buying their stuff. Discounting some Goose Island offerings I literally can't think of one macro I've tried that I'd actively wanted more than one of. They are all mediocre at best.

 

I'll drink the hell out of some Coors Batch 19. That being said, BMC doesn't make anything else I really care for. It's all about personal taste.

 

Of course it's far fetched. That doesn't mean it's not possible if they really wanted to. I simply want the best product available regardless of who makes it. Unless, they are committing egregious crimes against humanity, I'm not going to boycott a company for buying out competitors or being able to price their products lower than the little guy. That's business and that's life. I don't particularly like AB as a company but, as previously stated, if they actually produced the best product out there, then I'd buy it.