Musings on Budweiser

Another statement that always intrigues me. I get not wanting to know about all the back-room deals and horse trading that accounts for a lot of our politics, but to not be interested in the federal, state and local policies that affect all of us, and the people enacting and enforcing them, whether we like it or not? That I do not understand. There’s a certain type of person who thinks they’re “above” politics and who want to transcend its influence—and some folks think they are just too old and don’t give a damn anymore—but to those people I would say, do you not have kids, or grandkids, who will be affected by who we elect and what they do? Maybe I’m being naive but I still think it makes a difference. I’ve gone through more cynical cycles but I can’t afford to think that way these days. Cheers!

Exactly the level of integrity I’ve come to expect from these people.

 

I remember chatting at a bar with the owner of the store I used to purchase beer from when I lived in the area about the Bud Light boycott back when that was going on. He said that 12pk and case sales had dropped, but there was an uptick in sales of 6pks, saw the same faces more regularly, and that they always had to have it brown bagged.

Basically, they still wanted Bud Light, they just didn't want to be seen buying it.

 

Interesting, I never heard that AB used second runnings for Bud Light, my understanding is that they used enzymes to break down long chain sugars that normal yeast will not consume to make a thin beer with virtually no carbs.

 

I

Orca, sorry, I started writing that post this morning, but just now completed it. I see the Jack asked the same question about second runnings and you answered it.

 

Presumably you use reusable canvas bags. If you think plastic bags are better than paper, you might be disappointed.

 

Brewers had the advantage of seeing the wine industry thrive by charging what most people would feel are outrageous prices for a bottle of wine. With hindsight being 2020, we know your beer distributor was wrong, I wonder what he would think if he saw retail bottles of beer going for $50 on the legal market and several hundred dollars a bottle on the secondary market? What about a four pack of cloudy beer for $30? If you told someone that in the 80s, they would think you are crazy.

I think craft beer’s present ubiquity also stems from the fact that it’s stronger than the typical mass market products. A six pack of Budweiser probably sells for $ 5.00, but you can also get a six pack of Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing for about twice that. It just so happens that big little thing is also twice as strong as Budweiser, so people can find “value” in other ways than just looking for the cheapest price.

 

AB makes high quality products, no doubt about it, I don’t think it’s possible to be as successful as they are otherwise, but Bud just doesn’t jibe with my taste buds. We used to get 12 packs of Meister Brau for $3.00, I genuinely liked it better than Bud which was probably more than double in price.

I’ve never drank a lot of Helles in the past as I preferred Pilsner, but in the last couple of months I’ve had 3 or 4 Helles that were “bland” compared to other beers, but they were really refreshing and enjoyable. I can’t imagine how someone would prefer a Bud to a basic, clean Helles like the ones I’ve been enjoying.

 

People complain about California a lot, but I can’t walk into a store that has a liquor license without seeing a pretty large selection of craft beers. Unfortunately, they all seem to be IPA’s that are “bursting with tropical flavors.”

 

I don't think anyone's saying Bud Heavy is better than Andechser Hell or anything like that. I'm certainly not (my post states I don't drink Bud much at all, but that sometimes it's the best option in a bad beer situation). It's just not an awful beer, and it tastes pretty good.

I hope you can hear me perched from your high horses!

(I'm being sarcastic on this last sentence, natch.)

 

It’s really funny how many people just want to put their head in the sand and pretend this will blow over.

 

What gripes me is that BudMillerCoors could mass produce that helles for basically the same cost as what they’re currently producing.

 

Maybe? I’m not sure, but isn’t (or wasn’t) Michelob a more “premium” product than Bud? In fact, I may be happy with Michelob if I could find it.

 

Agreed. I caught part of a TV documentary about Mae West the other day. Apparently, almost 100 years ago, she wrote a Broadway show called “The Drag” featuring genderqueer folks that the self-imposed morality police fought to shut down. The struggle between those who want freedom and those who seek to repress others isn’t going anywhere.

 

Yeah, but could they sell that beer in the tens of millions of barrels a year that they do with their flagships? Both AB and MC have released "super-premium" all-malt beers with higher IBUs, etc., over the past few decades - from Michelob to Anheuser World Lager and lots of faux-craft beers, Molson Coors has offered similar beers (Herman Joseph's, Barmen) as did Miller before that (the Reserve line and Celis). But they just don't sell in the quantities necessary for efficient use of their multi-million barrel capacity breweries.

 

If ONLY the people responding to the marketing decisions were as in tune as you are with the brewing process. This thread, and all of the others would not have to be waded through.
I used poking at their brewing process and using second runnings as wild hyperbole, in much the same manner that the no longer being marketed towards boycotters have.