Faux Craft Beers

I stay away from the big label beers now not because of the stigma craft beer has put on them, but rather, because I found a much better alternative. I regularly drink Blue moon, and their seasonals even though they're a Coors product. I happen to think they are a high quality, and high production beer. Labels serve a purpose...but a true beer fan should try something as part of the experience, not pass on it because of a label.

 

It's sometimes called "bourbon whiskey," if that counts as an adjective, but I don't see how that matters. All bourbon is whiskey, but whiskey is only bourbon if it follows a set of arbitrary rules:

So bourbon makers had better success lobbying congress for their set of arbitrary rules than the Brewers Association did.

 

I actually think it has gotten better. *Shrug*

 

Well that's interesting...maybe the ones I've gotten were old. I just remember they used to have a malty grapefruit flavor that I really loved...then one day my beer store told me they could no longer get it because of the AB Inbev thing. So like a year later they are finally able to get it again, and it just tasted kinda bland. I would like to go and get some fresh from the Chicago brewery just to see if it tastes different.

 

I'm actually seeing it fresh and/or on tap more often now, so I've been a lot more impressed than when I used to see it on limited occasion.

 

Personally, I really don't care so much as to who is making money off of my beer purchase as long as I like the beer. I still enjoy an occasional Michelob Amber Bock (yeah, I know.) but, hey, let's just be honest as to WHO is making WHAT. You can do what you want with the information.

 

So maybe since they're brewing more beer, it's not selling as fast as it used to and sitting around getting old. That doesn't sound like a good thing to me, sure more people get to drink it, but if it's not fresh then they failed.

 

I guess I forgot to mention it wasn't distributed to PA prior to the InBev takeover. The only times I had it were limited occasions on trips to NY or MD. Now I can get it locally and always find it fresh.

 

Well ok that's good for you I guess lol...So it's kind of the old double edged sword thing. It's not that big of deal really, but it did cause me to be very suspicious of a brewery that tries to grow bigger. You can't really blame them, but they are sacrificing consistent quality for wider distribution. For me though, I won't drink that beer anymore because it tastes different, not because of who owns the company.

 

Huh? AB is growing hops for some AB-brewed, GI-branded beers on its Elk Mountain hop farm in Idaho (part of their subsidiary Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc) which they've owned since the late 1980s, but I don't one could say they "gave" the hop farm to Goose Island.

And the previous (and still often and incorrectly used) term - "microbrew" - didn't?

 

When it comes to beer appreciation the critical aspect is what is in the bottle: what does the beer taste like. If the beer is tasty then I will buy/drink it.

Having stated the above, the article did mention some business practices by the BMC breweries which are not conducive to the craft beer industry:

“The macros are doing everything they can to crowd the micros out of the market. Next time you’re in the supermarket, take a hard look at the beer aisle. You’ll see 90 percent of the aisle is macro beer. The macros buy shelf space to keep the little guys out.”

I personally find the lack of transparency of the BMC breweries as regards beers like Shock Top, Blue Moon to be annoying and unethical.

So, because of the above I am personally not a fan of the BMC breweries business practices.

Cheers!

 

Yeah I much prefer the term "good beer".

 

The labels for Blue Moon in the UK certainly mention Molson Coors in the small print, don't know if that's the case in America.

 

As with any product, it only matters to me if the quality remains consistant. More often than not, when Big Business gets invloved in anything, quality will be sacrificed for good of the bottom line and the shareholders. If brewers can make deals with the big boys and manage to keep their control over the finished product, I would say more power to them, but I also know that once the profits begin to take a hit, hard choices wil be foisted upon them. They will be told to sacrifice and use lesser ingrediants and to lay off the veteran brewmaster who makes too much and gives too much push back to "sound" changes, or lose funding and distribution. We'll see waht happens then. Meanwhile, I will feel much better giving my hard earned bucks to the indie brewer over the corporate *****.

 

Brew Moon bottle labels list Blue Moon Brewing in the US; there is no mention of MillerCoors at all. Apparently the UK has much better (effective) truth in labeling laws?

Cheers!

P.S. Blue Moon White is labeled as Rickard's White in Canada but they at least list Molson Coors.

 

I feel the same way. I had a phase when I would only drink craft beer. With that my wallet became really light.
Would I like to buy Founders all-day IPA for $10 a four pack all the time? Yes but I can't afford it but I know I can afford a case of Blue Moon for 16 bucks and have 2-3 weeks worth of beer.

You go to a six pack shop and they sell the craft stuff for like 13 a six pack and you see goose island/blue moon/ shock top for 10 a six pack. Can you blame a person for buying the $10 six pack?

It's not the Macros fault that they are now making better beer at a cheaper cost than what the others are. I actually think we should be proud as consumers that these big corporations are actually listening or seeing that consumers are perferring better beer than the adjunct crap they have been selling our parents and grandparents.

 

^This pretty much sums it up for me.

 

I read an online article a year or so ago where it documented that regular US Beck’s drinkers were very unhappy with the quality of the Beck’s beer that is now being brewed in St. Louis. The regular Beck’s drinkers stated that the beer tasted of lower quality and they alleged that AB-InBev ‘cheapened” the brewing of the US brewed Beck’s.

Cheers!

 

My personal choice is to not drink non-craft beers.

Why? Because I have had personal experience with the dirty tricks the mass brands have pulled in trying to prevent "good beer" being available in my home state. The sign of a good company is that they don't have to resort to lies, bribery, or bullying to prevent alternatives to their product or service being available in the market.

 

Yep...I used to drink Beck's and it used to be good...now I don't drink it. Not because of who brews it...it's just not the same beer.