No loss for me. I didn't like Becks much even when it was brewed in Germany. The disapperance of Munich Lowenbrau was another matter!
Likewise. I was stationed in Germany from 73 to 76, and the only place I ever saw Becks was in a PX. I never saw it in a German gasthaus or bar. So when I eventually did have a chance to try it, I remember my reaction was "this is a German beer??? This shit sucks!"
Yeah, no different that Miller-brewed Lowenbrau in the 70s-90s (although that got some mass market press originally) or bottled Guinness ES from Canada on St. Patrick's Day menus. East coast beer menus often list St. Louis and Golden CO for Budweiser or Coors Light when they obviously come from other AB or MC breweries and I have no doubt that Yuengling on the menu in the South or mid-West sometimes is listed as Pottsville PA even thought the beers are brewed in FL or by MC in TX and (IIRC) Milwaukee. Heck, there's this beer called "Boston Lager" from PA or Ohio... I mean, it's kinda why they do it.
Sure. I know all that and it's annoying. In the case of the Stella however, it's the difference between pricing it as a domestic beer as opposed to pricing it as an import. I'm sure it's just an honest mistake (yuk, yuk), but most places are still pricing it as an ultra premium import. Even though its typically imported all the way from St. Louis.
I don't think Diageo ever lowered the price for Canadian GES and IIRC when AB first announced to their distributors and retailers they were moving the brewing of Bass Ale to the US they even noted that the on-premise retailers could charge the same (and certainly no bar ever switched out the tap handle to read anything different). Can't say I pay attention to the retail on- or off-premise price of beers like Bass, Beck's, St. Pauli Girl or Stella but I expect that while they might be lower than other true UK or German imports but still higher priced that AB's flagship "Premium-priced" brands? Selling the sizzle (in this case thebrand's original home) not the steak.
I always like telling this story, in the context of this discussion. Some years ago, while sitting at Max's in Baltimore, this pilgrim from Arkansas walked in. I was sitting at the bar, as he sat down next to me. We chatted a bit, and during our conversation he mentioned that his favorite beer was the original Blue Moon. Max's had just held their fantastic 72 hours of Belgium event, and they still had a number of remnants on tap. I suggested to the pilgrim that maybe it would be fun to try some of the actual Belgian wits on tap, with the Blue Moon. Max's didn't have it on tap, but they had bottles of the blue moon. The pilgrim got this confused look on his face, and asked me what I was talking about. I had a pretty good idea where this conversation was going, so I pointed out that BM is made in Colorado. He indicated that back where he lived, they typically had it on tap, priced as an import. He was shocked (and pissed), to learn it was not an import made in Belgium.
That’s a good deal! Where I am a 6 pack or 12 pack of bottles is about a dollar cheaper than the Heineken and a few bucks more expensive than the buds/coors/millers
In the late 70s/early 80s I was fortunate enough to have a family member who worked for the local distro that handled Beck's and I could get it at wholesale prices (I could have been very popular on my dorm floor, but I hid the Beck's behind the Schlitz products to keep from sharing). Since there wasn't a lot of choice in beer to be had back then, import Beck's (both "light" and dark) was a step up from the usual college fair -- and tasted a lot better.
Sometimes, it's just a matter of perspective. In my previous post, I neglected to mention that I drank a fair amount of Becks once I got back to the states. Sure, in comparison to everything else I tried while stationed in Germany (even lousy Henninger), Becks sucked. But in comparison to what I could get back home (the usual AAL swill), Becks was pretty darn tasty. So you know...
Well, there was a short period of time when it was an "Import": I think the story goes that Coors and Molson merged and then closed the Schlitz-built Memphis brewery Coors had purchased from Stroh (after a proposed merger fell apart in the late 80s). Coors had been brewing a good portion of Blue Moon in Memphis so to temporarily keep the supply in the US filled, they imported it from Canada. (OK not exactly Belgium but "Foreign" nonetheless... ) At one point (maybe still?) Molson marketed a Rickard's Belgian White in Canada that some claimed was just the Blue Moon recipe. Don't know the chronology of these beers but it'd make sense if Molson was already brewing Rickard's when the combined companies started the Blue Moon export to the US. That was pretty clever on Coors' part - they wouldn't have to live with all the "It's better in Ireland!" criticism, since the George Killian Lett brewery closed in 1954, over a quarter of a century before the Coors' version hit the shelves. (They did hire a real Lett descendant to do promo work, tho'.)
Never drink either. Why drink these when so many other excellent German and Czech beers are available?
That’s a fair point, but to answer your question they are generally easier to find and more readily available than other beers, and are generally considered a step up the ladder compared to some other mass produced American beers
All true, but I still met a lot of people who thought Killian's was actually an Irish import. Nevermind telling them the "real" Killian's was brewed in France.
The US Becks lost it's malt note, one of the things which made it distinctive. I will try some USA brewed Stella soon.
This Thread reminded me that i haven't had Beck's in Years. Might buy the canned version again to remind myself of the utter mediocrity.
