Rice vs. Corn Syrup in Beer

True, but I have to assume that they want to achieve growth, and even modest growth for a brand of Bud Light's size might mean a million additional barrels, or more. With that in mind I could see Jim Koch wanting a piece of the action if the fight is being waged over the ingredients used, a fight where he obviously feels that he has a strong hand. He is quick to point out how small Boston Beer Company is relative to the macros, but it also seems obvious that he wants the company to play in the big leagues against those same breweries.

 

I have a lot I could say about Koch, but I won't, because that's not the point of this thread or this site, but "disingenuous" is probably the most kind thing I could say.

I've also had some of Jack's homebrew, and it was better than Boston Lager. I'd put my money on Jack in this particular competition, without hesitation.

 

Do you think he may be suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia? I have witnessed family close to me who did and they were held high regard such as Jim Koch.

 

I guess I find it harder to be upset about the blogpost seeing as how it's mostly composed of mainstream viewpoints. That's not to say that those viewpoints are correct, or that I share them, but I can understand why a business person would present and possibly also hold such viewpoints. The idea that the law of 1516 (here I avoid using the term reinheitsgebot since it only originated much later, in order to make a point) was a consumer protection law is pretty commonly professed by various German brewing organizations. The idea that adjuncts make for cheap beer and is suspect from a quality standpoint is likewise hardly controversial outside of a subset of beernerds. Again, I wont argue these points with you, since I do not share them (even though I personaly prefer all-malt beers, even if using rice would be more expensive), but I'm not shocked that a business person would go with the mainstream story and not some revisionist version. I expect the latter from beer nerds such as us.

When we get to the questions about BBC's role in the US craft beer history I tend to zone out since I am not terribly interested in it, but I'm not surprised that he would make it sound like he was at the forefront, breweries tend to fight over who is older ("since xxxx", "seit xxxx", "älteste brauerei der welt", "America's oldest brewery"), with more or less credibility, and some of the ones that cannot claim to be the oldest, or the most at the forefront, are likely to try and market themselves in such a way that it makes it sound like they are or were. I chalk that down to business (but then again I think alot of craft beer drinkers have rose colored glasses when it comes to the business side of craft beer).

 

Agreed... and similar things could be said of public statements made by Sam Caglione, Greg Koch, Larry Bell, John Kimmich, Vinny or Natalie Cilurzo, Tomme Arthur, etc...or the many industry people active here on Beer Advocate. A public statement from a brewery owner/representative above all else will support the business, and any facts, opinions, history, and views presented or omitted will support the business. This does not surprise or anger me. It is what it is. Users of this forum generally have a higher level of knowledge that allows us to sift out the nuggets of truth (if any) in these PR statements.

 

But it is Barrel aged Corn Syrup.

 

That was very amusing. You can tell AB InBev really struck a nerve over at MillerCoors. I also enjoyed how the post read like a corporate-world parody of partisan political blogging.

 

Wouldn't even be close.