It's official American Beer is Slop

[RokDok]

I thought this link was appropriate for the discussion. It's a long read but interesting:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... ricas-beer

A similar thing happening on a smaller scale here for years.

Dreadful

But it's this kind of environment which has spawned the real ale / microbrewery revolution.

RD

 

[phettebs]

My fear is what InBEV will do to try to dominate the craft market. They bought up Goose Island which did make some nice beers. I hope that trend does not continue. I will not drink their (InBEV's) beers just out of spite. I get that it is a business and has to be profitable. But I am not obligated to contribute to that profit. :thumb:

 

[bobsbeer]

My guess is they will only be interested in brands with a regional popularity and market share. As a craft brewer increases in size and popularity it will become a target. What happens after that to the brand will be down to accountants. Shame really. But if the USA is like the UK, another two or three micros will pop up in their place.

 

[phettebs]

All the more reason to homebrew! :thumb:

 

[DamageCase]

That's a really saddening article. Beer should not be made by business men.

To directly input to the discussion though, our commercial beer is also garbage. I have liked real American beers when I've come across them. Brooklyn Lager is one that springs to mind. I couldn't believe it, a lager that actually tastes of something! They also make some excellent IPA's over there.

 

[Loetz]

I came across a couple of interesting articles about american pilsners recently which I feel are worth sharing.

http://beerpulse.com/2012/12/august...-in-response-to-craft-vs-crafty-shame-on-you/

When August Schell emigrated from Germany and founded this brewery in 1860, his only option to brew was to use was available to him, as it was impossible to ship large quantities of raw ingredients from Europe at that time. The high quality, two-row malting barley he could use back home, wasn’t native to North America. Instead, he had to use the locally grown, but much higher protein, 6-row barley to brew his beer. When he decided that he wanted to produce a high quality, clear and stable, golden lager, he had to cut down that protein content somehow. In order to accomplish this, he used a small portion of another locally grown ingredient he called “mais” as is hand written in our old brewing logs, better known as corn. He didn’t use corn to cheapen or lighten his beer. He did it because it was the only way to brew a high quality lager beer in America at that point. By the time high quality two-row malting barley was finally cultivated and available to use, our consumers had already been drinking our high quality beers for many years. We continued to brew our beer using this small portion of corn because that was the way we traditionally brewed it.

And then there is also this:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/1298/SOzym00-Pilsner.pdf

 

[Ceejay]

I came across a couple of interesting articles about american pilsners recently which I feel are worth sharing.

http://beerpulse.com/2012/12/august...-in-response-to-craft-vs-crafty-shame-on-you/

When August Schell emigrated from Germany and founded this brewery in 1860, his only option to brew was to use was available to him, as it was impossible to ship large quantities of raw ingredients from Europe at that time. The high quality, two-row malting barley he could use back home, wasn’t native to North America. Instead, he had to use the locally grown, but much higher protein, 6-row barley to brew his beer. When he decided that he wanted to produce a high quality, clear and stable, golden lager, he had to cut down that protein content somehow. In order to accomplish this, he used a small portion of another locally grown ingredient he called “mais” as is hand written in our old brewing logs, better known as corn. He didn’t use corn to cheapen or lighten his beer. He did it because it was the only way to brew a high quality lager beer in America at that point. By the time high quality two-row malting barley was finally cultivated and available to use, our consumers had already been drinking our high quality beers for many years. We continued to brew our beer using this small portion of corn because that was the way we traditionally brewed it.

And then there is also this:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/1298/SOzym00-Pilsner.pdf

Absolutely fair play. :clap:.

 

[bobsbeer]

They are really good articles. Just a shame the big guys in the quest for extra profit sacrificed the integrity of the ingredients and went for the cheap option. But that's big business everywhere and not just USA.

 

[phettebs]

Great articles. Thanks Loetz and everyone else commenting.

 

[phettebs]

Another back and forth between craft vs. BMC:

Brooklyn Brewery:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/12/opinion/h ... =allsearch

MillerCoors Response:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/opinion/l ... ?hpt=hp_c2

Edit: Thanks Bob. Link fixed.

 

[bobsbeer]

Both links are the same article. Interesting response though.

 

[Asalpaws]

Sad to see the list of companies run by AB inBev where profit seems to be the only concern http://http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/InBev_brands

It always amazes me how they managed to make American Budweiser with so little taste for a nearly 5% lager. Also the "Born on" publicity campaign seems odd to a home brewer, where often aging a beer for several weeks is a big improvement.

 

[BigYin]

I know this is probably considered treason, but... my in laws lived in Bermuda for 9 years, and whenever we were there, it was the light American beers that I would always drink, and in rather large quantities - it was simply so refreshing - and in a hot and humid climate it's perfect!! It was also so low in alcohol, I could drink for hours and hours and hours, and never get too drunk, or be left with a hangover.

Granted, most of the time I'm in not-so-tropical Scotland, and I never touch lager at all - it's mid to dark ales, porters etc all the way :drink:

 

[Asalpaws]

Bud is 4.8% but Carib that u get in the southern Caribbean is 5.4% however I agree in a hot place it's hard to beat a very cold lager.