BMC Crowd-Pleaser Recipe Suggestions

I'm providing beer for a wedding reception in January that will host upwards of 50-75 people, with the vast majority of the beer consumers present being unaccustomed to craft brews. What have folks out there used for this type of situation in the past in order to provide drinks that will leave everyone, if not happy, at least content? My thought is 4 5-gallon batches covering a range of styles (I haven't decided yet if I'll try to do a mobile tap setup or just bottles, but I'm leaning toward the former); the groom specifically requested a red, which is nice as I'm pleased with a red recipe I've done several times in the past. I'm considering the following selections:

* BM's Centennial Blonde: I've made a half dozen batches of this over the years, and it always seems to go terrifically.
* Orfy's mild: Been on my list for a while, but haven't gotten it done yet. I may do a trial batch first to see how it goes.
* Irish red: My own recipe; may not please everyone, but I and the groom will be happy, so there's that.
* Wit: I have a recipe I've done several times that has been well-received in most cases, but largely by craft drinkers. This one may be up for replacement.


Any other suggestions or words of warning? I've never supplied such a large crowd before and while I doubt I'll get much negative feedback regardless (gathering is largely family), I'd like to do my best to get everyone happy.

Kolsch maybe?

Biermuncher's "Cream of Three Crops" recipe!!!!!

I made it for my dad and brother who think the best beer in the universe is MGD, and they loved it. And it had enough flavor that I loved it too.

I would replace the Wit with a Kolsch, an Alt, or a C3C.
You may also want to replace the Mild; I would think that the goal may have to be to make low alcohol, easy drinking (dry), and highly carbonated brews?

I make a raspberry wheat that's a big hit with my friends that aren't craft brew drinkers. I've had people who don't even like beer tell me they like it.

It's just 6.5 lbs wheat extract. 1 oz hallertau hops for 60 mins. German Wheat 3333 yeast, and dump in a bottle of raspberry extract at bottling or kegging time. Super simple and people love it.

A well done wit would satisfy the Blue Moon/Shock Top crowd. My wife does not like hoppy beer and drinks my kolsch which is a great, easy drinking ale that really tastes like a lager. Cream Ale or Blonde Ale are also good candidates.

Just buy them the bud light they want and provide delicious beer for those who care. Personally I'm done trying to convert people that aren't open minded enough to try new things(and actually give them a chance) that they may love. Craft beer is expensive enough at its current demand level.

Xpertskir said:

Just buy them the bud light they want and provide delicious beer for those who care. Personally I'm done trying to convert people that aren't open minded enough to try new things(and actually give them a chance) that they may love. Craft beer is expensive enough at its current demand level.

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With all respect, this is not the advice he asked for. He was asked to provide craft brew for his friend's wedding, and he wants to make beer everyone will enjoy and remember for a long time. I know a lot of my friends wrinkle their nose when they come to my house and I offer them an IPA or a stout, but I enjoy the challenge of making a beer my BMC friends enjoy drinking. I want them to look forward to coming over to my house and drinking good beer when I invite them. Not feeling like they have to bring their own or drink Coke. That's just me.

Phyrst said:

With all respect, this is not the advice he asked for. He was asked to provide craft brew for his friend's wedding, and he wants to make beer everyone will enjoy and remember for a long time. I know a lot of my friends wrinkle their nose when they come to my house and I offer them an IPA or a stout, but I enjoy the challenge of making a beer my BMC friends enjoy drinking. I want them to look forward to coming over to my house and drinking good beer when I invite them. Not feeling like they have to bring their own or drink Coke. That's just me.

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I answered his question in a round about way. His question is what beers he should make, I told him to make beer for his good beer audience and not to worry about making a beer for BMC drinkers, buy them BMC.

BTW, I go out of my way to have bud light at my house for BMC drinkers despite the fact that none of them go out of their way to provide me with a beverage I like to drink when I visit their house.

If you have the time and the means to do one I would suggest actually brewing a lager. Despite the caution of many on here brewing a good lager really isn't that hard as long as you can control your temperatures. I consider lagers a gateway beer for BMC loving friends, it doesn't take long to get them interested in the other beers I make after that.

Wow, quite an array of rapid responses; thanks to all!

I had forgotten about BM's C3C recipe; that may have to bump something from the list. I'd love to do a lager, but simply lack the facilities for now; the only lager I've done still fermented too high and while I loved it, it wouldn't be something for this audience. I'd given some thought to simply providing BMC for those who want it and bringing my own options for the rest, and while I may very well do that, I'm still operating with the "crowd-pleasing" constraint simply as an experiment to see how my results fare. I'm not necessarily hoping to produce converts--rather, I want everyone to have emerged with as few complaints as possible. If nothing else, I'm enjoying the thought experiment; I tend to get set in my patterns of frequently-brewed beers these days and am enjoying the idea of expanding my usual scope.

After the feedback thus far, I'm thinking I may end up swapping out the mild for a kolsch or C3C. I'd like to retain the wit for the Blue Moon crowd (as was pointed out) and for something a little more diverse for those who want it. It also tends to be a larger hit with the ladies in the times I've shared it, for whatever reason, and I suspect it'll play similarly here. Thanks again for all the responses so far!

A nice English ordinary bitter, keep it on the dry side. I've had a lot of complements from BMC drinkers on a few.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I threw the Mild into the mix. Seems like a nice mellow introduction; flavorful, but not overwhelming. I'll have to consider a bit... Thanks!

Off-hand I'd say a bitter might be more well received than a mild, as milds tend to have more prominent malty flavors. I love both, you understand, but thinking in terms of what would please a BMC drinker...my neighbor won't drink any beer except the bitter that I make, which is a very light session beer. I had to convince her to try it, she didn't want to when I told her the style was called "bitter". Now she has one every time she comes over.