So, you are at a non-craft beer place... What do you order?

Germelli1 said:

I just don't get how BMC "screws craft breweries with their practices". Care to explain using a source OTHER than Beer Wars?

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Sure thing. Here in Texas you cannot buy a six pack of beer after a brewery tour. The Saint Arnold brewery headed up a bill in our legislature that would allow this to happen and felt as though it would have a big impact on their business. The bill was HB602.

After appearing as though it would pass, AB-InBev used some swift maneuvering to make sure it didn't happen.

Here is a link: http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2011/05/hb602-is-dead/

NordeastBrewer77 said:

Anything? Really? Do you know how many beers AB InBev makes? Or Miller/Coors? That's a heluva lotta beer to turn up your nose at! I personally like alot of 'BMC' beers, goose island IPA and redhook pilsner are regulars in my fridge.

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Yep, nothing of theirs. If BMC has anything to do with the production process, I won't drink it. Goose Island is owned by ABIB, so I don't touch it. Same with Redhook. I flat out refuse to drink any BMC beer, even if I don't pay for it.

WhiskeyR said:

Sure thing. Here in Texas you cannot buy a six pack of beer after a brewery tour. The Saint Arnold brewery headed up a bill in our legislature that would allow this to happen and felt as though it would have a big impact on their business. The bill was HB602.

After appearing as though it would pass, AB-InBev used some swift maneuvering to make sure it didn't happen.

Here is a link: http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2011/05/hb602-is-dead/

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I didn't even see this post.. but yes this is dead on why AB directly screwed the little guys.
If you don't wanna read, in the end, the bill allowed for small breweries to be able to sell a certain amount of 6 packs after a tour. AB came in at the end and said, if they can sell 6 packs after the tour, why can't we (since they were over the defined limit of 'small')
So they killed the bill saying it was unfair to them.

as it turns out, AB doesn't even offer tours at their houston plant. It was strictly a move to thwart growth of micro breweries. it's a very hot topic in texas right now.

Weizenwerks said:

Yep, nothing of theirs. If BMC has anything to do with the production process, I won't drink it. Goose Island is owned by ABIB, so I don't touch it. Same with Redhook. I flat out refuse to drink any BMC beer, even if I don't pay for it.

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Is that just out of principal? Or have you actually tried all their offerings and really don't like them?
I'm not trying to be argumentative, just curious as to why someone would turn down good beer just because of the brewery.

WhiskeyR said:

Sure thing. Here in Texas you cannot buy a six pack of beer after a brewery tour. The Saint Arnold brewery headed up a bill in our legislature that would allow this to happen and felt as though it would have a big impact on their business. The bill was HB602.

After appearing as though it would pass, AB-InBev used some swift maneuvering to make sure it didn't happen.

Here is a link: http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2011/05/hb602-is-dead/

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This is not directed at you (whiskeyR)...but in a case like this ....

People need to contact their congressmen and women and express their concerns.

Don't just log on and post on an on-line forum about how "I wont support the evil BMC machine....man".....

The ABCC in Massachusetts just recently decided NOT to pull "Farmers-Brewer License" from the micro brewers here in MA. This was in a large part due to the large over whelming response to our congressmen and women. Scott Brown, one of our Senators even chimed in, even though it was not a federal issue.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110809/NEWS/108099894/-1/NEWS04

WhiskeyR said:

Sure thing. Here in Texas you cannot buy a six pack of beer after a brewery tour. The Saint Arnold brewery headed up a bill in our legislature that would allow this to happen and felt as though it would have a big impact on their business. The bill was HB602.

After appearing as though it would pass, AB-InBev used some swift maneuvering to make sure it didn't happen.

Here is a link: http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2011/05/hb602-is-dead/

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Thats not a bad point, but it sounds more like your politicians are to blame then AB. In fact one of the "victims" quoted in the article had this to say when his brewery started using AB for distribution:

“Our new distributors also happen to work with a certain large brewery in St. Louis, so there aren’t many cities or towns in Texas they don’t reach,” Wagner said.

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motobrewer said:

are you sure you didn't mean to post this on BA?

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LOL.

I would say indeed you are a beer snob. We all started on BMC, and I will still drink them. Do I prefer them? No. At the end of the day I love beer. While there are definitely some beers that will not pass these lips, most will.

I guess I am an anti beer snob, snob.

Weizenwerks said:

I drink nothing from BMC. I don't like any style of beer they make, so I don't buy or drink it.

If I'm at a place that doesn't offer craft beer or import non-lager beer, I'll drink water.

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Ok, just so we have this right, you don't drink these styles: American Lager, Amber, Wheat, Belgian, Bock, White, Abbey, English Pale Ale, Helles Lager, Pilsner, Oktoberfest, Brown Ale, Cider. OK, after going through the AB site I got tired. So I guess the question left is, which styles do you like?

Germelli1 said:

Thats not a bad point, but it sounds more like your politicians are to blame then AB. In fact one of the "victims" quoted in the article had this to say when his brewery started using AB for distribution:

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Of course the politicians are to blame. They are just as much part of the problem. The previous poster who mentioned contacting them is quite right (and a lot of us have done so).

In Texas, to sell your beer requires that you go through a distributor. Saint Arnold is not distributed by AB (neither is AB). Having the same distributor doesn't put them in bed together.

For the record I don't boycott InBev or other BMC products. I do try to spend my money with craft breweries, but I still enjoy a Hoegaarden, Paulaner or even a Blue Moon. I don't take a big moral issue with what is just business, but I still would like to see the Texas legislature make things easier on the little guys.

With that said, I can understand (or even support) others' choices to not spend their money with BMC.

asidrane said:

Ok, just so we have this right, you don't drink these styles: American Lager, Amber, Wheat, Belgian, Bock, White, Abbey, English Pale Ale, Helles Lager, Pilsner, Oktoberfest, Brown Ale, Cider. OK, after going through the AB site I got tired. So I guess the question left is, which styles do you like?

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Pssst. Should anyone tell him that AB has been known to can drinking water too? Maybe then he'll go away.

j1laskey said:

This is not directed at you (whiskeyR)...but in a case like this ....

People need to contact their congressmen and women and express their concerns.

Don't just log on and post on an on-line forum about how "I wont support the evil BMC machine....man".....

The ABCC in Massachusetts just recently decided NOT to pull "Farmers-Brewer License" from the micro brewers here in MA. This was in a large part due to the large over whelming response to our congressmen and women. Scott Brown, one of our Senators even chimed in, even though it was not a federal issue.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110809/NEWS/108099894/-1/NEWS04

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I agree and have done so. I wrote in supporting this bill.

Thanks for the link. That's quite an important win for the MA mirco brewers.

Awesome thread. Revvy can come across as pompous when telling others to not be so pompous. That's what makes him Revvy and a great contributor to this forum. To get back to the original question if all they had was BMC I would honestly order a water. It's not that I will never let BMC touch my lips but I sure as hell wouldn't pay bar prices for one. This is my preference. To each their own.

To the OP, do what YOU like. If you dont like BMC dont drink it and definitely dont pay 4bucks a bottle for it (crazy talk). Who cares what your friends think? If you want to order wine then order wine. My opinion is that you not care so much what others think of you. Whether its your boys, Revvy, Reevy, or anyone else. Live your life dude. You only get one chance.

I find the hate of Light American Lager humorous. Forgetting all the political, social aspects of why people don't like BMC, and just narrowing down to taste, what's to hate? It has very little taste - so what's wrong with it that makes people so passionate about it?

I make and drink wine so I must be a flamer!! j/k

WhiskeyR said:

Of course the politicians are to blame. They are just as much part of the problem. The previous poster who mentioned contacting them is quite right (and a lot of us have done so).

In Texas, to sell your beer requires that you go through a distributor. Saint Arnold is not distributed by AB (neither is AB). Having the same distributor doesn't put them in bed together.

For the record I don't boycott InBev or other BMC products. I do try to spend my money with craft breweries, but I still enjoy a Hoegaarden, Paulaner or even a Blue Moon. I don't take a big moral issue with what is just business, but I still would like to see the Texas legislature make things easier on the little guys.

With that said, I can understand (or even support) others' choices to not spend their money with BMC.

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Every beer in America has to go through a distributor.

It is a double standard...every time a small brewery does something illegial and gets away with it people root for them (example: recent mass. legislation). Or how craft breweries can piggyback on the big guys, but act the victim if something doesn't go their way. It may be the underdog mentallity or just the way things work, but you should never expect to have your cake and eat it too.

makomachine said:

I find the hate of Light American Lager humorous. Forgetting all the political, social aspects of why people don't like BMC, and just narrowing down to taste, what's to hate? It has very little taste - so what's wrong with it that makes people so passionate about it?

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It's not the beer itself. It's not offensive enough for anyone to be passionate about it. The stigma come from the corporate entity that produces it, or more so from proweress that said corporate entity has by being so inofensive with it's product.

Barnzy02 said:

Why would i go to a non-craft beer place???

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That's pretty funny.

I may be a noob brewer, but I'm not a noob drinker. I'm pretty lucky where I live that dang near everywhere I go has one of the local microbrews on tap. Heck even Fenway Park has decent beer on tap. If I do go someplace that has only evil empire beer I'm pretty much with KoedBrew, I don't get it because I don't really enjoy it. Not that I hate it, but I have to enjoy a beer to drink it and never considered myself snobby by that. Kinda like my taste in music, if I no likely I no listen. I like to think I'm just more refined in my old age.

Having said all that I'd most often go for a Guiness if they have it. If a brew is not an option next on my list would be a Pinot Noir. Never had a Yuengling, but I keep hearing it's good.

Weizenwerks said:

Yep, nothing of theirs. If BMC has anything to do with the production process, I won't drink it. Goose Island is owned by ABIB, so I don't touch it. Same with Redhook. I flat out refuse to drink any BMC beer, even if I don't pay for it.

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Sounds like someone just got done watching Beer Wars.

makomachine said:

I find the hate of Light American Lager humorous. Forgetting all the political, social aspects of why people don't like BMC, and just narrowing down to taste, what's to hate? It has very little taste - so what's wrong with it that makes people so passionate about it?

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I can't stand the raunchy aftertaste. They taste like they've been exposed to the sun for far too long. Same reason I don't particularly like Heineken or Beck's.

Re: an earlier comment about wine - there's nothing feminine about drinking a nice dry cab or red zin, among other varieties (and even a dry riesling like Trimbach).

When I'm at a bar/restaurant that offers little selection, my standby around here is Boulevard Wheat (with no fruit). It's not the best beer in the world, and I'm not keen on American wheats (despite being in love with German hefes), but it's a good, solid beer that I can honestly enjoy.

To be fair to the OP on the wine question, any bar that was only serving BMC is probably not going to have too much of a wine selection beyond White-Zin-In-A-Box.

That's why I say.... G&T, baby!

Grey Goose and tonic with a shot of Patron to back it up

WhiskeyR said:

I agree and have done so. I wrote in supporting this bill.

Thanks for the link. That's quite an important win for the MA mirco brewers.

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Tell the microbreweries to do the same thing the Georgia breweries do. You buy a pint glass at their brewery tour and then you get to sample 4 beers with the tickets provided in the glass. So in effect you buy the glass not the beer. Might work with t-shirts or other memorabilia for a six pack. Would definitely either piss off the government and they pass more laws or they just accept they are fighting a losing battle.

Just my 2 cents on the subject.


I love microbrews, but I'm not against drinking bmc they have their place and bars are one of the times I drink them cause most places around me offer no microbrews.

Diet Coke.

the_bird said:

To be fair to the OP on the wine question, any bar that was only serving BMC is probably not going to have too much of a wine selection beyond White-Zin-In-A-Box.

That's why I say.... G&T, baby!

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In this weather, a gin and tonic is perfect, Bird.

I have to confess to a fondness for Manhattans (bourbon/whiskey/scotch and sweet vermouth) in the winter.

Not really available in bars, but at home, a mint julep this time of year goes down easy.

Jamminjoenapo said:

Tell the microbreweries to do the same thing the Georgia breweries do. You buy a pint glass at their brewery tour and then you get to sample 4 beers with the tickets provided in the glass. So in effect you buy the glass not the beer. Might work with t-shirts or other memorabilia for a six pack. Would definitely either piss off the government and they pass more laws or they just accept they are fighting a losing battle.

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Yeah, I don't think that ever works unless the regulators are already behind it, and just risks pissing off the people who are authorized to shut you down.

Besides, it's moot. Enough people complained (including some of us here) where the ABCC backed off, and there have been bills introduced to create a proper "craft brewing license." I'm honestly quite amazed at how well the political process worked in this case.

Thank you, the_bird...I wanted to see what others would drink.
I just do not like liquor, ever since college I pretty much stay away,

I was never trying to imply there was something wrong with the choice of anyone else, just that I prefer water over the other options. If there was good wine and some pasta or something, I could care less about peoples opinions on wine were. It was the setting

Jamminjoenapo said:

Tell the microbreweries to do the same thing the Georgia breweries do. You buy a pint glass at their brewery tour and then you get to sample 4 beers with the tickets provided in the glass. So in effect you buy the glass not the beer.

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That's what the Saint Arnold Brewery does. Others here offer free tastings. Their main issue with HB602 was to allow the cash purchase of Six Packs for those who attended the tour to bring home. You're able to buy wine at a winery, but not beer at a brewery. So they were looking for equal treatment.

Sorta related . . . .

My peeps come from the great state of Iowa, where it is quite popular to make 'wine' out of damn near anything - berries, fruits, rhubarb, and even dandelions. My personal confession is that I used to refuse to drink those and was a snob about them - something along the lines of "wine is made from grapes, not musk melons."

Now, I appreciate the home-made and hand-made nature of the wine, the use of local produce, and the artisan quality. Also, I don't compare it table wine, because its not table wine. I just appreciate it (and enjoy it) for what it is.

WhiskeyR said:

That's what the Saint Arnold Brewery does. Others here offer free tastings. Their main issue with HB602 was to allow the cash purchase of Six Packs for those who attended the tour to bring home. You're able to buy wine at a winery, but not beer at a brewery. So they were looking for equal treatment.

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So you get a free six pack with your purchase of an expensive brewery hat, sounds legitimate.

I understand though cause in Georgia you can't sell anything minus the tasting beers. Really isn't fair, but the only thing you can do is write, call, and be persistent with the elected officials.

the_bird said:

Yeah, I don't think that ever works unless the regulators are already behind it, and just risks pissing off the people who are authorized to shut you down.

Besides, it's moot. Enough people complained (including some of us here) where the ABCC backed off, and there have been bills introduced to create a proper "craft brewing license." I'm honestly quite amazed at how well the political process worked in this case.

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Yeah I didn't realize they were trying to sell six packs.

I refuse to go anywhere that doesn't at least have SNPA.

Germelli1 said:

Every beer in America has to go through a distributor.

It is a double standard...every time a small brewery does something illegial and gets away with it people root for them (example: recent mass. legislation). Or how craft breweries can piggyback on the big guys, but act the victim if something doesn't go their way. It may be the underdog mentallity or just the way things work, but you should never expect to have your cake and eat it too.

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I'm not sure where, at least in the specific example of Saint Arnold (or other Texas breweries), anyone is looking to "have their cake and eat it too". They simply want to be able to sell six packs to the brewery tour patrons who want to buy them.

I'm really having a hard time determining what you're getting at here. I don't know much about what goes on with micro breweries outside of Texas, but I don't see any of our local breweries piggy backing on the big guys. Unless of course, you think striking a deal with a local distributor who has also, separately, struck a deal with one of the big three is somehow piggy backing off them.

I've also yet to see any local (Texas) incidents of the breweries breaking laws. I've only seen them try to change them, through the appropriate methods, to be more fair [in terms of what is allowed of wineries, compared to breweries].

Germelli1 said:

Every beer in America has to go through a distributor.

It is a double standard...every time a small brewery does something illegial and gets away with it people root for them (example: recent mass. legislation). Or how craft breweries can piggyback on the big guys, but act the victim if something doesn't go their way. It may be the underdog mentallity or just the way things work, but you should never expect to have your cake and eat it too.

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What are you talking about?

A. Not every beer in America has to go through a distributor. That's a big chunk of what the MA legislation is going through, the right to self-distribute. Lots of other states allow self-distribution, so it then becomes a business decision for the brewery (more work to self-distribute, but keep a bigger chunk of the revenues).

B. Craft brewers in MA weren't doing anything illegal at all, the state Alcohic Beverage Control Board proposed a rule change mid-stream that would have severely curtailed their existing (legal) businesses.

So, what exactly are you talking about?

the_bird said:

What are you talking about?

A. Not every beer in America has to go through a distributor. That's a big chunk of what the MA legislation is going through, the right to self-distribute. Lots of other states allow self-distribution, so it then becomes a business decision for the brewery (more work to self-distribute, but keep a bigger chunk of the revenues).

B. Craft brewers in MA weren't doing anything illegal at all, the state Alcohic Beverage Control Board proposed a rule change mid-stream that would have severely curtailed their existing (legal) businesses.

So, what exactly are you talking about?

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KoedBrew said:

So, you have all been there. You are at a bar or restaurant watching a game or hanging with some friends and the only beer on the menu is B/M/C and in my case Yuengling is also on the list here in PA.

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I live in Portland. I never have this problem.

Seriously.

To answer the original question, a beer when out is a treat for me, so I only order one if it's something I really love which usually isn't an American Lager. I never order a beer just to have a beer.

Now, I'm not a beer snob, but if I'm going to have a cheap beer, it's not going to be at four bucks a glass plus tip.

For some reason I can't get the image out of my head of some craggly faced mobster types crowded in to some table or booth smoking cigars and drinking Chianti... not really the picture of femininity.

Akaskan Amber, otherwise I'm gone!

metaltim said:

I guess there is no one posting texas in here, cause otherwise someone would have answered shiner.

In texas, if a bar has bud light, it has shiner, and I happen to like shiner quite a bit.

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Nah, up in Dallas we have a lot of bars with BMC but no Shiner. You're more likely to find Sam Adams than Shiner at a lot of places. (I think Shiner is distributed up here by Andrews, which is SABMiller's distribution wing, but I may be wrong about that.)

Bar/pub with only B/M/C on the menu What is this strange and cruel land you speak of???