Are you embarassed to be in the BMC isle at the store?

Here's the scenario...I'm heading to an outdoor concert tomorrow. Knowing I'll be drinking mass quantities in the GA heat, ice cold fizzy yellow adjunct packed lagers is my safest bet. So there I was in the BMC isle deciding/looking at the various packaging options, bottles vs cans vs size, etc ....I found myself looking over my shoulder every minute wondering if anyone I knew was looking at me...like I was standing there naked and vulnerable. Has anyone else felt like this or is it just me?

No. The aisle I find to be most embarrassing is the greeting cards.

This is an area where craft beer needs to figure it out and capitalize on a relatively untapped market.

The dry session beer craft beer in a can. And I mean dry and thirst quenching as in finishing at 1 Plato, or 1.004 or thereabout. You can pound BMC all day because it's dry, bone dry and although craft beer is figuring out canning and lower alcohol beers, but for some reason, most craft beer offerings tend to finish much heavier than that. My.02 anyway.

I'm not embarrassed to be in the BMC isle. But that's only because if I am, it's because I'm on my way to the craft beer isles. Seriously, though there's no shame in making a responsible choice and drinking a safe beer. Despite my avatar, I feel that there's an exception to every rule and even BMC has its place.

My wife called and asked if I could pick her up some maxi pads so I'm going to be embarrased in that isle. When I do BMC it's Modelo Especial.

I'm no snob, beer is like children: I have my favorites but I love them all. I get 12 packs of Genny for $5.99......doesn't embarrass me at all to pick a 12 up if I'm looking to knock back several on a hot Saturday afternoon.

OTOH, picking up a tube of Preparation H might fall into that "embarrassing" scenario!

I don't remember, I haven't bought any beer except a couple of times in a restaurant (and no BMC) for over 6 months.

duckmanco said:

This is an area where craft beer needs to figure it out and capitalize on a relatively untapped market.

The dry session beer craft beer in a can. And I mean dry and thirst quenching as in finishing at 1 Plato, or 1.004 or thereabout. You can pound BMC all day because it's dry, bone dry and although craft beer is figuring out canning and lower alcohol beers, but for some reason, most craft beer offerings tend to finish much heavier than that. My.02 anyway.

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+1...I've really been becoming a fan of SNPA in the can, and quite frankly at only 5.6%, it's pretty much a session ale. I also recently had 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon while on vacation, and that also was an amazing, refreshing low ABV ale...*perfect* for just having come off the beach and chilling out in the afternoon after lunch.

The other thing I've liked about cans is that they are so much more portable, and pretty stealthy. I took a couple cans of SNPA to the fireworks this past 4th, and I've drank 21st Amendment at various "public" venues...the fact that they're in a can makes it look like you're just drinking a pop. Couldn't do that with a glass longneck...

Doesn't bother me at all, when it's hot outside (It hit 109 actual temp here today), I love a super cold Busch Light. Can't help it, grew up drinking it, not ashamed.

Caldera Brewing down in Southern Oregon makes some pretty good brews (their ipa is my favorite by far) and they lay claim to being the first micro brewery in Oregon to can their beer! It's kind of cool because their designs don't look even remotely beer-like as well, more like soda as mentioned by biochemedic. I feel like some breweries are moving in the canning direction. I guess it might be kind of hard to find on the east coast seeing as how it's not even distributed in Northeast Oregon :/. I for one dig the cans.

thughes said:

I'm no snob, beer is like children: I have my favorites but I love them all. I get 12 packs of Genny for $5.99......doesn't embarrass me at all to pick a 12 up if I'm looking to knock back several on a hot Saturday afternoon.

OTOH, picking up a tube of Preparation H might fall into that "embarrassing" scenario!

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^ what he said. Beer is all good. Don't make it out to be more than it is.

Expressing dislike for BMC is about the same as religious arguing. Pointless and getting old.

Went to the beach the other day. Grabbed a couple cans of bud out of the fridge and enjoyed them very much.

I can't remember the last time I bought BMC. It doesn't really appeal to me at all and I'd much rather drink one or two of a beer I really like than pound down several of one I don't.

I wouldn't be embarrassed to be in the BMC aisle, but I'd be mortified to have BMC at the checkout...

I have no qualms about picking up a 30 rack of PBR or High Life. What is embarrassing is if someone gets a say in a beer run and requests Smirnoff Ice or something like that. The guys I know that work at the beer shop I frequent always give me a ton of crap when that happens.

biochemedic said:

+1...I've really been becoming a fan of SNPA in the can, and quite frankly at only 5.6%, it's pretty much a session ale. I also recently had 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon while on vacation, and that also was an amazing, refreshing low ABV ale...*perfect* for just having come off the beach and chilling out in the afternoon after lunch.

The other thing I've liked about cans is that they are so much more portable, and pretty stealthy. I took a couple cans of SNPA to the fireworks this past 4th, and I've drank 21st Amendment at various "public" venues...the fact that they're in a can makes it look like you're just drinking a pop. Couldn't do that with a glass longneck...

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Actually I drink my soda from glass longnecks, Henry weinhards root beer or orange cream. Cans are great but not for stealth. I don't have issue being in the bmc aisle because it isn't a stigma here. People will defend PBR to the bitter end. I always tell them it is fine tasting water and they don't have to convince me of its merits. I go with kokanee when I want a light lager.

phenry said:

I have no qualms about picking up a 30 rack of PBR or High Life. What is embarrassing is if someone gets a say in a beer run and requests Smirnoff Ice or something like that. The guys I know that work at the beer shop I frequent always give me a ton of crap when that happens.

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Whatever. Smirnoff Green Apple is delicious...though there is definitely a time and a place.

I tend to not be a beer snob, so no Every beer has it's place, and like you proved, this is BMC's. It's not like you're buying champagne or something

duckmanco said:

This is an area where craft beer needs to figure it out and capitalize on a relatively untapped market.

The dry session beer craft beer in a can. And I mean dry and thirst quenching as in finishing at 1 Plato, or 1.004 or thereabout. You can pound BMC all day because it's dry, bone dry and although craft beer is figuring out canning and lower alcohol beers, but for some reason, most craft beer offerings tend to finish much heavier than that. My.02 anyway.

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I try very hard to be a non-snobby-yet-knowledgeable-beer-geek. We have the great fortune here in Minnesota to have some really great sessionable canned beers.

like:

I'm also a fan of the local light and dark mass production style Grainbelt and Grainbelt Nordeast. Both cheap, local, packed with corn and very very tasty when you want a refreshing, low alcohol beer:





but I have been preaching exactly the same thing to all my brewery-working friends - craft / local brewers need to make sessionable beers. Low alcohol, highly drinkable beers. There's no reason that craft beers have to all be 6% ABV and higher. That's like saying no one can drive a car with less than 250 HP.

I love walkin out of Costco with a case of Stone IPA and a 36rack of coors light!

Some of my favorite brews!

Not at all. Silliness.

I have absolutely no shame hheading to the store and grabbing a sixer of PBR, in fact I use it ass my shop beer when wrenching or welding on my vehicles.

Completely jealous of you Surly folk, that Bitter brewer is exactly what I mean. Bone dry, 4ish abv and all kinds of drinkable.

Some of the previous posts mentioned craft in cans, which is fantastic, I'd just like to see more of it sub 5% abv is all. A local brewery here in Richmond VA has a 3.8abv American Style bitter on tap, although I have not had it, I like the idea of it already.

duckmanco said:

Completely jealous of you Surly folk, that Bitter brewer is exactly what I mean. Bone dry, 4ish abv and all kinds of drinkable.

Some of the previous posts mentioned craft in cans, which is fantastic, I'd just like to see more of it sub 5% abv is all. A local brewery here in Richmond VA has a 3.8abv American Style bitter on tap, although I have not had it, I like the idea of it already.

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I need to try SB 604 also

If I'm tailgating I usually do Yuengling Lord Chesterfield Ale....not expensive, not strong, and you can taste the hops. Plus it's one of the few remaining American macrobreweries.
Sometimes I switch it up with Genny Cream ale....it's decent and my friends won't drink it (what do they know- many of them prefer Molson Canadian to any microbrew).

I went river floating this weekend. Drank a ridiculous amount of Busch light. Wouldn't be able to do that with most craft beers.

Not embarassed at all to pick up an 18 pack of Bud Light for the wife.