Coors Light? Any Suggestions

[TheFlatline]

Grow up!!! Nothing gives any of us the right to be "Beer Snobs!"

To be fair, Miller/Coors (and Bud) spend millions upon millions of dollars to tell us that we're not drinking very good beer unless we drink BMC. They fired the first snobbery shot by turning beer into a commodity product while telling us it was the only thing worth drinking.

I won't use the horse pee analogy so much any more, I will just point out that most people can't taste the difference between bud light, miller light, and coors light. It literally has no distinct taste.

That being said, don't try to replicate a "light beer", it's a lager, it's already harder than f*ck to make decent beer with that much corn and rice in it, and at the homebrew level it's probably way too expensive for you to go down that route.

I nominate the cream ale concept, or if you really want to knock his socks off, go find the Haus Pale Ale recipie on this site. It's easy to make, tasty as all hell (and you can tone down the hops to appease his current inability to drink anything bitter), and is dirt cheap. I've taken to referring to it as the Girlfriend Experience because it has so many positive qualities.

 

[dvdfnzwbr]

The secret to production beer is not the recipe. The base of beer is only four ingredience and I'm sure they are also using adjuncts and sugar. Every brewery tour is pleased to show and tell about the ingredience. Budweiser has Rice as an ingredient right on its label. The real secret is the treatment process of the incomming water, and the treatment processes to the beer after fermentation. So basically what is put in and what is taken out.

 

[hal2814]

....and don't forget to salt it. Coors is heavy on the salt, I don't know whether it's a brewing salt or a late addition but you can definitely tell it's in there. That's why a MGD tastes horrible to a Coors drinker.

I just mixed a dash of salt into a pint of my light lager and there is something to this. It is a bit more Coors-like with the table salt addition. Still not something a regular Coors Light drinker might pick in a blind test, but closer.

As a regular Coors drinker, I have to disagree on MGD. I go through about a case per month of Coors Light and maybe a 6 of Coors during that time, but when I go to the lake, MGD is my beer of choice. It just tastes better at a wider temperature range so it can get warm and no big deal. As much as I love Coors Light, at room temperature it's not so good.

 

[brewagentjay]

To be fair, Miller/Coors (and Bud) spend millions upon millions of dollars to tell us that we're not drinking very good beer unless we drink BMC. They fired the first snobbery shot by turning beer into a commodity product while telling us it was the only thing worth drinking.

I won't use the horse pee analogy so much any more, I will just point out that most people can't taste the difference between bud light, miller light, and coors light. It literally has no distinct taste.

That being said, don't try to replicate a "light beer", it's a lager, it's already harder than f*ck to make decent beer with that much corn and rice in it, and at the homebrew level it's probably way too expensive for you to go down that route.

I nominate the cream ale concept, or if you really want to knock his socks off, go find the Haus Pale Ale recipie on this site. It's easy to make, tasty as all hell (and you can tone down the hops to appease his current inability to drink anything bitter), and is dirt cheap. I've taken to referring to it as the Girlfriend Experience because it has so many positive qualities.

Thanks for the input. I agree with some of what you said but I can't fault them for trying to get people to buy thier product that is what all companies do......Not just beer companies. Take a look at a car commerical.

I also can tell the difference in taste of their products. I can't drink Miller due to after taste. Coors and Bud have distinct tastes as well. Just being fair.

 

[Homercidal]

There are recipes out there for making American Light Lager. The secrets for making it well are:

Sanitation (of course)
Lots of Adjuncts like Corn or Rice (Government limits this to 50% of fermentables)
Temperature control (They are lagers)

Most of the differences between the various brands are the type of adjunct used (Rice or Corn) and the particular Hops they use. Yes there is a taste difference between the brands, but most people drinking American Light Lager either haven't noticed the differences, or don't care. TBH, the flavor of American Mass-produced beer is pretty subtle. But some people, for whatever reason, swear allegiance to one particular brand. I highly doubt that drinking any other BMC beer is going to cause any of them to gag and choke on their beer though.

One Coors website says that they use "...only the finest ingredients: ideal brewing water, hops, cereal grains (rice and refined corn starches) and barley."

Personally, I prefer Corn as an adjunct in my American Light Lager, whenever I have occasion to have one, which is seldom. I just don't enjoy the rice-based beers as much.

 

[jgln]

To be fair, Miller/Coors (and Bud) spend millions upon millions of dollars to tell us that we're not drinking very good beer unless we drink BMC. They fired the first snobbery shot by turning beer into a commodity product while telling us it was the only thing worth drinking.

I won't use the horse pee analogy so much any more, I will just point out that most people can't taste the difference between bud light, miller light, and coors light. It literally has no distinct taste.

That being said, don't try to replicate a "light beer", it's a lager, it's already harder than f*ck to make decent beer with that much corn and rice in it, and at the homebrew level it's probably way too expensive for you to go down that route.

I nominate the cream ale concept, or if you really want to knock his socks off, go find the Haus Pale Ale recipie on this site. It's easy to make, tasty as all hell (and you can tone down the hops to appease his current inability to drink anything bitter), and is dirt cheap. I've taken to referring to it as the Girlfriend Experience because it has so many positive qualities.

I never in all my years I never got the message from them that unless I drink their beer I am drinking bad beer. I did get the message I should drink their beer because it is good but what good commercial does not promote its product?

 

[BlueSunshine]

I never in all my years I never got the message from them that unless I drink their beer I am drinking bad beer. I did get the message I should drink their beer because it is good but what good commercial does not promote its product?

Does anyone remember the "bitter beer face" commercial? That aired for years and basically said that beer with a bitter taste was awful and that their "smooth" tasting beer was superior. This puts down every single beer that has a decent amount of hops which covers a very wide range of beer.

There's more examples but I can't think of them at the moment. This one sticks out the most and my dad STILL talks about it when he tries any of the beer I like.

Edit: This was for Keystone, not BMC and it might have just aired across my state.

 

[lowlife]

we had it here too.... (Cincinnati)

OOOH Bitter Beer Face!!!

It was annoying.

 

[giligson]

Yes it was Keystone - owned by Coors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_(beer_brand)

 

[MeatyPortion]

My bother-in-law wants me to make him something similar to coors light? Any ideas?

I thought a 20 minute boil kit then water it down....:rockin:

Maybe some sort of honey ale with very little honey? Would be pretty cheap.

 

[BlueSunshine]

Yes it was Keystone - owned by Coors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_(beer_brand)

Ah, well then my original thought was correct.

I had Keystone in college and it was really tough to choke it down. Some kids laughed at me for drinking it, then went and drank Natty Light in the same night. Those were the days.

 

[MeatyPortion]

I'm just saying we might not like their beer, but why do we have to be "Beer Snobs"? Just because we brew our own that makes us snobs?

I love all beers, some more than others of course....I brew now but I still drink comercial beer as well, because honestly lot of them are good........

Nothing wrong with tail gatting with a nice six pack of good stuff and keep yourself primed with coors light...right?

Blech. Now if you are talking Blatz or Schlitz then I'm with you. I think they're both cheaper than Coors Light too. Anyone have the recipe for Blatz?

 

[Guntr]

I would just go buy him some Coors light Get it in the 5L mini keg and just tell him you refilled it. Don't forget to frost-brew it!

To be honest, it isn't worth the money, time or effort to recreate Coors light. Far cheaper to just buy it, just brew him something delicious and get him drinking ale.

Up here in Ontario a 24 of Coors Light costs $38.50 and it's brewed locally, not imported. At this price it is probably worth trying to brew for the cost savings. Not that I would, nor am I a beer snob, but flavour is lacking even in the Canadian version.

 

[McKBrew]

I'll be the snob. I don't care for BMC, it all tastes like crap to me. Just about every bad beer experience I've had has been a result of BMC. I can not choke down a Bud light. I tried. Sam Adams light is a different story.

Now that that is off my shoulders, I could care less what anyone makes or drinks. Just because I think Budweiser tastes like piss, doesn't mean it tastes like piss to you. If a person offers me a BMC, I'm going to most likely (politely) refuse. I really would rather drink water or soda in that situation.

However, I do not buy into boycotting them, or calling them evil companies. Before you start spouting boycott, take a good look at the amount of micro/craft breweries that BMC has ownership (either directly or indirectly) in. That "evil" money is paying for some good beer. Obviously breweries like Red Hook have no issue taking AB money. Also regardless of what we think of the product, it's still made by a brewer.

I do think that if someone asks for a clone of a light beer, you should be honest about the difficulties of making it and suggest brewing a nice California Common or one of the suggested recipes. If they don't buy into it, make one anyway, call it a coors light clone and say it's the best you could do. Chances are, they will like it.

 

[BlueSunshine]

I'll be the snob. I don't care for BMC, it all tastes like crap to me. Just about every bad beer experience I've had has been a result of BMC. I can not choke down a Bud light. I tried. Sam Adams light is a different story.

I think if you can try something with an open mind and then form an opinion, it doesn't make you a snob to dislike it. When people refuse to eat Asian food because they dislike it, they're not called food snobs nor are the people that enjoy that kind of food. When other people only drink Pepsi because they're not fond of Coke, they're not called soda snobs. For some reason beer does not fall into that logic and someone's preference automatically makes them a snob. It doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[MeatyPortion]

I think if you can try something with an open mind and then form an opinion, it doesn't make you a snob to dislike it. When people refuse to eat Asian food because they dislike it, they're not called food snobs nor are the people that enjoy that kind of food. When other people only drink Pepsi because they're not fond of Coke, they're not called soda snobs. For some reason beer does not fall into that logic and someone's preference automatically makes them a snob. It doesn't make much sense to me.

My wife and in-laws joke about me being a beer snob but I've tried lots of different beers in their presence so it's more to give me a hard time. Hell, I turned my father-in-law onto Hoegarden from Keystone Light so that's got to be worth something.

 

[jgln]

I think if you can try something with an open mind and then form an opinion, it doesn't make you a snob to dislike it. When people refuse to eat Asian food because they dislike it, they're not called food snobs nor are the people that enjoy that kind of food. When other people only drink Pepsi because they're not fond of Coke, they're not called soda snobs. For some reason beer does not fall into that logic and someone's preference automatically makes them a snob. It doesn't make much sense to me.

But people who refuse to eat any mass produced foods and only eat the highest grade freshly produced foods calling anything else pig slop may be thought of as snobs. They just insulted those who like it. Same goes when you call another person's favorite beer pee. Like you said though, it is a matter of just saying you don't like it rather than adding an insult.

 

[BlueSunshine]

But people who refuse to eat any mass produced foods and only eat the highest grade freshly produced foods calling anything else pig slop may be thought of as snobs. They just insulted those who like it. Same goes when you call another person's favorite beer pee. Like you said though, it is a matter of just saying you don't like it rather than adding an insult.

Yeah, I think if you insult anyone for their tastes you're being a jerk in general. Personally I think that alot of mass produced beers are vile because I've drank them plenty of times in college. But I'm more of a "whatever floats your boat" kind of guy. If people want to consume sub par stuff when there are better alternatives available, good for them I say.

 

[josiahcox]

Don't buy coors!!!!

F the big 3. If he has to have a light beer like coors (hang on, I just threw up in my mouth) make something close to it but better.

But for god's sake, dont give BMC any of your hard earned money. There are plenty of sheep out there who will already do that.

 

[ChrisS68]

I made a BMC type a while back. Wasn't too bad and everybody who tried it enjoyed it. I did get a slight off flavor though - might have been old extract, but I'm leaning more toward the chlorine in my water being exposed by such a light beer. Despite my pointing it out nobody else could taste it, but I knew it was there. Gonna make another one, but this time it'll be made with DME and spring/distilled water.

Really basic:
5.25 Gallon batch
3 lbs. Pilsner DME
1 lb. Rice Syrup Solids
Bittering hops for @ 10 IBUs
No flavor or aroma hops (though I might change that too - dunno...)

Wanted to add: I did (and will) brew this as a lager

 

[BlueSunshine]

Back on topic:

Is there any real way to homebrew a "light" beer? I mean light beers are pretty much "diet beers" and their lower calorie content is one of their main selling points, but can we as home brewer really control calorie content?

 

[brewagentjay]

Don't buy coors!!!!

F the big 3. If he has to have a light beer like coors (hang on, I just threw up in my mouth) make something close to it but better.

But for god's sake, dont give BMC any of your hard earned money. There are plenty of sheep out there who will already do that.

Please post comments like this in some other thread or start a BMC bashing thread. I honestly like my brother-in-law. He is a simple guy who likes what he likes. I offer him other beers and he drinks them but he really likes Coors Light. He asked me to make him something similar and I want to try it. I get practice which he is paying for and he gets something different.

Thanks to all who have given some good information. :rockin:

 

[Synovia]

I think if you can try something with an open mind and then form an opinion, it doesn't make you a snob to dislike it. When people refuse to eat Asian food because they dislike it, they're not called food snobs nor are the people that enjoy that kind of food...For some reason beer does not fall into that logic and someone's preference automatically makes them a snob. It doesn't make much sense to me.

Its not about preference. Its about telling someone they're somehow inferior because they like something you don't. Thats what makes you a snob.


Nobody gives a **** if you like BMC. When you tell other people they shouldn't like it, thats when you become a snob.

 

[josiahcox]

I wasn't bashing his love of coors- I was bashing the huge corperation that makes the beer.
Sheesh, I even said brew somthing like it for him.
Other people had suggested that you just buy him some Coors. My response was that you should absolutely NOT do that and that you should brew him something your self rather that promote a huge corp.
I was going to post up links to coors recipes but I guess you have it covered.

 

[giligson]

Back on topic:

Is there any real way to homebrew a "light" beer? I mean light beers are pretty much "diet beers" and their lower calorie content is one of their main selling points, but can we as home brewer really control calorie content?

Of course you can control calorie content:
alcohol has a set calorie content
residual sugars have a set calories

If you use a brew software like Beersmith the calories per serving are autocalculated for you.

I did an Ordinary bitter a while back that could be considered a light beer at 50 cal per bottle.

 

[BlueSunshine]

Of course you can control calorie content:
alcohol has a set calorie content
residual sugars have a set calories

If you use a brew software like Beersmith the calories per serving are autocalculated for you.

I did an Ordinary bitter a while back that could be considered a light beer at 50 cal per bottle.

Sounds like I need to acquire Beersmith!

 

[slowbie]

Its not about preference. Its about telling someone they're somehow inferior because they like something you don't. Thats what makes you a snob.


Nobody gives a **** if you like BMC. When you tell other people they shouldn't like it, thats when you become a snob.

I agree to an extent. However, BlueSunshine has a point because many of the BMC-loving masses here in America will consider you to be a snob if you refuse to drink BMC and insist on buying "fancy" beer. I think the root cause of this is the fact that America thinks that beer comes in two varieties, BMC and light BMC. In my opinion, this means that when you say no thanks to the BMC offered to you and instead bring [insert favorite beer here] along it's as if you are going to Applebees or some other perfectly respectable restaurant and insist on bringing Emeril to make filet mignon for you.

 

[DKershner]

In my opinion, this means that when you say no thanks to the BMC offered to you and instead bring [insert favorite beer here] along it's as if you are going to Applebees or some other perfectly respectable restaurant and insist on bringing Emeril to make filet mignon for you.

I would do this too if he could be rented for the same cost as an applebee's meal.

 

[Synovia]

I agree to an extent. However, BlueSunshine has a point because many of the BMC-loving masses here in America will consider you to be a snob if you refuse to drink BMC and insist on buying "fancy" beer. I think the root cause of this is the fact that America thinks that beer comes in two varieties, BMC and light BMC. In my opinion, this means that when you say no thanks to the BMC offered to you and instead bring [insert favorite beer here] along it's as if you are going to Applebees or some other perfectly respectable restaurant and insist on bringing Emeril to make filet mignon for you.

Eh. Maybe Michigan is significantly backwards.


I don't drink BMC in most cases, and I've never been accused of being a beer snob. Most likely, the people who are getting called snobs, its got nothing to do with the beer you're drinking, but how you present yourself.

 

[brewagentjay]

I wasn't bashing his love of coors- I was bashing the huge corperation that makes the beer.
Sheesh, I even said brew somthing like it for him.
Other people had suggested that you just buy him some Coors. My response was that you should absolutely NOT do that and that you should brew him something your self rather that promote a huge corp.
I was going to post up links to coors recipes but I guess you have it covered.

Sorry but I also don't agree with bashing BMC the companies either.....They are selling a product that people want to buy and also are slowly but surely bring different beers to market.....I'm not a big fan of any big company but I can't bash them as they are doing what all companies strive to do...Make money and sell their product to as many as they can.....

 

[McKBrew]

Don't buy coors!!!!

F the big 3. If he has to have a light beer like coors (hang on, I just threw up in my mouth) make something close to it but better.

But for god's sake, dont give BMC any of your hard earned money. There are plenty of sheep out there who will already do that.

And don't give money to Redhook, Widmer, Goose Island or Kona Brewing as they are partially owned by AB.

I'm sure there are more.

 

[brewagentjay]

If I like something I'm going to buy it no matter what company is sellign it.

 

[MeatyPortion]

Even if I like something I'll still look at what the broader company interests are. It's just how I roll.

 

[brewagentjay]

Even if I like something I'll still look at what the broader company interests are. It's just how I roll.

That's cool and I respect you for it.....I just give up on holding to my principals when it comes to big companies....Just doesn't work. Now if Coors or any other company was to do something horrible then I'd jump on it but I personally don't see the issues with the BMC guys at all here.

If someone else has information about why they are so bad I'm all ears....:rockin:

 

[brewagentjay]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/cheers-163313/

This post is much more interesting.............

 

[cabot]

Those of you with Netflix should really check out "Beer Wars". (it is available on-demand!)

It's a documentary about beer in the United States, and it talks in length about how tough BMC makes it for smaller, craft beers to come to market. It's definitely biased, but interesting nonetheless, and I learned a lot of things I had never known about. Specifically the three tiered system and how BMC uses it to their advantage to keep the little guys off of store shelves. Boo hiss *sip of coors light* grumble hum haw!

Good luck making the light beer man. I second going for Edworts Haus Pale Ale, I've made it about 6 times so far and I can never seem to keep it around for more than a few weeks. The stuff is definitely a crowd pleaser!

 

[MeatyPortion]

That's cool and I respect you for it.....I just give up on holding to my principals when it comes to big companies....Just doesn't work. Now if Coors or any other company was to do something horrible then I'd jump on it but I personally don't see the issues with the BMC guys at all here.

If someone else has information about why they are so bad I'm all ears....:rockin:

I'll spare you what I've heard and learned about Coors; the info's out there and I really don't like preaching to people. I'm not saying that this philosophy works 100% of the time. That would be damn near impossible; I'm just saying that when it comes to certain commodities that I try to vote with my conscience.

 

[ReverendTap]

The thing about "beer snobbery" is it does go both ways. I find it's a rare person who drinks Guinness and has never been offered a fork with their beer, I too saw the "bitter beer face" commercials, I've gotten looked at askance for ordering non-BMC beer (no snippy comments, just ordering) in certain bars, etc. Now, I do try to avoid being a snob; don't like the industrial offerings, but I certainly enjoyed a glass of Killian's back in the day and still have a soft spot for Mickey's (which, by the way, is just about the best cooking beer ever). No sense in being a hypocrite. However, I do have a beef with BMC for actively promoting people's misconceptions about beer. I've known people who claim in all seriousness that fuller-bodied or darker ales aren't beer, and even my dad, who lives on New Belgium's doorstep and pretty much only drinks craft beer, insists that all beers are supposed to be served at a degree or two above freezing. I don't much care for the fact that I have to continually argue with people who tell me I'm doing things wrong because I don't do them like BMC do.
</soapbox>

Is there any real way to homebrew a "light" beer? I mean light beers are pretty much "diet beers" and their lower calorie content is one of their main selling points, but can we as home brewer really control calorie content?

I actually read a study done not that long ago comparing the actual caloric content of light beers to their "heavy" counterparts. Don't remember where it was so I can't link it right now, but for many of the BMC offerings, the difference was pretty insignificant; one of the major light beers actually had more calories than the "heavy" version! Ultimately, a light beer is more about having less body and cleaner flavor than calories, IMO.

 

[McKBrew]

Very valid point. There are more than a few BMC drinkers who call craft and micro beer crap too. Sometimes I think those people tend to be just as snobbish as they are completely unwilling to try anything new, but have no problem bashing it. At least I've tried BMC. Actually have some pretty interesting drunk memories as a result.

The thing about "beer snobbery" is it does go both ways. I find it's a rare person who drinks Guinness and has never been offered a fork with their beer, I too saw the "bitter beer face" commercials, I've gotten looked at askance for ordering non-BMC beer (no snippy comments, just ordering) in certain bars, etc. Now, I do try to avoid being a snob; don't like the industrial offerings, but I certainly enjoyed a glass of Killian's back in the day and still have a soft spot for Mickey's (which, by the way, is just about the best cooking beer ever). No sense in being a hypocrite. However, I do have a beef with BMC for actively promoting people's misconceptions about beer. I've known people who claim in all seriousness that fuller-bodied or darker ales aren't beer, and even my dad, who lives on New Belgium's doorstep and pretty much only drinks craft beer, insists that all beers are supposed to be served at a degree or two above freezing. I don't much care for the fact that I have to continually argue with people who tell me I'm doing things wrong because I don't do them like BMC do.
</soapbox>



I actually read a study done not that long ago comparing the actual caloric content of light beers to their "heavy" counterparts. Don't remember where it was so I can't link it right now, but for many of the BMC offerings, the difference was pretty insignificant; one of the major light beers actually had more calories than the "heavy" version! Ultimately, a light beer is more about having less body and cleaner flavor than calories, IMO.

 

[Reddheadedstepchild]

Beer snobery is all about attitude and presentation. Thats why im much more of what I would consider a beer nerd. I love beer, I wanna know as much as I can about beer and how its made. Its simple there are alot of beers that I dont like the flavor of but I dont go around acting like an asshat about my opinion. So there fore i strive to be a BEER NERD.