Michelob doing good things?

[SumnerH]

At my local grocery all the big brands get the big display cooler. Rogue/Stone/etc. get a small unrefrigerated shelf stuck in the corner...some not even visible if standing at the refrigerated display cooler. I literally did not know they even carried the high-$ stuff until I searched around.

If I hit a 7-11 it tends to be BMC, Corona and some choice of Dos Equis, Tecate, and Negra Modelo, Heineken and _maybe_ one of Beck's, Stella Artois, or Pilsner Urquell, and possibly a very small selection of other beers that (if it exists) most likely includes Guinness extra stout and/or Sam Adams. BMC get 2/3 of the cooler space. Malt liquors abound.

If I go into a couple of the local Giant/Safeways (regular grocery stores), there's a long beer aisle that's 60% major macros and 40% other stuff; the BMC gets the front end display but the selection is okay. Nothing from really small breweries, but there is a small emphasis on local options and you can get Sam Adams, Sierra, Anchor, Harpoon, Clipper City, Tupper's, Old Dominion, Paulaner, Dogfish Head, Widmer, Red Hook, Flying Dog, etc along with a wider selection of major imports than the 7-11 has (e.g. Bass, Harp, Boddington's, Guinness draught, Sapporo, Kirin, Asahi, etc). They'll typically carry at least one seasonal at a time from the big guys (Sam Winter, Sierra ESB, etc) along with the "major" brew, and often more. This is a somewhat upscale area; in poorer neighborhoods the selection skews more heavily toward the 7-11 style.

If I go into Harris Teeter (upscale grocery store) the BMC section is quite small (and the malt liquors are nowhere to be found) and the import/micro section is huge. Last time I was there I got a Westmalle Tripel, an Allagash Grand Cru, and a Weihenstephaner hefeweizen (they also carry lots of American stuff including more non-regional stuff than Giant; on top of the Giant selection you'll get a couple choices from 10-20 additional west coast breweries like Stone, Rogue, etc). Whereas 7-11 might have 5-10 non-BMC choices, Harris Teeter will have 5-10 Belgian strong ale choices.

If I go into Whole Foods (highfalutin organic grocery store), there's no BMC stuff at all (except maybe Stone Mill or something--if so, it's hidden) but I can get a wide assortment similar to HT's of smaller stuff (with maybe a few less imports and a few more West Coast options).

Wegman's (another upscale grocery store) is either like HT or Whole Foods, I can't remember whether they have the small BMC section or not.

Then if you go to a beer specialty store (e.g. Total Wine, Lost Dog) you'll get 500+ beers; those places compete based on selection.

 

[GunnerMan]

It's good that they are trying it, gotta warm the bmc drinkers up to craft before you hit em head on.

I know someone who wont drink a beer unless it comes from mexico...no scratch that wont drink unless it is a corona. I took him some home brew(some Ode to Arthur) once he took two sips and handed the glass back to me, told me I could finish it.
So in my attempt to see if maybe he just didn't like stout I picked up a can of coopers Mexican cerveza, a plain beer but for what it was it was good. I wouldn't hesitate to by it again if i wanted a quick batch.
I took that to him, he took a sip and said "well it aint a corona" and dumped it out.
So yeah maybe my beer wasint as clean as a commercial beer but I think the majority of bmc drinkers just do not like real beer, and thats why they drink BMC, it is watered down and tasteless.

 

[humann_brewing]

Yep my Father-in-law is a coors light only guy. I took some homebrew up there, a english porter and a amber ale. I didn't even try to give him the porter but thought he could at least have some of the Amber. Well he took a couple of sips and said he couldn't do it.

I feel almost the same way in the opposite direction for me to drink a coors light, it needs to be either the only option and I have to have a beer or if we are out on the lake on a hot summer day and again, there is nothing better but at least I drink it.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

During the 9 years between 2000-2009 when I had quit brewing I had lost almost ANY desire to drink beer and my consumption went to about a 12-pack...per YEAR (I'm not kidding...and that entire 12-pack was consumed in Las Vegas on vacation). I just stopped drinking beer and switched to an occasional snort of whisky or rum & coke.

Now I'm drinking beer again (almost 100% homebrew...I almost never actually BUY beer)...and the whisky's feeling neglected.

That BMC is some powerful stuff.

 

[HP_Lovecraft]

They're "trying" this because they see a market that has exploded and they're trying to get a piece of it. This has NOTHING to do with craft beer and everything to do with big corporations trying to stifle markets.

Thats not the case at all.
Beer sales, as a whole, have been on a slow decline for the last 20 years. The problem for BMC is that the majority of its customers drink because of the marketing, not flavor. Its generally the opposite where the typical drinker wants as little flavor as possible, so it doesnt get in the way.

Craft beer, however, has been on a steady increase, but is still a fraction of sales. BMC is not worried about the competition, but instead wants to utilize it for its marketing value. So they are often buying up microbrews, to serve as its "show car", as a way to market its bland regular beers.

Then sometimes when the plan works, they take that specialty brew and make it crap. Ie Killians, Wicked Petes, etc

 

[BrewN00b]

Thank God I have a BevMo two miles away from where I live, and about 500m away from where I work. For those that are not in the Southwest, Beverages and More (or BevMo) is what occurs if a liquor store and Target had a baby. It is a holy site, my Mecca, Medina, and Salt Lake City and rolled into one handy alcoholic package.

If I want something good, I WILL find it there. Russian River, Victory, DogFish, Lightning, etc can be found here. Not only that but I often run into some VERY helpful and knowledgeable employees that not only enjoy good beer, but craft beer too. Too me, it is the perfect place to buy alcohol.

Still, I am now curious about these Michelob beers. One day, when I'm down on my luck and there is nothing else to drink I will tempt fate with a sixer.

 

[humann_brewing]

Thank God I have a BevMo two miles away from where I live, and about 500m away from where I work. For those that are not in the Southwest, Beverages and More (or BevMo) is what occurs if a liquor store and Target had a baby. It is a holy site, my Mecca, Medina, and Salt Lake City and rolled into one handy alcoholic package.

If I want something good, I WILL find it there. Russian River, Victory, DogFish, Lightning, etc can be found here. Not only that but I often run into some VERY helpful and knowledgeable employees that not only enjoy good beer, but craft beer too. Too me, it is the perfect place to buy alcohol.

Still, I am now curious about these Michelob beers. One day, when I'm down on my luck and there is nothing else to drink I will tempt fate with a sixer.

I am glad to hear your Bevmo is good, our Bevmo in Fresno sucks. Their beers consists of a good collection of Californian craft beers a descent selection from the rest of the US. As far as their imports go, they basically have the most popular beer from each county they carry. I am sorry, but if I want a spaten or fullers beer I can find that at the grocery store.

We will never get a chance to sample everything from out of the country, (stupid import laws ) but at least places like bottleworks in Seattle has more than just the most popular ones. I can walk in there and pick a fridge or 2 that is dedicated to a specific county. "What do I feel like tonight...... let's go for a Polish beer.... oh no I want a South African beer... well I don't but you get the idea.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that have horrible prices too.

 

[eviltrailer77]

^Yeah I have to cosign the BevMo thing. went in to one last weekend for the first time, the clouds opened up and angles sang... It was lovely.

I had the "Hop Hound Wheat Ale" and as much as I hate to admit it, it was very nice. It was one of those, "Hey if you're going to the store, pick me up a sixer of something good, surprise me..." things. I shook the bottle like a British nanny to get the wheat stirred up and let it set for a couple so it wouldn't explode. Then i poured it in to a goblet. It was good, as much as inner beer snob hates to admit it.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Thats not the case at all.
Beer sales, as a whole, have been on a slow decline for the last 20 years. The problem for BMC is that the majority of its customers drink because of the marketing, not flavor. Its generally the opposite where the typical drinker wants as little flavor as possible, so it doesnt get in the way.

Craft beer, however, has been on a steady increase, but is still a fraction of sales. BMC is not worried about the competition, but instead wants to utilize it for its marketing value. So they are often buying up microbrews, to serve as its "show car", as a way to market its bland regular beers.

Then sometimes when the plan works, they take that specialty brew and make it crap. Ie Killians, Wicked Petes, etc

I disagree. In 2007 micro-brew sales increased nation wide over 18%. It is having an effect of BMC that they cannot overlook. The micro world has no ceiling for its potential growth whereas the BMC market is supersaturated and can only increase it base with a growing population.

They are brewing these beers to directly compete with micros and to keep the business of potentially curious BMC drinkers. Every dollar you spend on one of these beers is directly fueling the BMC monsters that I hold in disdain.

 

[BrewDey]

Luckily, I find myself rarely having to buy beer. I've been able to keep a decent amount of my own on tap, to the point that a 12 pack of commercial goes a long way...also, I seem to accumulate beer without even trying. A buddy of mine gave me a 12 of Christian Moerlein Helles because he didn't care for it...my brother and sister in-law stayed the night and left a full 18 pack of Coors Light (I don't discriminate). Also, the Whole Foods went out out business so it was bargain basement prices..so SWMBO surprised me with 5 tall Chimays. Needless to say, I'm in good shape!