Beer shrinkflation: another reason to homebrew

[passedpawn]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/why-pint-beer-alcohol-content-getting-weaker/

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Wait...Carlsberg was 3.8%? That's pretty frigging low already without going to 3.5%. I always assumed Carlsberg was beer.

I've been told Bud is at 5.5%. If these other figures are true, Bud is practically vodka in comparison.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Just more data in the historic fact of beer production being tied to tax code.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Bud ABV varies depending on jurisdiction and market.

 

[passedpawn]

Wait...Carlsberg was 3.8%? That's pretty frigging low already without going to 3.5%. I always assumed Carlsberg was beer.

I've been told Bud is at 5.5%. If these other figures are true, Bud is practically vodka in comparison.

These numbers from The Telegraph, in the UK. Might not apply to US, not sure.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Google says the UK favors low-ABV beers, and it says the reduction you're talking about is the result of taxes on strong beer.

I would never have guessed that cheap American beer was stronger than British beer. I always think of Europeans as hard core drunks.

 

[MaxStout]

I'm seeing more imports in 330ml (11.2oz) bottles and cans. Still some in 500ml packaging, but the 330ml seem to be more and more common. I haven't noticed that with US made craft beers, but I suppose it's just a matter of time.

Like cartons of OJ going from 64oz > 59oz >52oz.

 

[BrewZer]

I didn't realize this until I just looked it up, but AB/Inbev brews Bud and Bud Light in Ireland for the European market. So it'd be easy to modify the ABV for local tax reasons...

 

[bwible]

Notive the sizes too - quite a few say 11.2 fl oz now

 

[DBhomebrew]

Notive the sizes too - quite a few say 11.2 fl oz now

Makes sense in a metric world.

OTOH, in the UK it's a 11.6oz bottle. Same bottle.

 

[bike2brew]

Long historical tradition of lowering abv in British beers. I can't make beer cheaper than I can buy, but I can make beer that I like to drink (most of the time, still on the learning curve to perfection). Happy New Year

 

[Miraculix]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/why-pint-beer-alcohol-content-getting-weaker/

View attachment 865348

Pretty glad that I'm living in Germany and that all this tax induced nonsense does not apply to the beer sold here.

Thoughts and prayers to the poor fellows surviving in the UK.

 

[bwible]

Makes sense in a metric world.

OTOH, in the UK it's a 11.6oz bottle. Same bottle.

So what changed from the 12 oz bottle to the same bottle with 11.2 oz that you want to blame on the metric system? US buyers are getting less beer. And sorry, pal, we don’t do metric.

 

[Halfakneecap]

Australia would be broke if it didnt tax alcohol, cigarettes and gambling.

Alcohol tax is pretty high here. I think its nearly half the price of beer. Spirits is worse.

 

[Halfakneecap]

So what changed from the 12 oz bottle to the same bottle with 11.2 oz that you want to blame on the metric system? US buyers are getting less beer. And sorry, pal, we don’t do metric.

Why the beef with the Metric system? haha

 

[lumpher]

I've looked into it, and it looks like this does not apply to beer here in the US. Same 12 oz 4.2-5.5% we're used to still on the schedule. I personally don't have a beef with the metric system; they should just wait to institute it till I'm gone so I don't have to relearn math; too old for all that. I'll take a 12 oz beer over a 1/3 liter beer, but I'll take a 1/2 liter over a pint...

 

[DBhomebrew]

So what changed from the 12 oz bottle to the same bottle with 11.2 oz that you want to blame on the metric system? US buyers are getting less beer. And sorry, pal, we don’t do metric.

We're talking European beer packaged in Europe in European bottles. A third of a liter, 330ml, is 11.2 US fluid ozs. Sorry, pal, they do metric.

 

[DBhomebrew]

Why the beef with the Metric system? haha

Ever since we single-handedly liberated Europe, we have this assumption the world should do what we do in the way we do it.

 

[lumpher]

Ever since we single-handedly liberated Europe,

Yep, I've met so many people who would swear that's the absolute truth.

 

[Halfakneecap]

Ever since we single-handedly liberated Europe, we have this assumption the world should do what we do in the way we do

Ok

 

[sibelman]

Ever since we single-handedly liberated Europe,

Yep, I've met so many people who would swear that's the absolute truth.

I always think of Europeans as hard core drunks.

There's a lot of made-up history and knowledge filling the massive gaps in Americans' education. Beer
culture varies between locales, and isn't the same in all European countries or U.S. regions.

 

[lumpher]

Let me fix that:

There's a lot of made-up history and knowledge filling the massive gaps in "MOST" Americans' education. Beer
culture varies between locales and isn't the same in all European countries or U.S. regions, "or any other country in the world".

Pretty sure his comment about Americans single-handedly freeing Europe was said tongue-in-cheek with a splash or sarcasm. We had a LOT of help from all over the world: Aussies, Russians, Brits, Turks, etc...

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

We had to step in when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.

 

[Skeeter686]

We had to step in when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.

Forget it, he's rolling.

 

[lumpher]

We're all allowed to be a little goofball. That's what makes life fun.

 

[hungupdown]

Thoughts and prayers to the poor fellows surviving in the UK.

Thanks.
Extra thought and prayers, please, for those living in Sotland, under SNP minimum unit pricing regime.

Aldi's Malbec, December's wine of the week, £3.50 most of UK, £6.99 in Scotland!

 

[MaxStout]

Thanks.
Extra thought and prayers, please, for those living in Sotland, under SNP minimum unit pricing regime.

Aldi's Malbec, December's wine of the week, £3.50 most of UK, £6.99 in Scotland!

We have a cheap brand of wines here, sold at Trader Joe's. Charles Shaw, affectionately known as "two buck chuck." Well, YMMV on the price. I think it's now $3 in California. Been a while since I've been in a TJ's in CA. Here in Minnesota it's $4. Shipping costs plus higher booze taxes here are likely the culprit.