How can anyone drink Budweiser ...yuck

[dfc]

I'd say its relatively bland, or maybe generic.

Nasty is reserved for stuff like kestrel super strength or carlseberg special brew. Proper tramp juice.

Fair enough. I could have used a better descriptive word for Bud.

 

[dkwolf]

BMCs have a few things going for them. They are cheap, readily available, easy to drink, and socially ingrained (at least in America).

I hope that some of my SMaSHes turn out to be as drinkable and as cheap as Bud Light. Before I started homebrewing that was my mainstay. I'd like to say that my own beer is my mainstay in the future.

As far as the legal stuff and bullying, there really isn't a way to get around it. You can stand on your morals but then you have to do it on everything. Like not using Walmart or Target, Homedepot or Lowes, Exxon or 7-11, Mcdonalds or Taco Bell, etc etc etc. Any company of a large size begins to force their competition to make more money because they can and that is their reason for existing. You literally cannot function inside of this society without contributing to a company that forces others out of buisness. Unless you live in isolation.

This here is an EXCELLENT point.

Myself, if I'm at the one bar in my area that caters to the craft beer crowd, I won't even consider ordering a bud light. Too many others to try. But at the same time, there is always cans of bud light in my fridge at home, because after sweating all day working outside, it just tastes good. That doesn't mean there's not also a shelf of crafts/micros in the fridge, too.

My biggest thing is.... I hate wine drinkers, because they tend to be snobs about it. I will NEVER turn that way with beer.

 

[jdozer]

I eat taco bell, not because its the pinnacle of mexican cuisine. But because im broke and like tacos. Same thing with BMC , homebrews aren't ready, carbed yet, (gasp)all gone. I'll grab some Miller or PBR to wash away the days work. Personal opinion and/or taste i guess it boils down to

 

[gizmodog51]

From the very start of this company, they have been willing to do anything to stifle competition from anyone, no matter how small. They have used legal harassment, law suits and purchased ads to attempt to discredit smaller and respected breweries such as Sam Adams and Pete's Wicked including inflammatory ads in newspaper and radio in Jim Koch's hometown of Boston. They constantly have resorted to false or misleading advertising to sell products. Even their beer name "Budweisier" is stolen as was the recipe for it. And weren't they the ones to use the slogan "same as it ever was"? We all know that's not true. They also have tried to bully distributors to only carry their products on their trucks and when this was called illegal they offered "incentives" to oust other products. The list goes on.

In the middle 80's I was involved with a homebrew club and became the president. In my travels I spoke to the former brewmaster and VP of production for the now and recently (at that time) closed Horlacher Brewing Company, Louis Kogelman. The brewery was in my hometown of Allentown, PA. He informed me that this small brewery (around 230,000 barrels per year) was sued by Anheuser Busch for what they called a monopoly on the train industry. Horlacher products were served on all trains in the area. Horlacher lost the suit and was forced to close shortly thereafter due to the sudden loss of this business. This information came from Kogelman himself who worked for Horlacher up until their closing.

Horlacher wasn't hurting Anheuser Busch and the train industry would have faded out anyway by itself as would have Horlacher most likely. But the giant AB wasn't about to miss an opportunity to put another brewery out of business.

These are only some of the reasons I will never knowingly purchase any product by this company. And yes, I understand the company is now owned by InBev.

buttwiper pretty much owned florida. but since the micro brew revolution they have see that folks out there want a decent brew.
don't support a large corporation that is the whole problem with our government

 

[dkwolf]

don't support a large corporation

So.... do you apply that to all facets of your life, or just your beer selection?

 

[Stauffbier]

Because they like it? Just like some people like Coke, or Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper, while I don't. I don't knock them for liking Diet Coke, even though I don't like it. So what? I don't care what other people like or don't like.

I actually drink Jack Daniels with Diet Coke! Don't judge me...

I don't drink Bud, but at least half of the beer sold in our country is Bud. They sell a barrel about every second, so obviously lots of people can drink Bud!

 

[Caveman3141]

I don't care for cheap commercial macro brews. But many people do and mostly...I don't really care. I mean, I don't understand it. The same way I don't understand people who think that JD No. 7 is the pinnacle of whiskey. It's not the pinnacle of American whiskey. Hell, it's not even the pinnacle of Tennessee whiskey. But most people don't want to hear it or, more likely, they just don't care. And neither do I. I have lots of interests where I could get lost judging the tastes of other people but if I did I'd never get anything useful done.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

I'll drink Budweiser, and I am fond of Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs. I also enjoy and prepare some very sophisticated meals and beers. It's a matter of whim and budget.

 

[Beef_Supreme]

I don't really understand some people saying that if someone boycotts InBev or Miller/Coors, they should be boycotting everything and might as well live under a rock. You need to pick and choose your battles. I understand the person that lives in a semi-rural area that only has k-mart, walmart, and a couple chain grocery stores (all of which have put the little guys out of business) within an hour of them. They would spend more gas money (as well as time) to get somewhere else just to avoid the "big guys". Unless the town is absent of a liquor store altogether, chances are they have a few good selections to where they can be choosy about what beer they spend their money on.

Some people targeted taco bell and walmart. What walmart shirt is as expensive as a gucci shirt? There's not. What taco bell regular hard taco is as expensive as an authentic mexican restaurant's tacos? There's not. What budweiser 6-pack is as expensive as several micro-brews? Oh wait, a lot of bud products are. That's where I have the issue. If they want to thrive in mediocrity, so be it, but they shouldn't be charging a premium for it.

 

[biohaz7331]

I keep PBR in my garage fridge, and will continue to do so even after my first home brew is done. Where I live, you can get a case of PBR tall boys for $20, and that's cheaper than Bud. Has more body and taste than Bud, too.

I really like the best craft/micro beers. I buy them regularly, but that's not the only kind of beer I drink. Even if you can afford it, you can't eat lobster every day or it'll start to get boring. Ya gotta throw in a hamburger or a chili dog or plate of french fries regularly. Makes you appreciate the lobster even more.

^ Wow that is a great analogy! Very true this is why I try to have some decent beers sitting around because honestly only having one keg on tap can make the best home brews get boring after 3-4 gallons of it.

 

[MollyHatchet]

I keep PBR in my garage fridge, and will continue to do so even after my first home brew is done. Where I live, you can get a case of PBR tall boys for $20, and that's cheaper than Bud. Has more body and taste than Bud, too.

I really like the best craft/micro beers. I buy them regularly, but that's not the only kind of beer I drink. Even if you can afford it, you can't eat lobster every day or it'll start to get boring. Ya gotta throw in a hamburger or a chili dog or plate of french fries regularly. Makes you appreciate the lobster even more.

I would have to agree. I have som PBR around, and have been enjoying it since the 80's. I also like National Bohemian, a good beer for what it is. Sometimes a couple of easy drinkers is what I want, not always want, or able to drink the best, if it don't fit the need at the time. I have several friends who truly believe Budweiser is the king of beer, and couldn't afford the good stuff. I understand their position in life which have, and are controlling their decision such as financial status, ignorance, or just honestly have poor tastes. I always felt if they were in my way, and buying up all the good, there might not be any there when I get there. I know I don't have to compete with them as the are walking a slightly different path in life.

 

[Yooper]

I never buy macro beer. Never. I just don't care for it, and would rather have water than one of those beers for the most part.

But when I'm visiting someone and they offer me a beer, I will drink it. And I will shut up and drink it, too. Because it's rude not to criticize other people's taste. Or else, I'll say, "no thanks". Either way, nobody cares. But I would never say anything about someone's taste.

I don't eat junk food. But I'm not going to hammer on somebody who eats Doritos or McDonald's, any more than I"m going to criticize their taste in beer.

Respecting people and their taste is just the polite thing to do. No one likes an arrogant prick. Did you ever listen to an 18-year-old vegan? Arrogant about their choices, like it's better than someone else's choices? Well that's how beer snobs sound. Like if those poor misguided losers would just be educated, then their eyes will open. That's arrogant.

People like what they like, whether it's food, clothing, music, movies or beer. So what?

 

[alestateyall]

I like Budweiser.

 

[gizmodog51]

as much as possible.......though in a world owned by corporations and a corporate national government to boot, it is most difficult to be 100% or really 50% able to practice non support of LARGE corporate machinations.
when it comes to my preference for brew i steer away from supporting huge money.....
GD51

 

[JDFlow]

What about beers like Ranier and Rolling Rock? I know they're both owned by BMC now but they originally were small breweries that chose to make BMC style beer. Are they better because they were the little guys?

 

[thughes]

Last night a friend offered me a bud and i hadn't drank one in years so i decided to take one and i almost threw up... its piss water in a bottle ...why would anyone spend good money on the commercial beers when so many good small breweries make great brew?

"marketing"

 

[mtbfan101]

Reason I support not drinking Budweiser:
1) It taste awful to me
2) I like supporting small businesses whether it's local restaurants or craft breweries around the nation.
3) I support innovation and passion. The whole industry that surrounds macrobreweries(bud, coors) is so cold--like blue mountains cold!
4) My next point, I don't support drunks. I don't blame Budweiser for drunks because we're all responsible for our own decisions; however, I stopped drinking bad beer when I was pretty young(17ish). Ever since I made the transition to good beer, guess how often I've been drunk? It's extremely rare if I ever reach the point past a buzz. Craft beer is to be enjoyed.
5) Finally, and most importantly, I just want people to enjoy beer to the magnitude in which I enjoy beer. It's really a fantastic thing, and I truly think there is a beer out there for everybody because beer is so dynamic, just like people. Hey, psychologist think we're simple enough to be assigned either a Type A or Type B personality, that's two categories. Hmm, what else has two categories and is great...oh yeah, beer: ale and lager! It must be a sign

 

[downtown3641]

My biggest thing is.... I hate wine drinkers, because they tend to be snobs about it. I will NEVER turn that way with beer.

Weird. I've never met a snobbish wine drinker. Then again, I don't find it snobbish to drink what you like and avoid what you don't.

 

[mcspanner]

Weird. I've never met a snobbish wine drinker. Then again, I don't find it snobbish to drink what you like and avoid what you don't.

Oh I have. One of my good friends is one and demonstrated his lack of knowledge when we gave him a wine he'd frequently dismissed as cheap swill and he raved about it. What I did was decant it into an empty with one with an "expensive" label from a brand he approved of. If that's not snobbery I don know what is.

 

[sonofgrok]

As a young American, you are initially required to identify yourself as a Bud drinker, Coors drinker, or Miller drinker. You can argue its different now with more craft beers or hipsters drinking PBR but really as a whole it isn't. Many just take on that label during that novelty phase of early drinking and labels are comfort.

Its kind of like the whole ford vs. chevy thing. It doesn't really matter who is making the better vehicles that year. I still label myself a ford man but look in my driveway and you will see a mazda and a jeep...

 

[ElyIrishBrew]

So we left home this morning for a week to close up and do some renovation at the family lake cabin. It's Sunday, and I forgot to bring my good beer. Yeah, bonehead move! So the only beer you can buy in Minnesota on Sundays is 3.2 beer. And the only 3.2 beer you can get at the little C stores by the cabin is . . . wait for it . . .


wait for it


wait for it


wait for it


wait for it



Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light.


Yeah, I'm having one now. If you can't be with the one you love, honey . . . it's better than a poke with a pointed stick! (how's that for mixing Crosby and Monty Python?)

 

[dkwolf]

Weird. I've never met a snobbish wine drinker. Then again, I don't find it snobbish to drink what you like and avoid what you don't.

Don't hang out with many from the wine crowd, do you?

Good friend of mine is what I would consider a wine snob. Now, keep in mind, Iowa historically was a fairly significant player (albeit maybe not a major player) in the grape industy. But to him, Iowa just can't produce grapes for a good wine. Oh, and strawberry, rhubarb, blackberry, cherry, watermelon..... those aren't wines, either.


And you're right... it's not necessarily snobbish to "drink what you like and avoid what you don't". Where it becomes snobbish is when you look down on someone else because THEIR choice of drink doesn't measure up to YOUR standards. And quite frankly, that attitude will do more damage to the craft brew and homebrew crowd than any tongue-in-cheek Buffalo Wild Wings commercial.

 

[Markd27]

I eat taco bell, not because its the pinnacle of mexican cuisine. But because im broke and like tacos. Same thing with BMC , homebrews aren't ready, carbed yet, (gasp)all gone. I'll grab some Miller or PBR to wash away the days work. Personal opinion and/or taste i guess it boils down to

I don't get the food analogy, you have to eat food to survive, but you don't need to drink beer. On my own dime, I'd simply not have a beer unless it was something higher quality than BMC swill.

The big thing that I haven't seen anyone mention, simply comes down to variety. I don't have a problem with folks who drink BMC, but, doesn't it get old? I'm not talking about some of the folks here that may mix it up with craft beer and BMC, but the guys like my father-in-law that drinks Coors light exclusively. At home I keep 4 homebrews on tap, and always have anywhere from 6-8 different craft beers on hand in the beer fridge. When I decide to grab a beer, I have a lot to choose from, and switch things up. This is the best part of being a beer drinker/brewer today. I couldn't imagine being a BMC drinker that drinks the same exact beer over and over and over again.

 

[sonofgrok]

I don't get the food analogy, you have to eat food to survive, but you don't need to drink beer.

This isn't exactly fair either because you don't need tacobell to survive either. Tacobell is not the only cheap food and you can still actually probably cook a better meal for the same price. If you needed tacobell to survive, I would be screwed... its hard to even call that stuff food to begin with.

I'd say there is a conscious effort involved with selecting taco bell just like there is when selecting bud.

 

[dkwolf]

I don't get the food analogy, you have to eat food to survive, but you don't need to drink beer. On my own dime, I'd simply not have a beer unless it was something higher quality than BMC swill.

The big thing that I haven't seen anyone mention, simply comes down to variety. I don't have a problem with folks who drink BMC, but, doesn't it get old? I'm not talking about some of the folks here that may mix it up with craft beer and BMC, but the guys like my father-in-law that drinks Coors light exclusively. At home I keep 4 homebrews on tap, and always have anywhere from 6-8 different craft beers on hand in the beer fridge. When I decide to grab a beer, I have a lot to choose from, and switch things up. This is the best part of being a beer drinker/brewer today. I couldn't imagine being a BMC drinker that drinks the same exact beer over and over and over again.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." They've found something THEY like, and don't see any reason to mess with it. My neighbor is a Coors guy - to the point he won't drink a Bud Light if you GIVE it to him. Gotta be Coors.

It's really no different than me going into the local steakhouse. I live in Podunk, IA, and people drive from 30-60 miles away to eat at this place, just raving about the steaks. The prime rib is apparently to die for. In the four years they've been open, I've never had either. Why? Because their hamburgers are pretty dang good, too. (2010 Best Burger in Iowa) And I'm the type of guy that while I love my steak, you give me a goooood bacon cheeseburger and I'm happy as hell. Same deal with the guys that just drink BMC. Yeah, they know there are beers that are probably better, but dangit, they like their Coors. Or Bud Light. Or Miller Light. And why mess with what they know they like?

 

[Mongrel]

As a young American, you are initially required to identify yourself as a Bud drinker, Coors drinker, or Miller drinker. You can argue its different now with more craft beers or hipsters drinking PBR but really as a whole it isn't. Many just take on that label during that novelty phase of early drinking and labels are comfort.

Its kind of like the whole ford vs. chevy thing. It doesn't really matter who is making the better vehicles that year. I still label myself a ford man but look in my driveway and you will see a mazda and a jeep...

Don't know about that, even as a high school kid 20+ years ago, I drank Henry's Blue Boar.

 

[sonofgrok]

Don't know about that, even as a high school kid 20+ years ago, I drank Henry's Blue Boar.

But would you call yourself the exception or the rule. Working my early twenties in the bars I would say exception. At least back then.

 

[Mongrel]

But would you call yourself the exception or the rule. Working my early twenties in the bars I would say exception. At least back then.

I think it would vary by region.

 

[sonofgrok]

I think it would vary by region.

Fair enough. That was here in nm. Buttweiser nation.

 

[jdozer]

I eat taco bell, not because its the pinnacle of mexican cuisine. But because im broke and like tacos. Same thing with BMC , homebrews aren't ready, carbed yet, (gasp)all gone. I'll grab some Miller or PBR to wash away the days work. Personal opinion and/or taste i guess it boils down to

An attempt at humor, didnt work i guess