I like Natural Light.

[UncleChuck]

I'm really shocked how expensive beer evidently is in Canada! Crazy! Even with the exchange rate Canadian beer is cheaper here than up there, kind of funny.

A good friend of mine only drinks Coors light, which I'll drink a few of now and then. It's the only BMC beer I've had that actually tastes like nothing.

Other than the occasional Coors, I'll drink Miller High Life if I'm broke. A corner store right by my house used to sell it for $1.95 a 40oz, I'd never even seen 40s of Miller before, or since. After clearing them out several times they raised the price to $2.19, still the cheapest beer I can get my hands on! Comes out to something like $4 a six pack if you do the math.

 

[mikebowman]

I'm really shocked how expensive beer evidently is in Canada! Crazy! Even with the exchange rate Canadian beer is cheaper here than up there, kind of funny.

A good friend of mine only drinks Coors light, which I'll drink a few of now and then. It's the only BMC beer I've had that actually tastes like nothing.

Other than the occasional Coors, I'll drink Miller High Life if I'm broke. A corner store right by my house used to sell it for $1.95 a 40oz, I'd never even seen 40s of Miller before, or since. After clearing them out several times they raised the price to $2.19, still the cheapest beer I can get my hands on! Comes out to something like $4 a six pack if you do the math.

the government taxes the hell out of it, i think both on the federal and provincial levels. beer in quebec is damn cheap (well maybe not by USA standards, but i think its as cheap as it gets in canada). Nova Scotia is pricey, which is annoying, but it means that i can get a 24 of alpine, wildcat, or dry ice (our versions of natty ice etc), for the same price as a 24 of sleeman's (my favourite large-scale brew). prices do go up somewhat, if you look to buy craft brews, or generally more expensive imports (heineken, Guinness, etc)

 

[jaynik]

Don't be ashamed OP. It's great that you have a balanced spectrum of beer taste. There is something great about all those cheap beers, especially in the summer.

I personally just 2 days ago bought a 6er of PBR for those occasions when I don't want a big beer. I've noticed that lately when I'm watching hockey and it's cold, I'm craving a budweiser sometimes when I should be craving a DFH chicory stout. For those of you purists, don't worry, I also bought a 6er of Troeg's Hopback Amber (can't wait for Nugget Nectar) to balance my palate. My other "shameful" go-to beers are bud select, bud light lime (summer) and MGD.

 

[winstonofbeer]

This is going to sound odd, But i used to drink natty light all the time..
Still have some buddies who buy 3 30pks a week.

Anyone ever make a clone recipe for it???
I kinda miss it at times....And being a cheap guy, Would like to make it...Would be a good summer beer or just drinking beer for my buddies when they come over.
I am guessing for a 5 gal batch:
7lb pils
5lb 2row
2lb wheat
1oz tet 60min
1oz tet 10min
Alc 3.75 IBU 12.2

Thoughts?

 

[HoyaSaxa]

I am truly shocked that not once in 7 pages of comments has no one has mentioned the beer that has kept half of Mid-Atlantic college towns hopping on Friday and Saturday nights for the last 40 years. Milwaukee's Best Light...the "Beast" as it is affectionately known was and remains the cheap beer of choice for college freshmen in the ACC.

Before Virginia increased the alcohol taxes in 1994, I recall buying 24 packs for $5.99 at the Shopper's in Harrisonburg. Kegs (15.5 gallons) for $24... yes that would be a full keg for less than the grain bill on a decent 5 gallon IPA.

We thought it was classy to step up to buying the keg of Natty, since those were going for like $30. As seniors we really thought we were hot **** when we starting buying Bud Light for our "private stock" while all the freshmen at our parties had to drink the Beast.

Anyway, if its hot and I'm going to be drinking for a while (football game, off-shore fishing, etc) and don't want to a) get sloppy, or b) dehydrated, I'm going with Bud Light. It's effectively water that will give you a slight buzz after 10 or so.

 

[HH60gunner]

You guys are sick individuals..... lol I've never enjoyed the taste of any BMC beer or the "beast" as the last user put it. As a matter of fact for the longest time I didn't like beer at all because I thought it tasted like crap. Than out of the blue I started buying craft/micro beers because the labels looked cool. Plus I thought maybe beer would be like sushi and just be an acquired taste. Turns out I just didn't like bad beers and had an expensive taste. It's craft, micro, homebrewed, or none at all for me. Occasionally I'll drink a bud or coors so not to offend the individual offering it to me though. Now it's to the point where I can drink it and it's not horrible, but I will never find myself buying any. The only exception is if the wife and I go out somewhere and it's the only thing on tap or in bottles. Now a days though it seems like you can find at least one craft or micro at any place we go anyway.

 

[SilentAutumn]

No love for the Mickey's? Those little puzzles on the hand grenade caps always make want to have just one more. But I also enjoyed a good 40 of Magnum, Old English, or whatever was cheap. If you're going to go cheap, might as well do it right.

But for a good low country seafood boil, have to have Coors Light or maybe Miller Light. I want to gorge on crab and shrimp, not fill up on good beer. Seriously, the lighter the beer, the better. Beast Light is pretty good for that too.

 

[rustbucket]

i go for either PBR or yuengling when i have to buy some cheap beer, depending on application and event

 

[SumnerH]

I am truly shocked that not once in 7 pages of comments has no one has mentioned the beer that has kept half of Mid-Atlantic college towns hopping on Friday and Saturday nights for the last 40 years. Milwaukee's Best Light...the "Beast" as it is affectionately known was and remains the cheap beer of choice for college freshmen in the ACC.

Before Virginia increased the alcohol taxes in 1994, I recall buying 24 packs for $5.99 at the Shopper's in Harrisonburg. Kegs (15.5 gallons) for $24... yes that would be a full keg for less than the grain bill on a decent 5 gallon IPA.

We thought it was classy to step up to buying the keg of Natty, since those were going for like $30. As seniors we really thought we were hot **** when we starting buying Bud Light for our "private stock" while all the freshmen at our parties had to drink the Beast.

I'm so glad that I grew up in Portland, Maine. We'd get kegs of Allagash White and Shipyard IPA for cheaper than the low-rent Busch/Natty Light/etc offerings, and for the same price as the Bud/Miller stuff we could get Geary's Pale Ale or the Allagash-of-the-month. Such good times. Nowadays the small-run Allagash stuff is probably in 750ml corked and caged bottless at $15 a piece; back then we were throwing back barrel-aged Belgian quads for $.25/12oz if we shelled out for a keg.

 

[DRoyLenz]

...myself buying any. The only exception is if the wife and I go out somewhere and it's the only thing on tap or in bottles. Now a days though it ...

"Check Please!"

I'm kidding, at this point, I'll get a Scotch or some wine. Like you, I'll take a domestic light beer if offered, so as not to offend, but if I'm gonna pay for it, I want to enjoy it, and I just don't really enjoy them anymore.

 

[kinison_fan]

Not sure why but the beers from BMC (the standards) give me instant headaches. Anyone know what would do that?

I have a friend (non-homebrewer) that tells me used to drink Bud all the time, until they started using something that adds tannins to the beer-which give him a headache.

 

[Toga]

If I am going to slum it my go to slum beers are Molson or Stroh's

 

[rayg]

Homebrewing isn't cheap, so it's surprising
all these lite beer drinkers are coming forward.
I had some Bud Lite for the first time ever at
a relative's house a few weeks ago and it tasted
like Perrier with a beerish spritz to it. The other
beer there was Red Hook Spring Ale, which is
one of those typical "American" ales brewed with
American Ale yeast. It leaves no body, the beer
is overcarbonated like the Bud Lite, and the overall
impression is tartness, though the Red Hook had
some nice hop flavor so it wasn't too bad. But I
can see why so many homebrewers use American
ale yeast, it gives a beer with the character of
"lawnmower" beer. Thanks but no thanks!
Ray

 

[cheezydemon3]

I don't use american yeast that often. And I hardly think this thread represents a big cross section of this sit, or homebrewers in general.

I think this is more of a "I aint too good for fizzy lite beer" sound off than a "hey, this stuff is AWESOME!" thread. Most homebrewers wouldn't even stop in on this thread, passing it over for something that sounds more interesting.

Where are you from rayg?

 

[tnbrewer371]

gotta say i pick up a twelve pack or 30 rack of keystone at least every six months, or whenever my BMC friends are coming over, and have to admit I drink any and all leftovers especially in the summer and thoroughly enjoy every one of them even though I love my craft beer more, just takes me back to my debauchery in college I guess..

 

[rayg]

Where are you from rayg?

Concord NH! But I think you might have been
wondering if I'm American. Yes, I am, but I like
British style ales and German lagers, not the
American abominations.

Ray

 

[HoyaSaxa]

Homebrewing isn't cheap, so it's surprising
all these lite beer drinkers are coming forward.
Ray

Um, what does money have to do with anything. This thread is about admitting to drinking light BMC lager on occasion and not being ashamed about it. If you think wealth and taste are at all related, I can assure you they are are not. Implying that only those without money drink light BMC beer, well that is just plain snobbery, dude.

 

[jezter6]

I live the high life.

I enjoy a good homebrew or import on occasion, but nothing (IMHO) goes better with wings or pizza and a sports game like good ol' cheap High Life.

 

[rayg]

Um, what does money have to do with anything. This thread is about admitting to drinking light BMC lager on occasion and not being ashamed about it. If you think wealth and taste are at all related, I can assure you they are are not. Implying that only those without money drink light BMC beer, well that is just plain snobbery, dude.

It's not snobbery, it's practicality. Lite beer is a high tech
"beer" that is difficult to duplicate at home and also pretty
cheap relative to other commercial beers. Why homebrew
if you like another kind of beer and it's cheap and much less
work to just buy it? I guess there must be a few people who
like the process of brewing so much that they would try to
make lite beer, but not that many. It's like becoming a cook
so you can learn to make spam and rice-a-roni (two other
high-tech products, by the way).
Ray

 

[BrewDocND]

If I'm at a sports bar that has big mugs of bud light on special, I'll go for a couple with my wings or nachos or whatever. i never buy BMC from the store anymore

 

[BlackForestBrewery]

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of BMC brews. I used to (and still do) drink MGD with my grandpa though when I head out to his place. He has also recently taken a liking to Blue Moon.

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

Why homebrew
if you like another kind of beer and it's cheap and much less
work to just buy it?
Ray

This to me is the worst statement in this thread. I love beer, and I love craft beer more than any other kind - I love malty beers, hoppy beers, super balanced beers, and beers of any style... that said, I also love cheap-ass beer, and in no way does it impact my homebrewing. If anything, homebrewing and drinking craft beer has made me realize the place that cheap beer has. It can be refreshing, and easy to drink without filling you up like heavier beers can - so it's worth it for me.

Homebrewing is a craft - it's not about replacing other beer with home-made beer, but it's about being able to produce and create beers that you enjoy - it doesn't mean you have to ignore every commercial beer out there, and BMC is no exception. They have their place, and plenty of people enjoy both of them for different reasons, as evidenced in this thread.

 

[DRoyLenz]

Um, what does money have to do with anything. This thread is about admitting to drinking light BMC lager on occasion and not being ashamed about it. If you think wealth and taste are at all related, I can assure you they are are not. Implying that only those without money drink light BMC beer, well that is just plain snobbery, dude.

I didn't get that impression. The way I understood Ray's thread was to say that the type of person who typically homebrew's, is typically the kind of person that spends more money on beer, if for no other reason than because it's typically pretty expensive to homebrew. So it is surprising, when in a group of people who typically spend more money on beer, there is such a large turnout of people who occasionally imbibe with cheaper stuff.

It'd be like in a forum on fine watches, a popular thread popping up about people who like their Casio digital watches. It's not snobby to point out the irony there.

 

[two_hearted]

none for me thanks.

 

[HoyaSaxa]

I didn't get that impression. The way I understood Ray's thread was to say that the type of person who typically homebrew's, is typically the kind of person that spends more money on beer.

Interesting... I find the opposite to be true. Most of my Homebrew friends are into saving a buck as well as the enjoyment of the process and learning experience. My rich buddies are out buying $150 kegs of DFH 90 minute.

FWIW, I've yet to meet a homebrewer who could fairly replicate a true light american lager. I'm sure there are some out there and on this forum with that skill, but it's a lot harder to make one of those than say a big IPA, which is pretty forgiving.

If folks don't like it, I get it... just saying.

 

[two_hearted]

FWIW, I've yet to meet a homebrewer who could fairly replicate a true light american lager.

That's because we don't brew with rice or corn.

 

[Flomaster]

That's because we don't brew with rice or corn.

not true, check out Cream of Three Crops very light very tasty will turn any hardcore BMC drinker onto home brew.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

-=Jason=-

 

[HoyaSaxa]

That's because we don't brew with rice or corn.

No, I've definitely brewed with rice extracts to lighten a summer "lawnmower" ale and bring less body into a brew without watering down.

It's just really, really, hard to get the flavor consistency achieved by BMCs on light lagers. There is so little flavor to cover up mistakes that it makes it very hard to achieve a good balance. I've got respect for the commercial brewers who manage to make it taste the same no matter the season or brew location... that's got to be tough.

 

[Pick]

As a general rule, around here we don't associate with Natty Light drinkers.

 

[mightynintendo]

As a general rule, around here we don't associate with Natty Light drinkers.

What do you mean around here? like in this forum or at your house? because as a general rule, the best brewers I've been around appreciate all beer and understand that beer is very much a "to each his own" sort of thing. If you can't appreciate a natty light then you just don't love beer as much as others around here.