If only we could get rid of the big 3

[evrose]

The thing is is that most people don't care what the big 3 do or sell. Well the fact is they control the beer industry. There's nothing more abolishing to the American brewer than making an acceptional product and being bought out by bud. Wheres the originality? If they're so great why don't they make all the beer they sell? Makes me wonder where the original styles came from. They all taste the same

So just to humor you for a moment, what exactly would you propose to "get rid" of them?

If you were an Omnipotent Beer Deity and could wave your Magic Beer Stein through the air making civilizations quiver at the sound of your burps, rain rivers of beer foam on the unwashed masses, and bury the unbelievers in mountains of rotten hops, how would you go about doing this?

 

[usmc-ferg]

So just to humor you for a moment, what exactly would you propose to "get rid" of them?

If you were an Omnipotent Beer Deity and could wave your Magic Beer Stein through the air making civilizations quiver at the sound of your burps, rain rivers of beer foam on the unwashed masses, and bury the unbelievers in mountains of rotten hops, how would you go about doing this?

It's not about me. It's about loosening the tight governing of the industry. I'm not saying in a hundred years I could do what they have done. I'm saying there's a lot of great brewers and home brewers that with a vision can't make it in the industry. Those that do don't stand a chance but to sell out. So there you are.

 

[barrooze]

So just to humor you for a moment, what exactly would you propose to "get rid" of them?

If you were an Omnipotent Beer Deity and could wave your Magic Beer Stein through the air making civilizations quiver at the sound of your burps, rain rivers of beer foam on the unwashed masses, and bury the unbelievers in mountains of rotten hops, how would you go about doing this?

My Mash Paddle of Power trumps your Magic Beer Stein. I win. May the Burps be with you.

 

[jsv1204]

Bud brews 5 billion bottles per year, and every one tastes exactly the same. That level of consistency and repeatability is to be commended and admired.

Dunno - have heard this before and I am not sure I buy it. I understand the point but personal reflection leads me in the opposite direction. Consistency isn't anywhere near the top of my list when I brew a beer or when I drink one.

As far as BMC goes, someone has to be biggest, but Ambev? Yuck. I won't drink it just because it irks me to put money in their coffers. Of course, that's kind of minefield because they own just about everything. I will put 2 bucks in anyone else's hand than put 1 into Ambev's? Nah.

1 guys opinion!

 

[Grinnan5150]

A Budweiser to me has it's place just like an IPA. Nothing tastes better than a 32 deg Bud Draft in 95 deg heat at Busch Stadium as I'm watching the Cardinals on a Sunday afternoon.

+1,000 - but just switch "Cardinals" and "Busch Stadium" with "Cubs" and "Wrigley Field".

 

[iron57]

What's wrong with the two coexisting? I'm at the beach right now. Temps near 100. I can tell you this, an ice cold High Life sure does the job. And at 7.50 per 12, the economics of it all are favorable as well.

We are all here because we appreciate great beer. I submit that a light lager can be a great beer, given the right circumstances.

 

[evrose]

It's not about me. It's about loosening the tight governing of the industry. I'm not saying in a hundred years I could do what they have done. I'm saying there's a lot of great brewers and home brewers that with a vision can't make it in the industry. Those that do don't stand a chance but to sell out. So there you are.

If you'd like, I could start listing the breweries in my area who are doing quite well, making wonderful beer that's highly imaginative and top-quality, none of whom have had to sell out... If that list were expanded throughout the country, it would get rather long rather fast. I just visited Port Brewing/Lost Abbey last weekend, which is right down the street from a little place called Stone, maybe you've heard of it. PB/LA was packed to the gills with people and had every fermenter in the place running day and night.

In reality, we're in something of a Golden Age of craft beer. Never in history has there been better availability of high quality beer than there is now. I can drive down to the BevMo right now and take my pick from a selection of about 300 (or more) high quality craft beers. Woot!

The existence of The Big 3 is not doing as much damage as you think. Now, if you want to help the little guy, let's talk about getting rid of some of the silly regulations and laws than make it prohibitively expensive to start a micro-brewery. (Yes, I know the BMC guys lobby to keep those barriers up, but ultimately we vote for our lawmakers, and to be honest, this issue is something like #493,398,381 on a list of important issues for voters.)

 

[usmc-ferg]

If you'd like, I could start listing the breweries in my area who are doing quite well, making wonderful beer that's highly imaginative and top-quality, none of whom have had to sell out... If that list were expanded throughout the country, it would get rather long rather fast. I just visited Port Brewing/Lost Abbey last weekend, which is right down the street from a little place called Stone, maybe you've heard of it. PB/LA was packed to the gills with people and had every fermenter in the place running day and night.

In reality, we're in something of a Golden Age of craft beer. Never in history has there been better availability of high quality beer than there is now. I can drive down to the BevMo right now and take my pick from a selection of about 300 (or more) high quality craft beers. Woot!

The existence of The Big 3 is not doing as much damage as you think. Now, if you want to help the little guy, let's talk about getting rid of some of the silly regulations and laws than make it prohibitively expensive to start a micro-brewery. (Yes, I know the BMC guys lobby to keep those barriers up, but ultimately we vote for our lawmakers, and to be honest, this issue is something like #493,398,381 on a list of important issues for voters.)

Do you even understand how a local brewery stands agains a corporate brewery. You sound ridiculous. Sure if you say so. I'm sure compared to a corporate they make equivalent to 0.0001/2. Not even that. I'll day 0 all together.

 

[corn]

As I see it, the big three weren't big when they started. They were home brewers who made a go of it. They were sucsesful in creating a recipe that was favorable to people so they grew.

They must have consistency to keep people loyal to their brand. Even if we like trying different brews, most people don't like to experiment they want what they want. Examples: most cigarette smokers are loyal to a brand; some people are loyal to a make of automobile( ford, chevy, etc.) . All of us know people( possibly ourselves) that only drink a certain brand of light beer. Due to preference of the taste, yes you can tell the diffference between B , M, AND C.

I would venture to say that neerly everyone here was a beer drinker prior to getting into homebrewing and craft beers. I think the average homebrewer begins drinking BMC, then tries craft beers, then gets the fever to try it themselves. So why turn on BMC now, why be a beer snob. If they weren't doing something right we may not be here.

Lastly, without the big three's volumes of needed ingredients, we as homebrewers may not have access to the quality ingredients that we do, let's be honest. The volume needed for our self consumption is not enough to sustain the industry suppliers. Supply and demand goes both ways, without the demand the suppply will go away. As the supply dwindles the prices will go up.

 

[fluidmechanics]

As a home brewer I respect what big beer does. Consistency over that much volume is extremely hard to do. That said what I dislike about them is how they lobby in DC to uphold laws that favor them and hold down smaller breweries I.e. the 3 tier system for distributing. Also I dislike how they slap frivolous law suits on their smaller competition. Fighting such a suit can drain small breweries to the point of going out of business. So if big beer would get back to the beer community, and be less adversarial they may win people back. I also like supporting the local guy who is part of my community, not buy a CEO who lives in another country his 5th vacation home.

 

[evrose]

Do you even understand how a local brewery stands agains a corporate brewery. You sound ridiculous. Sure if you say so. I'm sure compared to a corporate they make equivalent to 0.0001/2. Not even that. I'll day 0 all together.

Seriously, what language is this written in? It resembles English in some vague way, but I have no idea what you're talking about.

What does total production volume have to do with this? Of course the Big 3 make most of the beer... that's why they are the Big 3. But that has nothing to do with the availability of craft/micro brews. How it is at all relevant to my beer drinking experience that my favorite craft breweries only account for some tiny fraction of all beer brewed in the US? Who cares (well, besides you)?

Local and small breweries are enormously popular right now, and are doing very well even given the size and political power of the Big Guys. I'm not sure how you can deny this (or if you're even trying to, given that I can't really figure out your objections).

 

[usmc-ferg]

Seriously, what language is this written in? It resembles English in some vague way, but I have no idea what you're talking about.

What does total production volume have to do with this? Of course the Big 3 make most of the beer... that's why they are the Big 3. But that has nothing to do with the availability of craft/micro brews. How it is at all relevant to my beer drinking experience that my favorite craft breweries only account for some tiny fraction of all beer brewed in the US? Who cares (well, besides you)?

Local and small breweries are enormously popular right now, and are doing very well even given the size and political power of the Big Guys. I'm not sure how you can deny this (or if you're even trying to, given that I can't really figure out your objections).

Great! That's awesome a local brewery makes beer you like! Your not getting the point. This thread is about the threshold the big3 have on the beer industry. They regulate everything. Do you all honestly think if the big 3 were gone the industry would collapse?! You all are crazy. They pay enormous amounts of money to be the biggest. Otherwise they would of been gone long ago. It's about the influence of politics. I don't think they should have the last word in everything to do with the brewing industry.

 

[spearko520]

Makes me wonder where the original styles came from. They all taste the same

no they don't.

 

[jonmohno]

Unfortuantly or not the people with the most money usually have the last word.Thats the way the system works.People wouldnt be buying it. Growth and gradual shifting is changing things,im shure it wont be the same in < 50 more years.

 

[CBXBob]

Seems to me that the big 3 already see the writing on the wall. More people are drinking better beer. And different beer, Brown, Irish, Scottish, Pale, Red and Amber Ale's, IPA's, Ports, Stouts, Etc. instead of light lagers. So they are buying the competition, and expanding their own lines.

 

[JoeBronco]

Why do you keep calling it "the big three?" There are only two... Inbev & Coors. Miller and Coors merged October 2007...

 

[krenshaw]

people who drink the flagships of the big 3 to me are just like people who drink coffee but douse it in sugar and cream.. you can't really say you like coffee or are an actual coffee drinker if you do that, so why can you really say you like beer when all you drink are those items? and for the argument that the big 3 are good as lawnmower beers or that they are great for drinking in the hot weather.. no beer is good for drinking in that weather, you should be drinking water or gatorade or something of that nature.. then when you get inside in the air conditioning you can grab a real beer with some actual flavor.. i could care less about their consistency, they spend millions upon millions of dollars to make it consistent, of course they can do it well its not something to be in awe of..

ok done ranting now.. time to go grab a good non big three beer.. i think i still have a newcastle brown left

 

[usmc-ferg]

people who drink the flagships of the big 3 to me are just like people who drink coffee but douse it in sugar and cream.. you can't really say you like coffee or are an actual coffee drinker if you do that, so why can you really say you like beer when all you drink are those items? and for the argument that the big 3 are good as lawnmower beers or that they are great for drinking in the hot weather.. no beer is good for drinking in that weather, you should be drinking water or gatorade or something of that nature.. then when you get inside in the air conditioning you can grab a real beer with some actual flavor.. i could care less about their consistency, they spend millions upon millions of dollars to make it consistent, of course they can do it well its not something to be in awe of..

ok done ranting now.. time to go grab a good non big three beer.. i think i still have a newcastle brown left

Finally someone who agrees instead of whining cuz I'm dissing there favorite beers. Maybe they should look into it. The funniest comment I've gotten yet was someone saying the 3 don't taste the same lol.

 

[barrooze]

Mmmmmm. I LOVE coffee.... But only when it's served Beastie Boys-style: "I like my sugar with coffee and cream."

 

[spearko520]

Finally someone who agrees instead of whining cuz I'm dissing there favorite beers. Maybe they should look into it. The funniest comment I've gotten yet was someone saying the 3 don't taste the same lol.

just because you can't taste the difference, doesn't mean something tastes the same. They might be the same style beer, but their ingredients, procedures, water, and yeasts are all different. If you think that leads to three different beers that somehow taste the same, then you can think that. You can preach it from the highest mountain- it doesn't mean that it's true. They do not taste the same.

 

[usmc-ferg]

just because you can't taste the difference, doesn't mean something tastes the same. I'm lol'ing right now

 

[spearko520]

well i grew up on yuengling and don't love either of the three beers you are raging against- but i know i can damn sure taste the difference in all of them. Are they similar? - yes, they share certain traits and characteristics. Laugh all you want- they don't taste the same.

 

[krenshaw]

i would love for somebody to do a double blind taste test.. i don't think they would taste the same.. if i had a choice i would probably drink miller lite as opposed to the others though that is what i think.. if i did a taste test maybe i would prefer bud over miller, i have no idea.. i actually have a bunch of miller and IC light in my basement now leftover from the in-laws bringing them over.. if it didn't mean actually paying for a sixer of bud and coors then i would probably do it for poops and laughs..

 

[eharlow49]

people who drink the flagships of the big 3 to me are just like people who drink coffee but douse it in sugar and cream.. you can't really say you like coffee or are an actual coffee drinker if you do that, so why can you really say you like beer when all you drink are those items? and for the argument that the big 3 are good as lawnmower beers or that they are great for drinking in the hot weather.. no beer is good for drinking in that weather, you should be drinking water or gatorade or something of that nature.. then when you get inside in the air conditioning you can grab a real beer with some actual flavor.. i could care less about their consistency, they spend millions upon millions of dollars to make it consistent, of course they can do it well its not something to be in awe of..

ok done ranting now.. time to go grab a good non big three beer.. i think i still have a newcastle brown left

What do you mean by big three beer? That Newcastle you drank is owned by Heineken International. The same Heineken Int that is third in total volumes produced, behind Anheiser Busch In-Bev and SABMiller. I hope you enjoyed your "non big three" beer.

 

[CidCitrus]

What would happen to Busch Gardens if they disappeared? I love that place.

 

[Doed]

What would happen to Busch Gardens if they disappeared? I love that place.

InBev sold the Busch Gardens amusement parks to BlackStone Group a couple of years ago.

 

[krenshaw]

by "big 3" at least i refer to flagship brands of Miller Bud and Coors.. i would assume most people would refer to it that way as well.. i always have and will always enjoy many of the beers that have been purchased by them; newcastle, samuel smith's and bass just to name a few.. can't help that they got swallowed up by the big fish in the sea, can't really blame them from a financial standpoint..

 

[TheMan]

people who drink the flagships of the big 3 to me are just like people who drink coffee but douse it in sugar and cream.. you can't really say you like coffee or are an actual coffee drinker if you do that, so why can you really say you like beer when all you drink are those items? and for the argument that the big 3 are good as lawnmower beers or that they are great for drinking in the hot weather.. no beer is good for drinking in that weather, you should be drinking water or gatorade or something of that nature.. then when you get inside in the air conditioning you can grab a real beer with some actual flavor.. i could care less about their consistency, they spend millions upon millions of dollars to make it consistent, of course they can do it well its not something to be in awe of..

ok done ranting now.. time to go grab a good non big three beer.. i think i still have a newcastle brown left

Your argument makes zero sense. How do you equate putting flavor changing components into coffee to drinking standard lite lager? Craft beer is all about modifying the standard beer to appease our tastes....I drink my coffee black and would consider it the bmc of coffee.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

Your argument makes zero sense. How do you equate putting flavor changing components into coffee to drinking standard lite lager? Craft beer is all about modifying the standard beer to appease our tastes....I drink my coffee black and would consider it the bmc of coffee.

Depends on the coffee your drinking, i consider foldgers the bmc of coffee. Other higher end coffees, roasting your own beans etc, is more like craft and our homebrew.

 

[planetscott]

Most people like what the "big 3" produce. To remove that option is unfair to consumers. If someone is happy drinking pale, light fizzy and ice cold, let them. My only disdain for the large mega brewers is their desire to force the smaller brewers out.

 

[krenshaw]

Your argument makes zero sense. How do you equate putting flavor changing components into coffee to drinking standard lite lager? Craft beer is all about modifying the standard beer to appease our tastes....I drink my coffee black and would consider it the bmc of coffee.

you must not have understood what i was saying then.. i wasn't equating the process, just the experience.. the pet peeve of mine is that people who say they enjoy coffee, yet really don't like the taste of coffee because all they are really tasting is the sugar-cream mixture with a tad of coffee reminds.. i just likened it to people who say they enjoy beer, but only drink light american lagers.. which by its own definition doesn't have a very strong flavor profile.. yes its beer but only a very limited style.. very much like some people i know who don't drink beer because they say they don't like the taste, but have really only tried those light american lagers before, not giving any sort of craft beer or the other 100 styles a chance..

personally i can't stand coffee its just something i've noticed that people do and i find it amusing..

 

[Jukas]

What I have found since I started home brewing and my tastes have become a little more sophisticated is that I appreciate BMC more than I used to, and I can easily say that I like the way they taste, as well. Well, I enjoy Budweiser. I don't care for Miller or Coors, and never have.

What's quite funny is people who claim brand loyalty (i.e Bud Light is my beer, I won't drink Coors Light) often times cannot pick their 'brand' in a blind taste test.

On a really hot day, especially after a long hike or yard work I do enjoy a nearly ice cold bud/coors or PBR

 

[barrooze]

What's quite funny is people who claim brand loyalty (i.e Bud Light is my beer, I won't drink Coors Light) often times cannot pick their 'brand' in a blind taste test.

I found this amusing as well! Many years ago, at a Super Bowl party, Bud, Bud Light, and Miller Lite were being supplied. One of the party goers was a die hard Bud Light drinker. He liked no other beers. we decided to do a blind taste test. He thought Miller Lite was by far the best tasting beer. When we told him the results, he shrugged and said, "I'm still going to keep drinking my Bud Light."

 

[Darwin18]

I don't think getting rid of the big three is going to make a big difference. People want to drink what they want - clearly a majority of people out there enjoy their American lager. What I can't stand are the business practices of BMC where they attempt to tie up the limited resources of microbreweries into frivolous lawsuits over labeling, naming rights, etc. I also despise how BMC can use their weight to manipulate distributors into dropping or reducing their competition.

 

[usmc-ferg]

I don't think getting rid of the big three is going to make a big difference. People want to drink what they want - clearly a majority of people out there enjoy their American lager. What I can't stand are the business practices of BMC where they attempt to tie up the limited resources of microbreweries into frivolous lawsuits over labeling, naming rights, etc. I also despise how BMC can use their weight to manipulate distributors into dropping or reducing their competition.

That's what I'm getting at. Seems like every time they get some real competition out there they just buy em out

 

[Denny]

That's what I'm getting at. Seems like every time they get some real competition out there they just buy em out

Which is no differnt than the business practices of most corporations.

 

[fergusmj]

I like beer. Same as I like seafood, and meat. Sure, there is some beer I don't like, same as seafood and meat. Everyone has their preferences and just because they don't like one thing or another, doesn't mean that they aren't a beer drinker, or a meat eater, or seafood eater. Some people may not be interested in paying $9 -$12 for a 6 pack of beer.

Also, to whoever said that people who drink coffee with sugar and cream aren't coffee drinkers? Really? I assume that you do not put any condiments on your hamburger, or sauce on your steak, or salt / pepper on your other food? I drink my coffee black.

I'm going to a weekend at the lake tomorrow and I'll be taking with me a few 6-packs of my homebrew (Red ale and Wit) along with a 30pack of good Busch Light!

 

[aerod1]

I still like a good Bud or Pabst on occasion!

 

[CBXBob]

Coffee, a good rich coffee, is almost as good as a good beer. I'm not talking Folgers, or Hills Brothers , not that I won't drink them, I will. but not when I can get Seattle's Best, Starbucks, or Dutch Bros. My coffee only gets a little sugar, no flavored creamers. The smell of a good coffee will wake me up bright eyed, seconded only by bacon frying. Bacon, drool.

 

[barrooze]

Coffee, a good rich coffee, is almost as good as a good beer. I'm not talking Folgers, or Hills Brothers , not that I won't drink them, I will. but not when I can get Seattle's Best, Starbucks, or Dutch Bros. My coffee only gets a little sugar, no flavored creamers. The smell of a good coffee will wake me up bright eyed, seconded only by bacon frying. Bacon, drool.

It sounds like you may need to brew a coffee-bacon stout, primed with maple syrup! A breakfast beer for champions!