This Bud (Was) For You - An American Icon Sells Out

America produces it's share of quality beer. You just have to get away from the big name brands.

Miller's been foreign owned for years now. The SAB Miller holding company was founded in South Africa and is headquartered in London.

Agreed. But I stick to my New Belgium beers like they're going out of style.

I am also 19 years old which is why this comment is hilarious to me.

I am also 19 years old

Please step out of the tank and put your hands on the turret. Have you been drinking? How old are you? Aha. Get back in that tank and risk your life for two more years defending our liberties and THEN you are man enough to celebrate with a frosty one.

I can't believe that age-limit logic either, Daro.

I'm not a college fraternity binge drinker, I just enjoy a Trippel in a frozen mug every now and then.

:) More now than then?

@Mike - New Belgium is a great craft brewery. Talk about bringing good beer to the masses. And if you haven't yet got your paws on it, try some Fat Tire in a can - soooooooo good. I mean, in 2 years, of course.

The 21-year-old age limit is a ridiculous law, but that' a debate for another place.

hey're designed for yuppie types with lots of disposable income.

hahahaha

That's me, alright. The piss-broke premed kid.

A buck a bottle is expensive for beer?

@Robert -

I am far from a yuppie. However, if I'm going to spend my money on beer, I might as well spend it on something flavorful that isn't going to give me a nasty hangover. If I want to drink beer with rice in it (a high starch brewing item which converts to a high-sugar alcohol that produces a more "bubblegum" and less smooth flavored drink) I will drink a Great Divide Samurai or even beers brewed in Asia that use rice because that's what they want the beer to taste like - not because it's cheap, as Bud does.

Also, Budweiser is purported to be based on (and stolen from, according to local legend) a Czech brewer. Czech brewers follow very similar laws to the German purities laws - that say beer should be composed of four ingredients, and four ingredients only - malt, water, hops, and yeast. Rice (nor corn, for that matter) doesn't fall into any of those categories. And those laws exist for a reason - the produce the best tasting, highest quality beer.

And the reason Bud is such a huge seller isn't because of it's flavor. It's for two reasons: (1) many people simply don't know any better. Craft brewing really didn't come into its own until the mid-90s, at which point the big brewers (A-B, Miller, and Coors) had such a hold on the market that many people didn't even know there were other options. (2) it's cheap. Like you said, good beer costs good money. It sucks, but when you use higher quality products with a more stringent brewing method, the cost of your product is going to be higher. However, if you were to compare the profit margins at mass market brewers vs craft brewers, you'd find that the profit margin is much lower for the craft brewers, so you're actually getting a better value for your dollar when you buy craft. (By the way, our local liquor store has a 12-pack of Bud Light cans for $12 and a 12-pack of Fat Tire cans for $15).

And if you branch out from the larger craft brewers like New Belgium, Sierra Nevada, and Flying Dog, you may find your local brewpub does bombers or growlers for cheaper then you can buy them in the store.

When I worked at the brewery here in Denver I gave tours to over 30,000 people - I'd say about 1/3 of which were not craft beer drinkers at all. In all that time with all those visitors, I only have one guest say that they preferred Bud over our comparable pilsner. One. The others were shocked at the fullness in flavor, the smoothness of the drink, the fact that, even after drinking three or four, they didn't feel ill. I think that says a lot.

I don't begrudge people who can't afford craft brews drinking the mass market brews - but I would hope that people would at least be willing to open their minds to the fact that there are better beers out there, and they're not as expensive as you think.

Yeech....Bud.....Well I guess some people like the stuff, I never did as it seemed pretty water down compared to even the local el cheapo brand "Rainier Beer" and way more then the more up to date local brews that are more similar to the German brewers.

I sure will miss those amazing Clydesdales and a part of Seattle history is tied into that brand via a special event that Miss Budweiser helped make Hydroplane racing famous during our annual Seafair

On that other choice "Miller Time" Well....Lets say, the beer for the mass's, I have not seen a great one. I have more fun samples the small places and giving them a try. Thats always fun when I used to travel so much.

However I can understand the feeling of another symbol of the US getting sold off. It does seem to happen a bit more then it seems it should be happening...However..Why didn't all those many shareholders kill this off ?

I don't get too emotional about their beer, but yikes.....They are a part of American Culture almost.

Pretty hard to think of Budweiser and not think of Clydesdales, A-B, and that US of A.

I used to like Bud. It was what my father drank and it tasted better than a lot of the other beers around. Then I moved to Germany. My second year there, I was at a Fourth of July celebration on the local U.S. Army base and thought, "It's been a long time since I've had a Bud, I'll get one as a treat." When I tasted it I was shocked at how weak and watery it tasted! I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. Two years of German beer had completely changed my palate. Now, back in the states, I've searched out American beers that have more flavor. I like Yeungling lager, Yeungling Black & Tan, JW Dundee's Honey Brown Lager and Spanish Peaks Brewing Co. Honey Raspberry beer.

Perry -

Spanish Peaks is actually brewed by the company I used to work for! Funny! If you like their honey raspberry, try to get your hands on some Great Divide Wild Berry - it's made with real Oregon raspberries, not extract (which is what Spanish Peaks uses) and is almost lambic-esque in its flavor.

Some other beers you might like to try are Flying Dog's Road Dog (it's more a brown then a porter), Green Flash's Nut Brown (a bit heavier), and maybe even Anderson Valley's Amber, which is incredibly smooth for an amber.

We don't get Yuengling out here, which makes me sad. I drink it up when we're out East!

@ Miss Dev -
New Belgium is definitely my go-to brew, especially come holiday season. Their 2 Below is a favorite of mine.

@Mike - Mmm... 2 Below is nice and warming. I like it in front of a fire with a nice stew.

You should try Anderson Valley Brewing Company's Winter brew. It's like drinking this robust, ridiculous smooth, warming caramel beer. It's absolutely the best winter beer I've had. I have some cellaring right now and popped one two weeks ago to celebrate our new place - wow. Better aged then it was when I first bought it.

I've never cellared 2 Below - it has a low ABV for cellaring - but you should try it for a month or two and see how it ages.

I almost deleted your comment when you got to the ridiculous part about the recipe being stolen from a Czech or something.

Hardly ridiculous, as Budweiser Budkovar is still brewed in Czeske Budweiss, and "Budweiser" means "beer like they brew in Budweiss," much as "Pilsener" means "beer like they brew in Pilsen."

The current recipe for Budweiser isn't all that close to Budkovar. I've had both and the original will pass the beer purity laws, while its American namesake won't.

Or are you not really interested in getting smarter here?

All I said was that the claim was not "idiotic" not that it was true. Your threats of implied deletion over it were also over the top. Way over the top.

@Robert -

I never said I was a tour guide at New Belgium Brewery. In fact, I never cited the brewery I was tour guide for. (By the way, it was the Flying Dog, a major rival of New Belgium). I was simply citing the fact that craft brews are not for "yuppies" - but are actually accessible to all. And that there are breweries out there that treat their employees much better and put more money into their local economy - like Stone (which was the first brewery I cited). I actually didn't discuss New Belgium until Mike V did.

Fine, let's focus on the issue at hand. Yes, A-B is an American "tradition." But they are also a business, a business that is selling out. It sucks and it feels like a betrayal to some. They also, as you cite in your article, haven't been treating their employees very well. My point is that there are many, many very American breweries that won't sell out overseas and are worth some exploration. I guess I should have been more clear that I feel their quality of beer is symptomatic of their other issues.

By the way, please abide by the CoH and avoid personal attacks and threats to delete when I was discussing a topic you wrote about. It doesn't matter that it veered towards beer choice, it was still related to your article. No matter how much I disagree with you, I don't come at you with personal attacks. I'm here to share my knowledge... and I will share it on other columns from now on, at your request.

For those who don't care or think drinking a foreign beer is better etc. Things keep going this way and there won't be any US companies or US jobs. This company not only makes good beer, they have been into renewable energy since the 1800's and use it to make beer, they give to countless charitable organizations, the arts, and even support the military...schools, you name it. InBev will not be able to sustain the necessary profit margins, they will end up selling this company off bit by bit and in the end, many will lose their jobs and America has lost something very valuable to so many citizens.

The good news is, a lawyer in San Francisco has filed for an injunction to stop the sale on antitrust issues, his name is Joseph Alioto, Jr. and if anyone stop this, he can. It is almost the last American brewer....oh and by the way, InBev is really Brazilian anyway. The Justice Department is also checking into this sale re antitrust (monopoly) issues. I am so happy someone is trying to save the beer. While you drink your foreign expensive beer, that isn't any better, consider everything that this great American company has done for so many and maybe your fancy beer won't taste so good.

consider everything that this great American company has done for so many and maybe your fancy beer won't taste so good.

Consider all the good that local, craft breweries do and maybe your cheap, corporate beer won't taste so good.

Also, the production of this beer isn't going overseas. That isn't feasible nor is it what inBev does. They keep production at the original plants (because building a new brewery is very, very expensive) and use the ingredients that people are used to in a beer (malts, hops, yeasts, and especially water are different everywhere). While I think the sale of A-B is BS, I don't think it will have the negative effects that others do.

American companies are buying huge companies abroad all the time. Some times I think that is one of my country's (Norway) main products - making successful companies for Americans to buy. Often these are the very best in their field. These are consumer product manufacturers, off-shore rigs companies, ship builders, high tech computer technology.

Before the large brands came to dominate the American market, what would today be called microbrews prevailed.

It is the fact of an American Icon with buildings on the National Historical Registry. 12 US located breweries. Several sports sponsorships. Marine research and Sea World. Theme parks with most of the breweries. Plus check out the 911 tribute on YouTube AB did.

Like Disney and Coca-Cola, the AB company is a large corporation that depends in large part on nostalgia and image to maintain market share.

My folks used to drink Schlitz!!!! Right after their "Perl" beer phase....then they moved on to Lone Star--ouch.

I am rather sad that I am going to just have to stop drinking beer now. Drats. Oh Well--think of all the money I will save?

As much as I think the owner of Samuel Adams is a tool - it's so awesome that a craft brewery could be the largest brewer in America. Gives me chills.

Well said, this article and items like it are nothing more than jingoistic nationalism.

Are you on the board of InBev? If not, you have no idea what they will do in five years, and do not speak for them.

Gas prices will speak for them quite clearly: there is no economic advantage to foreign production any savings in labor gets eaten up by the shipping charges. Beer is heavy.

Something else that really bugs me is your hypocrisy. Americans practically invented Globalism and the idea of multi-nationals. Plenty of American multi-nationals have taken over traditional family owned businesses in almost every part of the world and no one ever complained (or better said those that did were bribed or silenced another way) and yet now that one of your own is threatened you are all up in arms as if its a declaration of war.

American people don't really care for "globalism". Our Corporate America and our political leaders who are in bed together decided for us.

I for one feel that each country needs to be as self sufficient as possible. I also think that there should not be any forigne ownership of any countries industry.

With that said, if you can not make what you need or want, then import it from another country. If you don't have the resources to produce something, then import the resources and make it your self.

I am all for helping someone out, but don't take things away from us that we can do our self. You can help out, but don't take the money and run.

It all comes down to greed and green.

if they moved Guinness production to say...Alabama...would Brits like this? I think not.

Since Guinness is an Irish beer, I doubt the Brits would be all that chaffed.

Guinness, btw, is owned by a large multinational corporation that has in the past owned such American brands as Burger King and Pillsbury.

They must be lying when they say Heineken is made in Holland?

Now you are being willfully obtuse. Heineken isn't as cheap as Budweiser, and you damn well know it. If InBev ended local production of the A-B brands, their prices would skyrocket and they'd lose market share like crazy. Miller has been owned by the South Africans for years now, and they've made no effort to move production to Johannesburg.

Anything? How does living without gasoline feel?

Are you sure? Ever buy Coffee Mate? Alpo? Purina pet foods? Friskies? Nerds? Toll House Cookies? Oh Henry Bar? Baby Ruth? Butter Finger? Hot Pockets? Stouffers? Jenny Craig? PowerBar? Carnation products? Taster's Choice? Haagan Daz? Shredded Wheat? Gerber baby food? Ben & Jerry's? Breyer's Ice Cream? Country Crock? Hellmans? Karo syrup? Klondike bar? Lipton tea? Popsicle? Ragu? Skippy Peanut Butter? Those are all owned by foreign multinationals.

Judging American Beer by Budweiser is just like judging Australian beer by Foster's Lager. Both are horrendous beers.

McDonald's owns a huge share of the burger market, and Brittany Spears once dominated the pop charts. Your point?

Well, they must be doing SOMETHING right.

Yes, they are doing something right. It's called marketing.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.
H. L. Mencken

In other words, it is quite possible for something to be wildly popular while not being good, on an objective basis. Bud and Fosters are rather good examples, as are the others I mentioned. I'd also throw in reality television and talk radio to further buttress my case.

BTW Robert--after seeing it mentioned on another thread I book marked the link to your podcasts.

Great job--enjoy it.

I think this is the inevitable result of leaving a business in the family. Third generation and higher scions were born rich, and being rich is the only thing they know, or often care about. They do not have the emotional investment of having built the business (or directly witnessed it being built) and even if they are reasonably decent people, their interests may not lie in that direction. It happened with DuPont, it happened with Ford, and now we see it happening to A-B. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it happen to Anchor Brewing if Fritz Maytag decides to leave it all in the family: after all, building washing machines bored him to the extent that he sold out of his share of the family namesake to purchase the brewery when it was bankrupt. There's no reason that his kids or grandkids will necessarily want to be brewers.