Big beer, big movies: Both fall flat

KansasCity.com ^ | 10 Sep 2009 | ROBERT W. BUTLER

[AreaMan]

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Thursday, Sep 10, 2009

Posted on Wed, Sep. 09, 2009

Big beer, big movies: Both fall flat

By ROBERT W. BUTLER
The Kansas City Star

The other day I watched the new documentary “Beer Wars” because … well, because it has the word “beer” in the title.

But Anat Baron’s film (she was one of the founders of Boston Beer Co., makers of the Sam Adams line) ended up making me think about movies.

Bear with me. (I almost wrote “beer with me,” but I retain a smidgen of self-respect.)

“Beer Wars” (you can pick up a DVD at www.beerwarsmovie .com) shows how, since the 1980s, microbreweries have sprouted up to challenge the brewing trinity of Budweiser, Miller and Coors. It’s still a lopsided fight. All the microbrews — like Sam Adams or our own Boulevard — make up far less than 10 percent of the suds served in this country.

But they’ve had enough impact on the market to worry the big three. Indie brews are growing in popularity, while the Bud, Miller and Coors brands are stuck in a holding pattern.

The reason is obvious. As one drinker tells the camera, whenever he’s offered a beer from the big brewers, he asks that it be returned to the horse it came from.

Baron’s theme is that once beer becomes a commodity rather than an art form, it loses its distinctive edge. For the film she conducted blind taste tests with devoted drinkers of Bud, Miller and Coors. Without the label in front of them, most couldn’t tell one from the other.

The big boys have responded...

[knews_hound]

Pinging the Homebrewers for pithy comments.



On or off the Homebrewers Ping List, let me know.

Cheers,

knewshound

Homebrewing 1A (Homebrewing for beginners)

Homebrewing 101 (for experienced Homebrewers)

[IYAS9YAS]

Please add me to the Homebrewers ping list. Just started a couple of months ago - using extract kits for now. I haven’t bought a macro-brew in a long time. Mostly Shiner or other locals. Santa Fe Brewing has a great Heffeweizen.

[ansel12]

Like in all things, price is important, if the price was the same I would always be drinking German Alts and Pilsner Urquell.

[knews_hound]

Welcome to the most exclusive Ping List on FR !

Cheers,

knewshound

[pogo101]

I don’t prefer Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada and other “smaller company” brews because the companies are smaller.

I prefer them because the beer is much, much better.

I’d switch right over to BudMiller, etc., if they tasted good. They don’t.

[Churchjack]

1. Lone Star -- Obviously, patriotic duty and whatnot.
2. Shiner Bock -- Black Label is really good, too, I like it not-so-cold, even!
3. Fat Tire -- it's like drinking a biscuit! Great stuff.

Who needs Big Beer?

[Free Vulcan]

I am hooked on Goose Island Oatmeal Stout right now. It’s all I’ve bought for the last couple of months.

[mowowie]

Do you mind adding me as well?

My buddy brouht over some of his home brew a few weeks ago and it was awesome.
Might try making some myself.

[Lurker]

LOVE Fat Tire. If you can find it try the Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. Great stuff.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

The Goose Island IPA is the best I’ve had (out of a sampling of 30+).

My favorite over-all is Bell’s Oberon. 2nd is “2-Below” from the makers of Fat Tire.

[MiltonFriedmanFan]

My advice to everyone is to google local breweries in your area. I discovered a small brewery that just started up two towns over that make a jalapeno beer. It is incredible with nachos while watching football. These small breweries tend to make stout, flavorful beers for a buck or two a bottle.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

I may get spanked for this but Budweiser’s “American Ale” is the best of the macro-brew bunch.

[I Buried My Guns]

St. Arnold's: Texans swear by it, I find it passable. To my bladder, that is. The darker stuff is great, but Lawnmower is too light for my dark-loving palate.

Shiner Black: Wins the award for best vehicle to attain cirrhosis 2009. I like it.

[chris_in_nj]

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is simply amazing. Sam Calagione knows his beer.

[dragnet2]

I stopped smoking an occassional cigar when they kept jacking up the prices every month...Screw that sh*t. Beer? They want too much money for beer to, so I now drink maybe 4 beers a month, (max).

With me, they just priced me right out of their market.

But I must say, keeping my money and not handing over to the AH behind the counter at greedy mart, sure makes me feel better.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Like in all things, price is important, if the price was the same I would always be drinking German Alts and Pilsner Urquell.

Exactly! I've been trying to support Yuengling (now the largest American owned brewery, I'm told) since they started distribution in West Virginia. However, I'm not a beer connoisseur and I often find it difficult to buy a six pack for about the price I could pay for a twelve park of the cheap stuff.

[I Buried My Guns]

Boycott Shock Top Ale: It's actually made my Anheiser-Busch.

It steams me when the big brewers try to pass off a beer as the product of a tiny little brewery, when in fact it is the product of enormous corporations and millions of $$$ in focus groups.

I brewed recently a dark beer that is taking months to mature. I can't stand the wait. I over did it with the molasses and honey, so it's all my fault.

[mowowie]

I was a bit surprised by Buds “American Ale”

It was pretty good.

[Andonius_99]

Any LeftHand-ers out there??? That’s GOOOOD stuff!