I hope Budweiser gets enough of a bloody nose from their recent PR blunder that it sets wokeness back a little (and I fully support the boycott), but there’s one aspect of this anti-Budweiser campaign that bothers me as a homebrewer and somewhat of an arm-chair beer expert.
People keep saying Budweiser is bad beer. That’s nonsense. Budweiser is expertly crafted to convert a European style for American tastes. That’s a big part of why it sells so well.
It’s not my style of beer. I prefer beers that have more to them. But not liking a style does not make it “bad beer.”
That would be like saying that a Camry is a bad car because you prefer SUVs. Your personal preference does not change the quality of the product.
Americans tend to prefer lighter beers. That’s been true for a very long time, and that’s why most American beers are brewed the way they’re brewed — to give people what they prefer. And judging by the sales, lots of people like Budweiser products.
There are situations where it’s fair to criticize a product that a lot of people like. For example, someone might say that those weird slices of “cheese food” are not real cheese.
Fair enough. They’re often only 50 percent cheese, mixed with other stuff.
But Budweiser is not “beer mixed with non-beer.” It doesn’t use strange ingredients. (Unless you think beer can’t include rice.) It’s just a light version of a Bohemian lager. And if it weren’t for this Mulvaney nonsense, I might go have one. My throat’s a little dry right now.
My grip with Bud products is that the Bud/Miller/Coors are no longer American companies. They employ Americans, that’s good, but corporate overlords are in Europe.
If I’m going to buy that style of beer, probably will be something like a Pabst product or some other US owned product. For lagers, I do prefer the German and Czech style versions. Heilmann scooped up a lot of the beer companies of my youth. But, Strohs doesn’t taste like I remember when it was brewed in Detroit. A couple weeks ago, I saw Yuengling’s at Walmart here in town. First time I’ve ever seen it around these parts. Might give it a try.
As for the weirdo, this applies: https://crowhill.net/blog/2023/03/31/america-is-doomed/#comment-4412
Odds are you never were forced to view it… except by Ben Shapiro and “family”. Bud sent a can with the weirdo’s picture on it to the weirdo, and then the weirdo put it on its TikTok channel. I don’t have TikTok. I never saw it…except for conservatives telling me I need to see it. It’s interesting how they promote the weirdo… They must rely on the weirdo for hits, engagement, and ….what hits and engagement are about… money. Conservatives promote the weirdo for money.
Definitely try Yuengling. When I was first starting out in homebrewing (in 1987), I read a book about various beer styles. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a porter, but the book recommended Yuengling porter, which I chased down and tried. At the time I thought it was fantastic. My tastes have refined a bit since then. I still like it, but it’s not my favorite porter.
Their signature lager is pretty good. It’s a touch more amber-colored than you might expect.
I’m sure people are using “the weirdo” to build their brands. That’s the secret to content these days. What enrages engages.
Well, if it’s a little amber, then definitely will try. At $21 a case (at Walmart), my grandfathers would be happy… I see it is still family owned… another reason to try.
My wife’s favorite beer…when she wants a beer… is Bud Light. She’s Mexican. Generally, I don’t like Mexican beers. I just don’t like that style and it’s overpriced for what it is. Even I would rather have a Bud Light Lime than a Corona with a lime slice. Modelo Negra is ok, but I’d rather have a Guinness Draught–better flavor, less calories. XX Amber is ok, too.
Best beer on a hot day after mowing lawn: weisbeer with grapefruit.
Speaking of Mexico, the style called “Vienna lager” has been preserved in some Mexican beers (not Corona) because of Europeans who brought brewers with them to Mexico.
https://www.winemag.com/2023/01/02/best-mexican-beer/
Yeah, they had two beers that I’ll occasionally buy on there: Modelo Negra and XX Amber. Regular Modelo, Pacifico, etc… import prices for basically Old Style. In Mexico, Tecate is one of the cheaper beers. Here you’ll pay import prices for it.
Bought a doce of Yuegling last night. Will do the taste test this evening.
QUOTE: I hope Budweiser gets enough of a bloody nose from their recent PR blunder that it sets wokeness back a little (and I fully support the boycott)
So wait…Budweiser partners with and sends a commemorative can to one of its patrons that was not for sale to the general public and the right throws a hissy fit and tries to “cancel” it? So, is the right for or against cancel culture???
It will be interesting to see “if” this really has any long term impact on Budweiser. When Trump tried this with Nike, it actually boosted their brand. That said, conservatives might want to go easy on this…rumor has it that Bud Light’s parent company, AB, is a major political donor. No wonder Don Jr. was on an “ease up on Bud Light” campaign and the NRCC quietly deleted its negative tweet…lol! So far, there’s been some stories of Bud Light’s demise. Yet, I wonder how they’ve verified such given the company’s second quarter financial results aren’t released till July. Well see.
I am more and more persuaded of Matt Walsh’s theory on this. We didn’t make these rules. We don’t like these rules. But we’re going to force liberals to live by their own rules.
Although I am sure that Walsh’s statement resonates in his community of grievance, it is a moot one, as his ilk have initiated cancellations for a very long time.
You don’t remember Jerry Falwell trying to cancel 7-11? Or other boycotts of the alleged Moral Majority in the 80s?
Of course I do, but it’s a silly analogy. Do liberals agree with things liberals did in the 1980s? Neither liberals nor conservatives are a monolith or consistent over time.
Generally speaking, yes, some conservatives led boycotts back in the 80s. Then, generally speaking, conservatives moved away from boycotts. Now, some conservatives are embracing them.
Oh yeah, don’t forget the 90’s drama around Falwell and cancelling “Teletubbies”…because Tinky Winky was allegedly gay. Ironically, Falwell’s efforts made an icon of Tinky Winky.
Conservatives very well may have created a template for the libs to follow…the libs just may have done it better.
QUOTE: I am more and more persuaded of Matt Walsh’s theory on this. We didn’t make these rules. We don’t like these rules. But we’re going to force liberals to live by their own rules.
Conservative House Rep. Jim Jordan once said cancel culture is the “most dangerous thing happening in the country today.” Just to think, conservatives are now embracing and endorsing such danger. I suppose they have to do what they must to…”own the libs”. 🙂
I think a lot of the nose-holding over Budweiser is that the common folk drink it..or worse… like Busch or Natural Light. So basically, it is derision for the common man and his tastes…”although of course we love the common man”…except for his values (like thinking people with penises are men).
Now, I prefer Guinness which your average Irishman is going to drink. I happen to prefer the flavor and the fact it only has 125 calories–less than Budweiser (but more than Bud light). When we hosted the step-daughter’s outdoor wedding at our house we bought Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Ultra. Ultra went first and was the most popular…I guess it still has some “step up” cachet which I remember was the opinion in the 80s about Michelob and Mich Light. The one most left over was Miller Lite. Honestly of all of them, Lite tastes less watery and more like a real beer than Bud Light or Ultra. If I buy a light beer, probably going to be Lite. (Although, I saw Yuengling has one now too.)
My brother-in-law in Mexico drinks Tecate (and light). It’s basically the Old Milwaukee of Mexican beer if you ask me. It’s the most economical there. Here it has an import price. The brother-in-law works construction (cement/concrete) and is 68 years old. No pension, no social security. No work, no food, no electricity.