9 American beers whose sales have plummetted

[GA Russell]

Here's an interesting article, unfortunately spread over three pages.

The beer with the biggest drop in sales is Michelob.

http://247wallst.com/2012/12/03/nine-beers-americans-no-longer-drink/

[Quincy]

Finally some good news. Finally some hope for humanity and earth. Antarctica may melt and the oceans may rise, but at least Americans are drinking less shit beer!

[Jazzmoose]

I had my first and last Michelob in 1977. I'm glad the rest of the country finally noticed the obvious...

[sidewinder]

I had my first and last Michelob in 1977. I'm glad the rest of the country finally noticed the obvious...

I used to think that Michelob was the best of a bad bunch !

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I used to drink Michelob all the time back in the day. The last time I was in a store looking for a non-microbrewed beer for a party, I looked around for it but only found some weird low carb version. Michelob Ultra maybe? No way I was buying that.

[Soulstation1]

FWIW

Michelob Dark + Boone's Farm = Disaster

[Noj]

Dude, human beings + Boone's Farm = disaster.

I won't miss a one of these beers if they disappear.

[mjzee]

"

Anheuser-Busch InBev no longer prominently markets the beers on its websites alongside the better-selling Michelob Ultra." There's probably a correlation between promotion budgets and sales.

[J.A.W.]

Why is it that American beers are so, well, let's say "mediocre"? Even Heineken, which I consider to be one of the worst European beers, tastes better.

[Aggie87]

Why is it that American beers are so, well, let's say "mediocre"? Even Heineken, which I consider to be one of the worst European beers, tastes better.

Some of the craft breweries or microbreweries in the U.S. produce much better beer than the big corporate beer makers (Budweiser, Coors, and Miller and their ilk).

That said, I prefer European beer in almost any case.

[Big Wheel]

Why is it that American beers are so, well, let's say "mediocre"? Even Heineken, which I consider to be one of the worst European beers, tastes better.

1) After Prohibition, the beer industry was not deregulated until the Carter administration. During this ~50 year period, the industry underwent ever-increasing rounds of consolidation until most of the local breweries that hadn't been put out of business by Prohibition itself were gobbled up anyway by larger companies. This had the general trend of making US beers worse until deregulation allowed smaller craft breweries to thrive (imagine if the only furniture you could buy was made by IKEA).

2) The US's beer heritage was largely German with a little Czech thrown in there in a few places. Thus very few beer styles besides typical lagers (pilsners, Dortmunders, etc.) were produced.

3) Probably both effect and cause, the industry has long marketed beer to the masses as a slightly alcoholic, cheap thirst quencher rather than a good tasting beverage like wine. Thus even today many American beer consumers (especially those over the age of about 45-50) won't ever warm to styles like porters, bitters, etc. (to say nothing of the Belgian styles). They see beer as something you want to drink to cool off and get a little buzz on after a hard day at work or after mowing the lawn in 90 degree heat, not something that will be savored for tasting good.

4) I suspect that transport and and storage negatively affect all export lagers no matter where they're from. I personally think Heineken as served in the US tastes like stale piss and would rather drink a number of cheap domestic lagers if forced to choose only between those two. It also may be more prone to skunking in those green bottles...haven't ever ordered Heineken on draft to compare.

Edited December 25, 2012 by Big Wheel

[Quincy]

I think of the list only Old Milwaukee is a fully American company now, so by subtraction alone American beer has improved greatly. Says the guy in a town of 120,000 that has 3 local brewers.

[Eric]

Heineken does = stale piss, horrible

I started drinking local brews 10+ years ago and now all the big brewer stuff tastes skunky. Probably always did, there just weren't a bunch of alternatives back in the day.

[Jim R]

Why is it that American beers are so, well, let's say "mediocre"? Even Heineken, which I consider to be one of the worst European beers, tastes better.

Back in the 70's, when I was drinking Michelob, Miller, Budweiser, Coors, etc, like all my friends, stepping up to an import like a Heineken or a Beck's or a St. Pauli Girl or (etc) was like dining with royalty. Now, I'd rather have something from Widmer or Deschutes or Sierra Nevada or (etc).

[Noj]

There's plenty of very tasty American craft beers. It's probably that they don't export all that much of it. The watery beers are better for drinking all day long (like tailgating or hanging out in the hot sun by the river/beach/etc). One can drink 25 Coors Lights and still be standing. A stronger dark beer will put a man to bed after 8.

Sam Adams Boston Lager is one of my favorite brews, and it holds its own against any mass-produced beer from anywhere. Delicious with a nice punch.

[Quincy]

http://beeradvocate.com is a good site to get acquainted with what drinkers of the world think of various beers. I've never found a US brewed Belgian to come close to the real thing so I long stopped trying (pretty jazz labels aren't enough), especially since I don't have one that often so I might as well have the real thing. I hardly drink beer now for weight reasons (knocked it off & want to keep it off) but the locally made (and hoppy) Ninkasi keeps expanding their territory throughout the west. It can be found in SF btw. Great Divide out of Colorado is one of my favorites - I used to cellar their barley wine and double IPA until I got lazy about restocking the supply. Hmm, I have a feeling I'm repeating myself from other beer threads. I tend to think of Sierra Nev. & Sam Adams as big mainstream brewers rather than craft, but that's just the perspective of seeing breweries pop up like mushrooms throughout Oregon and the West. Edited December 26, 2012 by Quincy

[jeffcrom]

FWIW

Michelob Dark + Boone's Farm = Disaster

This made me chuckle.

[Jim Alfredson]

I used to drink Michelob only because once I was of age, I remembered the commercials in the 80's when they used that Genesis track. Then I had my first microbrew (Founders Pale Ale) in 2001 or so and was forever changed. I don't drink any of the big domestics any more.

Took me a long time to get into porters but again, thanks to microbrews, I really dig them now. Also lambics.

And yes, Heinekin is nasty.

[alocispepraluger102]

guinness makes at least one excellent beer, guinness FES, but doesn't market it a lick, in the US, instead pushing their mediocre guinness black junk.

my bartender says he couldn't give the excellent guinness FES away.

i'm enjoying one now.

[sgcim]

I used to drink Michelob all the time back in the day. The last time I was in a store looking for a non-microbrewed beer for a party, I looked around for it but only found some weird low carb version. Michelob Ultra maybe? No way I was buying that.

Michelob Ultra= 2.6g carbs

[Big Wheel]

I tend to think of Sierra Nev. & Sam Adams as big mainstream brewers rather than craft,

Sam Adams I'm conflicted about - the tie to Boston at this point is BS marketing as most of the beer is made in Ohio these days, and I've never really been impressed by most of the beers, though every year I look for the Summer Ale with grains of paradise out of nostalgia for east coast summer BBQs. I do think they are at least interesting with trying to do new flavors/styles quite frequently, even though the product is usually not up to par.

But Sierra Nevada is the real deal despite its size and success. Though they're clearly well-made beers, I've never really preferred their flagship pale ale or the IPAs...but the pint of their Kellerweis that I had on draft a few months back absolutely ROCKED.

Edited December 26, 2012 by Big Wheel

[Jazzmoose]

...but that's just the perspective of seeing breweries pop up like mushrooms throughout Oregon and the West.

I'd pretty much quit drinking beer until I moved to Oregon. Can't say I'm a regular drinker now, but what I find here I enjoy.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

A joke my German friend told me: Why is drinking Coors Light like making love in a canoe? They're both fucking close to water.

[mjazzg]

BIg fan of Sierra Nevada here. Marketed as a 'boutique' beer here in UK with price to match but tastes great. If some of you serious US beer-heads think it's not too good and betrays the size of the operation then I can't wait to taste some of the smaller operation's ales.

30 year ago Michelob had a major import/marketing thrust and I still remember drinking, and enjoying, the 'exotic' taste of US (that wasn't Bud - yeeuuurgh). Got a soft nostalgic spot for it but I think my tastes have matured....

[alocispepraluger102]

"Sam Adams I'm conflicted about - the tie to Boston at this point is BS marketing as most of the beer is made in Ohio these days, and I've never really been impressed by most of the beers, though every year I look for the Summer Ale with grains of paradise out of nostalgia for east coast summer BBQs. I do think they are at least interesting with trying to do new flavors/styles quite frequently, even though the product is usually not up to par."

whatever their position in the industry, they do make a few really nice beers. their small brewery advertising hype just doesn't wash. now they are moving four square into pricier craft beer product.