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Article for the beer drinkers

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by Joe, Jul 31, 2014.

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  1. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    InBev and MillerCoors loom over the US beer landscape like…well, like one of those monstrous inflatable Bud Light bottles that spring up at certain football tailgate parties and outdoor concerts. Together, the two global giants own nearly 80 percent of the US beer market. InBev alone, corporate owner of Budweiser, spends a staggering $449 million on US advertising.


    http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/07/craft-beer-revival
     
  2. kevstf

    kevstf Low-Roller

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    One of the reasons I'm glad that I live in Holland and close to Belgium, shitload of great different and affordable beers and easy to get :)
     
  3. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Good thing InBev is headquartered in Belgium. lol

    We're not suffering here. I live in a small town and w/i 15-20 minutes we have three independent craft breweries, and one is slowly inching its way toward opening here. Plus, with this proliferation in small-batch or quality big-batch brewing and modern distribution, my Albertson's (large grocery store) has a good 30 or so crafts for sale, and the specialty liquor store in town must have 60. I actually can get one of my fave beers here and it comes out of the mountainous sticks of northeastern Oregon.
     
  4. kevstf

    kevstf Low-Roller

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    Then I don't understand why they produce catpiss and sell it as beer, not very Belgian like haha..
    Well I guess that there are a lot of regional breweries in the US too, Inbev and MillerCoors must have good marketing and contracts, because I would hit someone on the head if I would see them buying Bud or Coors in a supermarket/liquor store :evillaugh
     
  5. maxnew40

    maxnew40 Low-Roller

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    The amount of different local and regional breweries that produce many fine English and German style beers is staggering. I would bet that there are more breweries and more varieties of beer available in the Washington State where I live than in the entire country of Holland.

    People outside the U.S. tend to not realize just how large and diverse the United States is.

    There is an entire of world of American produced beer that has almost nothing in common with the light Lager/Pilsner that Bud and Miller produce.

    -Max
     
  6. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    My guess is Europeans know a hell of a lot more about America than America knows of Europe. What is hard to see through is all the flotsam emanating from Bud and Coors and Miller in terms of advertising (and then there is the matter of the flotsam in the bottle); Budweiser IS America.
     
  7. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Profiting from beer does not necessarily come with making good beer.

    Here's one reason it sells that you will hear over and OVER AND over AND OVER ... "I can drink a lot of it." It's America, my friend, big comes first.
     
  8. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    That may be true, but the sales of the two companies combined, is a staggering 80% of US beer sales.
     
  9. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Ahhhhh, in a few weeks I'll be in Bend. Golf will be awesome. And let's not forget -- what is it? -- 14 breweries in town.
     
  10. MTMONGO

    MTMONGO High-Roller

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    One thing about Montana is we have some tasty craft breweries. Here in Billings we have 7 breweries alone, plus 2 distilleries. I still like to have a Bud Light or 12 when I am out fishing.
     
  11. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    We homebrew and also have access to a LOT of really yummy craft beer, either produced locally (within NC) or because we have a couple of fantastic bottle shops that have a wonderful & wide variety of other craft brews from around the country.

    That said, we're going to Germany later this year and will drink as much local beer as possible. Contemplating a trip to Belgium next year (I was at university in Belgium for a year and have wanted to go back) and that would be a beer pilgrimage. And heck, we're going to China in a few weeks and we'll drink local beer there too.

    Volume = sales $. Not everyone likes flavor in their alcohol - heck, look how popular vodka is :wink2: I'm just happy we all have choices and can vote with our wallets.
     
  12. Joe Strummer

    Joe Strummer VIP Whale

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    I knew about Blue Moon + Shock Top ......not being "craft" but "acting" like it.
    *
    Did not know Gooose Island got bought up.
    I've seen Batch 19 + Third Shift around....never tried it...and won't now.
    *
    I like how articles always point out how the BIG two corps - slash jobs to increase profits
    and other things to "streamline" the new product -
    but never mention........they would use cheaper ingredients ( now ) to make the beer.
    *
    Blue Point just got bought up ( a somewhat local ) craft brew -
    But I didn't care for anything they made.
    Nice packaging, though.
    And ain't it all in the packaging sometimes ?
     
  13. Joe Strummer

    Joe Strummer VIP Whale

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    A beer tour of Germany !.............add THAT to my Bucket List !!!!!!:nworthy:
     
  14. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    I guess I'm too much of a wide eyed polyanna in thinking the merger of AB ImBev and MillerCoors will be blocked by the US Governement authorities. This should not happen, too much business concentrated in too few hands. I am also not happy with AB ImBev's recent purchase of Blue Point Brewery and Goose Island. But I guess every little brewery owner has his price.

    When ImBev bought Anheuser Busch I heard they put their vendors on 120 day payment terms. That's one way to fund an acquisition!

    As for Blue Point, I believe these guys had a small brewery on Long Island and contract brewed most of their production in upstate NY. FX Matt in Utica? These macro/micro deals drive the craft product into more distributors, Goose Island is now widely available under AB ImBev's ownership.

    I always say there's no accounting for taste, Coors Light became available here in the Philly area in the late 80's and took over the market. If you are going to drink all day, you have to start early, and you can't be pounding IPA's. Now, there's a ton of great locally brewed craft beer and we all have choices. Last night I had a few ales from Yards and a dozen buck a shuck oysters, it doesn't get much better than this.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2014
  15. aaisack

    aaisack VIP Whale

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    Lots of amazing micros in Washington and Oregon. It makes little sense to buy the American style pilsners when the micros are such high quality and competitively priced. People are creatures of habit though...
     
  16. maxnew40

    maxnew40 Low-Roller

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    I never said that most Americans have a good taste in beer. I am betting that about 80% of Americans have no use for fine dinning either.

    -Max
     
  17. maxnew40

    maxnew40 Low-Roller

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    From what I gather most people who have never visited the United States just can't wrap their heads around how big it is. Most of the 50 states are larger by themselves than most European countries. In WW2 The Japanese thought they could set the United States on fire with balloon bombs, but they really didn't understand how big our country is. These bombs started a few isolated forest fires but these forests were much larger than Japan is and as a result those bombs had little impact at all other to kill a few civilians who found them unexploded.

    -Max
     
  18. griz

    griz Tourist

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    Mmmmmm...Angry Hanks!
     
  19. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    Technically, it's a Christmas Market river cruise. But in reality, it will be a beer & wurst tour of the Main & Rhine ;-) With some gluhwein thrown in for good measure. I really prefer Belgian beer styles to German so that was my compromise with my husband - I get the Markets:thumbsup:

    (Belgium - THAT will be a purposeful beer tour when we get to it!)
     
  20. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Is this turning into another snobs/slobs argument? lol Those always go over so well here.
     
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