Hand Wringing Angst Grips St. Louis
Budweiser, fine Belgian .......dare I say beer?
I can't help but find a little satisfaction in the controversy over Budweiser, the so-called King of Beers, being bought out by Belgian based corporate giant In-Bev. I don't normally engage in schadenfruede but the discomfort being felt by Bud people is fun. I think their beer is swill and their adverstising claims, especially this King of Beers bullshit irritates me. You know people, if it's cheap, cold and familiar they won't try anything else. I suppose in a 'sales' sense Bud may be #1 in American beer. You can probably sense my discomfort in typing those words. My fingers betray me.
American beer? Not for long. Belgium? That practically fucking France! What's a good-ole-boy American redneck gonna do when the near French own and operate the company that makes their favorite beverage? WTF! It's damn un-American to have the all American lager, as they call it, owned by a foreign corporation. I'm picturing berets on the Clydesdales.
I'm sorry Bud lovers. We all have our loyalty and product preferences but I think Anheiser Busch products are crap. I'm a little picky about beer, fastidious .....okay, I'm a fucking huge beer snob! St. Louis, Missouri is BEER HELL to me. Milwaukee places a close second. That's where the beer demons have a vacation home. I remember back in the dark ages of beer drinking when all we had was Badweiser, Miller, Coors and the not-as-good-as-those real American near piss beers like Pabst and Falstaff. I actually drank Molson, Becks and Heineken back in the bad old days. It was like living during a beer depression. I'm a buy-American kind of guy. It hurt to send my beer dollars overseas or north of the border, ey?. I don't care how good the new Heineken ads are. The water supply is in Holland polluted (a fact) and every ounce must be filtered before they brew. That might explain the unique skunky taste Heiny has.
"Give me Liberty or Give me Death" may be the fighting words of Patrick Henry but his fellow Brewer-Patriot Samual Adams delivered on that promise, liberty being finely crafted beers and ales. He, along with many American mirco-brewerys and beer snob brewmasters have given us the Golden Age of American Beer. Hooray for beer! I thank ye olde beer patriots from the bottom of my heart.......and pint glass. In the past 20 years small breweries have popped up all over the nation. Every city has it's own local micro-brews and brew pubs. When travelling I make it a point to visit as many as I can for a pint. When I shop for a six pack at a market with a wide selection I'm like a kid in a candy shoppe. I can't decide. Life is good for the long suffering beer snobs.
I have to give the our friends across the pond credit for having many fine brews. The British Isles are home of some of my favorite beers and ales. Guinness is the 'nectar of the gods'. I was imbiding Guinness on tap at Irish Pubs from Providence to Boston long before it became the trendy drink of 21st century Urbania watering holes. Back then only smelly old men in dank bars drank the dark stuff and we joined them for fish & chips and a few pints many-a-Friday. It almost annoys me how Guinness has become so popular. Bass Ale, Boddingtons Pub Ale, Old Speckled Hen, Harp Lager and many more brews of the Isle have slaked this snob's thirst countless times over the years. I have a love for Irish Pubs where you can find many of these centuries old brews on tap.
I believe these beers are the inspiration for the truly great American beers and ales of today. At the risk of lowering this column to nothing more than a 'beer list' I must name some of my favorites. I'd be happy if any reader friends could add a few I have yet to try. Back home in New England there are too many micros to mention. In Rhode Island we have Newport Storm. Harpoon Ale is my favorite from Massachusetts. Connecticut has a very small brewery that makes Old Cottrell Yankee Ale. In Vermont I'll drink Otter Creek. One of my all-time favorites is Shipyard Ale from Maine. That list barely scratches the surface of New England brews. Of course the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams many finely crafted brews, is a favorite and I love visiting their brew pub across the street from Fenway Park. Samuel Adams is no longer a small brewery but their success should not be held against them.
When I moved to Arizona in 2002 the search was on for local brews and beers available in the west. Four Peaks in Tempe, AZ has their own brew pub and distributes to local restaurants and stores. I like their Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale. In Sedona we have Oak Creek Brewery who has a nice brown Ale. Fat Tire out of Colorado is great if you like a bitter hoppy after taste, which I do. Stone Brewery in San Diego has Arogant Bastard Ale and a couple of other good recipes. I'm especially fond of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from California. It is one of the finest ales I have ever tasted.
No matter where you go in the states there are great beers and ales with unique flavors being brewed and served. Why drink mass marketed swill?
I'm hoping Budweiser's takeover..........which appears imminent now that owner of 35 million shares and financial guru Warren Buffet has blessed the acquistion........leads American beer drinkers away from this watery rice lager and brings them to the microbrews and crafted American beers that have made life so much better for beer lovers and ale snobs like me in the states. Don't worry Bud people, there will always be great American beers to try. Your taste buds will thank you.
I can't help but find a little satisfaction in the controversy over Budweiser, the so-called King of Beers, being bought out by Belgian based corporate giant In-Bev. I don't normally engage in schadenfruede but the discomfort being felt by Bud people is fun. I think their beer is swill and their adverstising claims, especially this King of Beers bullshit irritates me. You know people, if it's cheap, cold and familiar they won't try anything else. I suppose in a 'sales' sense Bud may be #1 in American beer. You can probably sense my discomfort in typing those words. My fingers betray me.
American beer? Not for long. Belgium? That practically fucking France! What's a good-ole-boy American redneck gonna do when the near French own and operate the company that makes their favorite beverage? WTF! It's damn un-American to have the all American lager, as they call it, owned by a foreign corporation. I'm picturing berets on the Clydesdales.
I'm sorry Bud lovers. We all have our loyalty and product preferences but I think Anheiser Busch products are crap. I'm a little picky about beer, fastidious .....okay, I'm a fucking huge beer snob! St. Louis, Missouri is BEER HELL to me. Milwaukee places a close second. That's where the beer demons have a vacation home. I remember back in the dark ages of beer drinking when all we had was Badweiser, Miller, Coors and the not-as-good-as-those real American near piss beers like Pabst and Falstaff. I actually drank Molson, Becks and Heineken back in the bad old days. It was like living during a beer depression. I'm a buy-American kind of guy. It hurt to send my beer dollars overseas or north of the border, ey?. I don't care how good the new Heineken ads are. The water supply is in Holland polluted (a fact) and every ounce must be filtered before they brew. That might explain the unique skunky taste Heiny has.
"Give me Liberty or Give me Death" may be the fighting words of Patrick Henry but his fellow Brewer-Patriot Samual Adams delivered on that promise, liberty being finely crafted beers and ales. He, along with many American mirco-brewerys and beer snob brewmasters have given us the Golden Age of American Beer. Hooray for beer! I thank ye olde beer patriots from the bottom of my heart.......and pint glass. In the past 20 years small breweries have popped up all over the nation. Every city has it's own local micro-brews and brew pubs. When travelling I make it a point to visit as many as I can for a pint. When I shop for a six pack at a market with a wide selection I'm like a kid in a candy shoppe. I can't decide. Life is good for the long suffering beer snobs.
I have to give the our friends across the pond credit for having many fine brews. The British Isles are home of some of my favorite beers and ales. Guinness is the 'nectar of the gods'. I was imbiding Guinness on tap at Irish Pubs from Providence to Boston long before it became the trendy drink of 21st century Urbania watering holes. Back then only smelly old men in dank bars drank the dark stuff and we joined them for fish & chips and a few pints many-a-Friday. It almost annoys me how Guinness has become so popular. Bass Ale, Boddingtons Pub Ale, Old Speckled Hen, Harp Lager and many more brews of the Isle have slaked this snob's thirst countless times over the years. I have a love for Irish Pubs where you can find many of these centuries old brews on tap.
I believe these beers are the inspiration for the truly great American beers and ales of today. At the risk of lowering this column to nothing more than a 'beer list' I must name some of my favorites. I'd be happy if any reader friends could add a few I have yet to try. Back home in New England there are too many micros to mention. In Rhode Island we have Newport Storm. Harpoon Ale is my favorite from Massachusetts. Connecticut has a very small brewery that makes Old Cottrell Yankee Ale. In Vermont I'll drink Otter Creek. One of my all-time favorites is Shipyard Ale from Maine. That list barely scratches the surface of New England brews. Of course the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams many finely crafted brews, is a favorite and I love visiting their brew pub across the street from Fenway Park. Samuel Adams is no longer a small brewery but their success should not be held against them.
When I moved to Arizona in 2002 the search was on for local brews and beers available in the west. Four Peaks in Tempe, AZ has their own brew pub and distributes to local restaurants and stores. I like their Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale. In Sedona we have Oak Creek Brewery who has a nice brown Ale. Fat Tire out of Colorado is great if you like a bitter hoppy after taste, which I do. Stone Brewery in San Diego has Arogant Bastard Ale and a couple of other good recipes. I'm especially fond of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from California. It is one of the finest ales I have ever tasted.
No matter where you go in the states there are great beers and ales with unique flavors being brewed and served. Why drink mass marketed swill?
I'm hoping Budweiser's takeover..........which appears imminent now that owner of 35 million shares and financial guru Warren Buffet has blessed the acquistion........leads American beer drinkers away from this watery rice lager and brings them to the microbrews and crafted American beers that have made life so much better for beer lovers and ale snobs like me in the states. Don't worry Bud people, there will always be great American beers to try. Your taste buds will thank you.