One Company Wants to Buy Another Company. America Is Doomed!!!

So, the Belgian beermaker InBev, which brews Beck's and Stella Artois, wants to buy the maker of even shittier beer: Anheuser-Busch. But not if idiot Republican politicians have any say in the matter!

Republican Gov. Matt Blunt said Wednesday he opposes the deal, and directed the Missouri Department of Economic Development to see if there was a way to stop it.

"I am strongly opposed to the sale of Anheuser-Busch, and today's offer to purchase the company is deeply troubling to me," Blunt said in a statement.

Web sites have sprung up opposing the deal on patriotic grounds, arguing that such an iconic U.S. firm shouldn't be handed over to foreign ownership. One of the sites, called SaveAB.com, was launched by Blunt's former chief of staff, Ed Martin.

"Shareholders should resist choosing dollars over American jobs," Martin said in a statement Wednesday night. "Selling out to the Belgians is not worth it - because this is about more than beer: it's about our jobs and our nation."

One of many ironies in the matter is that Anheuser-Busch lifted the name "Budweiser" from a Czech brewery that first opened in 1795 (the word has been used to describe beer from the town of Ceske Budejovice since Medieval times). A-B has been licking its chops at the prospect of buying the original makers of Budweiser, but Czech protectionism (and the outstanding trademark disputes) has kept it from being privatized.

Bonus bad joke, grafted from the grand and pointless old Coors-boycott days of my youth: How is drinking Budweiser like making love in a canoe?

A: It's fucking near water!

Comments

robc | June 12, 2008, 12:34pm | #

Top American Beer Companies post InBev buyout:

1. Pabst*
2. Boston Beer Co.
3. Yuengling

*Pabst is totally contract brewed by Miller, but thats beside the point.

Episiarch | June 12, 2008, 12:36pm | #

Let the shitty beers unite!

Not only is this bullshit, but I am even less interested because I am an elitist wine drinker and almost never drink liquid bread beer.

The Wine Commonsewer | June 12, 2008, 12:37pm | #

Can beer make you smarter?

It made Bud Wiser!

You know, everybody had puppies when Sony bought out the motion picture industry. And what happened? Nothing. Now it is normal as hell to see a movie open with the big SONY PICTURES screen and nobody even notices.

Bud is a huge brand and as long as people buy rice beer that tastes green, it will be around.

MP | June 12, 2008, 12:38pm | #

This post is almost NSFW. NTTAWWT.

Alan | June 12, 2008, 12:39pm | #

I believe the correct punnch line is: "Its f***ing close to water!"

Also, how about little NSFW warning for those of us browising at work, hmm?

brotherben | June 12, 2008, 12:40pm | #

Will the clydesdales be abandoned in favor of belgians?

Warren | June 12, 2008, 12:41pm | #

Bonus bad joke, grafted from the grand and pointless old Coors-boycott days of my youth: How is drinking Budweiser like making love in a canoe?

Scuse me Bruce, but Bruce and myself believe you stole that bit from us. It goes for all American beer, including Coors and Budweiser.

joe | June 12, 2008, 12:42pm | #

That's funny.

Just last night, I was reading a Daily Kos diary in which the writer was aghast at the prospect of an Arab consortium buying the Chrysler building, and the commenters ripped him to shreds.

And here, I'm always told that opposition to foreign ownership is a Democratic/liberal/leftist phenomenon. I guess not.

Urkobold™ | June 12, 2008, 12:43pm | #

WILL LARGE-BREASTED, SCANTILY CLAD WOMEN STILL BE PART OF THE MARKETING EFFORT FOR ANHEUSER-BUSCH? IF SO, WHO CARES?

T | June 12, 2008, 12:44pm | #

Well, they can't make Budweiser any worse.

Pardon me while I yawn apathetically. So what? It make very little economic sense to ship beer halfway around the world, so it's not like they're going to shut down the breweries here. AB might even make some better beer, although the Specialty Brewing Group does okay work.

But don't mind me, I'm still bitter about InBev buying Bass. WTF do I care if they buy AB as well?

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 12:46pm | #

I can tolerate Stella on rare occasions, but seriously, how did that end up as an elite import? They charge EXTRA for that shit.

I could always tell I wasn't going to like a bar in London when they had Stella and Carlsberg on tap.

Also, red bull and vodka sucks.

Bingo | June 12, 2008, 12:47pm | #

Who cares, its shit beer anyways and I'd rather have a 6 pack of a decent micro for 50 cents more.

Warren | June 12, 2008, 12:48pm | #

A couple weeks ago I went to a wedding where they served A-B products. I had three Buds and got my first hangover in twenty years. The fact that Budweiser is synonymous with 'American Beer' is even more reason to sell it to foreigners if you ask me.

The only caveat; The iconic red, white, and blue label. I can't stand the beer but that label looks good on just about anything.

The Wine Commonsewer | June 12, 2008, 12:49pm | #

Had forgotten about the Coors boycott which is about as stupid as the ongoing Proctor & Gamble boycott (they give 5% of the net to Satanic causes)

robc | June 12, 2008, 12:50pm | #

As long as Bell's remains an American company...

MP | June 12, 2008, 12:50pm | #

And here, I'm always told that opposition to foreign ownership is a Democratic/liberal/leftist phenomenon.

You really do develop some unusual perspectives on the content of H&R.

grylliade | June 12, 2008, 12:52pm | #

I can no longer sit back and allow Belgian infiltration, Belgian indoctrination, Belgian subversion and the international Belgian conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious alcoholic fluids.

brotherben | June 12, 2008, 12:53pm | #

Only Freedom waffles for me, thank you very much.

The Wine Commonsewer | June 12, 2008, 12:54pm | #

The iconic red, white, and blue label. I can't stand the beer but that label looks good on just about anything.

Right. I have a really old (40's-50's) bar sign from before the Boomers made Budweiser what it is today.

It's a red and gold metal shield with the AB eagle logo and the words ON DRAUGHT.

Sandy | June 12, 2008, 12:56pm | #

"I can't think of anything more insulting than 'Belgian'!"

robc | June 12, 2008, 12:58pm | #

"The Most Gratuitous Use of the Word "Belgium" in a Serious Screenplay. It's very prestigious."
"The most gratuitous use of which word?" asked Arthur, with a determined attempt to keep his brain in neutral.
"Belgium," said the girl, "I hardly like to say it."
"Belgium?" exclaimed Arthur.
A drunken seven-toed sloth staggered past, gawked at the word and threw itself backward at a blurry-eyed pterodactyl, roaring with displeasure.
"Are we talking," said Arthur, "about the very flat country, with all the EEC and the fog?"
"What?" said the girl.
"Belgium," said Arthur.
"Raaaaaarrrchchchchch!" screeched the pterodactyl.
"Grrruuuuuurrrghhhh," agreed the seven-toed sloth.
"They must be thinking of Ostend Hoverport," muttered Arthur. He turned back to the girl.
"Have you ever been to Belgium in fact?" he asked brightly and she nearly hit him.
"I think," she said, restraining herself, "that you should restrict that sort of remark to something artistic."
"You sound as if I just said something unspeakable rude."
"You did."
In today's modern Galaxy there is of course very little still held to be unspeakable. Many words and expressions which only a matter of decades ago were considered so distastefully explicit that, were they merely to be breathed in public, the perpetrator would be shunned, barred from polite society, and in extreme cases shot through the lungs, are now thought to be very healthy and proper, and their use in everyday speech and writing is seen as evidence of a well-adjusted, relaxed and totally un****ed-up personality.
So, for instance, when in a recent national speech the Financial Minister of the Royal World Estate of Quarlvista actually dared to say that due to one thing and another and the fact that no one had made any food for a while and the king seemed to have died and most of the population had been on holiday now for over three years, the economy was now in what he called "one whole joojooflop situation," everyone was so pleased that he felt able to come out and say it that they quite failed to note that their entire five-thousand-year-old civilization had just collapsed overnight.
But even though words like "joojooflop," "swut," and "turlingdrome" are now perfectly acceptable in common usage there is one word that is still beyond the pale. The concept it embodies is so revolting that the publication or broadcast of the word is utterly forbidden in all parts of the Galaxy except for use in Serious screenplays.
There is also, or _was_, one planet where they didn't know what it meant, the stupid turlingdromes.
"I see," said Arthur, who didn't, "so what do you get for using the name of a perfectly innocent if slightly dull European country gratuitously in a Serious Screenplay?"

Nephilium | June 12, 2008, 12:59pm | #

I agree with you robc... Long live Oberon!

And I care more about the fact that Bushmills and Jamesons are both owned by a French company then anything else...

Drinking whiskey gives money to the French... it feels so wrong, but tastes so good...

Nephilium

technomist | June 12, 2008, 1:00pm | #

I'm not so sure it is legal to brew something as bad as the American copy Budweiser in Belgium, so I don't see why the American workers need fear their jobs will move abroad.

Pro Libertate | June 12, 2008, 1:00pm | #

Warren,

This is the famous Budweiser beer. We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age. Our exclusive Beechwood Aging produces a taste, a smoothness and a drinkability you will find in no other beer at any price.

That said, I highly recommend König Ludwig Weissbier, which scores a gazillion to Bud's one on the drinkability scale. When you can't get tequila, anyway.

Team America | June 12, 2008, 1:01pm | #

Find out who the chick in the pic is, give her a tin-foil hat and replace the Statue of Liberty on our logo with her.

She makes me want to drink beer, so maybe she'll make people vote Libertarian.

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:05pm | #

I agree with you robc... Long live Oberon!

Ugh. American Wheats are the scourge of the beer would. Use a fucking hefe yeast not a lame ass bland american ale yeast.

2-hearted, on the other hand, is one of the greatest beers on the planet.

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:09pm | #

Budweis is the German name for that town. I'm sure they ruled there at one time or another.

Beck's is brewed in Bremen (Germany) and several other countries, but not in Belgium. And yeah it's crappy for German beer but a loads better than American mainstream beer.

And for the love of all that is holy, can we dispense with displaying babes just for the sake of displaying babes? A) it does nothing for me and B) I feel like a perv seeing this stuff at work.

Warren | June 12, 2008, 1:09pm | #

Pro Lib,
HA! Doesn't that give you a giggle every time you read it.

I enjoy a wide variety of micro brews. I stick mostly to domestic. I've found Stella, an acceptable alternative, available in some "we have both kinds, Bud and Bud light" bars.

Mostly I drink what I brew. And oh yeah, I got brewing skilz.

Aresen | June 12, 2008, 1:10pm | #

Obviously, they are after America's precious bodily fluids!

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:12pm | #

Brands that InBev currently owns:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InBev_brands

Episiarch | June 12, 2008, 1:14pm | #

And for the love of all that is holy, can we dispense with displaying babes just for the sake of displaying babes? A) it does nothing for me and B) I feel like a perv seeing this stuff at work.

Somehow I think that your B) argument would disappear along with your A) argument if it was beefcake.

Steve | June 12, 2008, 1:15pm | #

I drink Sam Adams or Molson anyway.

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:15pm | #

Jeez, they should save some bandwidth and list the beers they DON'T own instead.

Tim | June 12, 2008, 1:15pm | #

Being in STL the news has been buzzing for a few weeks now about this. Yesterday I heard Inbev described as "targeting" A-B and they are "ruthless" cost cutters. I turned off the radio and went back to my CD for the drive home.

Steve | June 12, 2008, 1:16pm | #

And for the love of all that is holy, can we dispense with displaying babes just for the sake of displaying babes?

Why in god's name would you ever type those words?

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:16pm | #

Had forgotten about the Coors boycott which is about as stupid as the ongoing Proctor & Gamble boycott (they give 5% of the net to Satanic causes)

You mean P&G isn't giving 5 percent to Satanic causes? But that's the only reason I buy P&G products!

fish | June 12, 2008, 1:16pm | #

Obviously, they are after America's precious bodily fluids!

You can have mine in about twelve minutes...the interval over which Budweiser remains with me.

....you want that straight from the tap?

squarooticus | June 12, 2008, 1:19pm | #

2-hearted, on the other hand, is one of the greatest beers on the planet.

My brother and I can't figure out, though, what the fuck is up with the fish on the label.

Episiarch | June 12, 2008, 1:20pm | #

Why in god's name would you ever type those words?

This is why.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:20pm | #

1. Pabst*
2. Boston Beer Co.
3. Yuengling

The Boston Beer Co. can rot in hell for convincing an entire generation that "good beer" = "too much goddamn hops."

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:21pm | #

I drink Sam Adams or Molson anyway.

That's not an improvement.

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:22pm | #

Somehow I think that your B) argument would disappear along with your A) argument if it was beefcake.

No, the B argument would remain - scantily-clad flesh, male or female, is pretty much NSFW.

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:22pm | #

Franklin,

Considering Sam Adams (while using more hops that A-B) barely uses hops at all... I dont get what you are saying? Now, if you wanted to blame the Burton brewers of the 18th century, that would be a differenet story.

Too much hops? Im not sure that phrase even parses.

Naga Sadow | June 12, 2008, 1:23pm | #

Would there be an outcry if the girl "marketing" budweiser in the picture went door to door to sell the idea of this buyout? I humbly submit a no response.

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:24pm | #

My brother and I can't figure out, though, what the fuck is up with the fish on the label.

Once you know what Two Hearted means, it will all make sense.

Steve | June 12, 2008, 1:25pm | #

That's not an improvement.

Maybe not, but i drink what i like, not what beer eliti.. er... enthusiasts think i should. Plus Molson XXX is 7.6 and i like to get f*cked up. And Sam Adams Boston Lager is good with dinner. As long as they don't touch my Jack i don't care who buys what beer company.

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:25pm | #

This is why.

I am not even going to click on that. Not at work. The "hot dads" in the link means I might not click at home either.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:25pm | #

Jeez, they should save some bandwidth and list the beers they DON'T own instead.

And of the 200-plus they own, Boddingtons is the only good one. Yeah, might as well go ahead and sell them Bud, too.

First Little Pig | June 12, 2008, 1:26pm | #

I do not drink Bud. I hate Bud. I also hate Corona, but that's hardly relevant. Mostly I drink dark micros or strongly flavored imports.

I like the babe pics. I like them alot. It allows for accidental and innocent-seeming oogling.

I became involved in a discussion about this very thing at the local coffee shop with a bunch of "America is dying!" types who see this as a sign of the end times. I was vocally all for it.

I get the weirdest looks and the shruggiest of turning shoulders. Everyone huffs when I speak.... Ah the power of being the lone libertarian/anarchist.

Nephilium | June 12, 2008, 1:26pm | #

Boston Beer Company actually helped out a lot of brewers this year by selling off their excess hops at cost.

And I think you get to the too much hops point when the beer won't pour out of the bottle/tap/Randall.

Nephilium

Naga Sadow | June 12, 2008, 1:27pm | #

And Stella sucks. I drink Dos Equis.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:27pm | #

Considering Sam Adams (while using more hops that A-B) barely uses hops at all... I dont get what you are saying?

I take it you never heard all of the Sam Adams radio ads back in the 90s talking about all of the hops they put in their beer?

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:27pm | #

Boddingtons is the only good one.

Boddington's isnt that good. They own Franziskaner (sp?) which is very, very good. Hoegaarden, which was better before they owned it but still good. Spaten has some good products, Im a fan of their Ofest. Boddington's isnt in their top 10.

Episiarch | June 12, 2008, 1:28pm | #

I am not even going to click on that. Not at work. The "hot dads" in the link means I might not click at home either.

Ha, no, it's OK (just leather dudes). I just grabbed something quick from google. I would have searched for something really crazy but I wanted to be timely.

squarooticus | June 12, 2008, 1:28pm | #

The Boston Beer Co. can rot in hell for convincing an entire generation that "good beer" = "too much goddamn hops."

Malt provides body and sweetness, but the flavor and aroma are dominated by the hops... even in a beer as bland as Budweiser, which would taste like alcoholic seltzer without the hops making it slightly bitter.

Sam Adams Boston Lager is an excellent beer that is not overly-hopped at all. Try a Stone Double Bastard or Great Divide Hercules IPA if you want to taste hops that hit you in the face like a bag of hammers.

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:28pm | #

Franklin,

Im very familiar, but they dont put THAT much in their beer. They dont make any really hoppy beers. Stone, now they make hoppy beers.

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:30pm | #

Boddingtons is the only good one

I like Bass and Hoegaarden, but I'm no beer enthusiast & I don't know the vast majority in that list.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:30pm | #

I drink Dos Equis.

The amber lager is good, but the pale one (greenish bottle) might as well be Heineken.

Art-P.O.G. | June 12, 2008, 1:30pm | #

Eh, when I drink beer instead of whiskey, I tend to drink Corona, anyway. [looks condescendingly in direction of Dondero].

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:30pm | #

Nephilium,

As soon as you wheel out the Randall you may have actually reached the "too much hops" stage. Actually, most DIPAs taste horribly unbalanced to me.

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:31pm | #

Oh, and Boddington's tastes very strange to me.

Nephilium | June 12, 2008, 1:32pm | #

robc:

Boston Beer Company did make their Imperial Pils... that would qualify as a hoppy beer (at least to normal people...)

And add some Lagunitas Maximus onto that hoppy beer list, or Moylan's Hopsickle... or Southern Tier Un*Earthly...

Or Green Flash (I)IPA...

Nephilium

Rhywun | June 12, 2008, 1:33pm | #

just leather dudes

Oh, I won't bother then. The "leather" culture baffles me.

scape | June 12, 2008, 1:33pm | #

Governor Blunt opposes the sale of Bud? Sounds like a Cheech and Chong skit.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 1:34pm | #

Actually, the some of the best beer I've had recently comes from this little brewery in Mississippi: http://www.lazymagnolia.com/beer.html

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 1:36pm | #

OK, now I can't hate on them quite so much. They own Franziskaner, Leffe, and Spaten.

God damn it.

But I can hate on them because of St. Pauli Girl (come on, you KNEW they had to own that one!), Lowenbrau, Stella, Beck's, and Labatt's.

robc | June 12, 2008, 1:38pm | #

Nephilium,

I forgot about the Imperial Pils, mainly because Ive never seen it. The may make some hoppy beers but they dont push them like Rogue or Stone or 3Floyds.

Warren | June 12, 2008, 1:41pm | #

Sam Adams is perfectly acceptable beer. It is not overly hopped. The 'we use lots of hops' commercial is kind of silly. Yeah, compared to pisswater it's got a lot hops. It's got enough hops.

That being said, hella-hopping in micros became the fad a few years ago, and it's one of those things I find just dumb. Any brew that numbs your tongue has too much hops.

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 1:41pm | #

Ack! And Heineken, whose affronts to good taste also include the Amstel abominations, have acquired both Murphy's and Krušovice!

Well, fuck it. It's not like it matters who makes good beer, or that they happen to also own companies that make shitty beers. As long as they keep making good beers.

Terry | June 12, 2008, 1:41pm | #

Matt, where did you get that picture? The only good think about Bud is there posters.
Thanks

matt | June 12, 2008, 1:42pm | #

Speaking of hops, those of you in the DC area should check out the Starr Hill Pale Ale. It's hard to beat.

Richard Upton Pickman | June 12, 2008, 1:45pm | #

So this might get me killed, but the French Canadians totally make the best beers (I'm thinking Unibroue here).

So as long as I can still get a quality la Fin Du Monde, the Belgians can have shitty A-B.

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 1:46pm | #

Boddingtons is the only good one

See above. They've got Spaten, Leffe, Franziskaner, Diebels (which made a good alt, and may still, but it's not imported to Texas anymore, near as I can tell) and Bass, which isn't my thing, but isn't horrible.

squarooticus | June 12, 2008, 1:47pm | #

La Fin Du Monde

I agree with you and support you now. :-)

In all seriousness, the best Belgian-style beers I've had are made in Canada (Unibroue) or Maine (Allagash). It's possible Chimay would taste better if I were in Belgium, for instance; but by the time the boat gets here, they've lost something on the locally-produced clones.

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 1:48pm | #

So this might get me killed, but the French Canadians totally make the best beers (I'm thinking Unibroue here).

It is certainly enough to justify Quebec as a place. I am not willing to say they're the best beers exclusively, but I'm certainly willing to place them among the best.

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 1:53pm | #

Huh. Unibroue is owned by Sapporo.

Ska | June 12, 2008, 1:55pm | #

Ummmm, pretty much every IPA is going to be on the hoppier side. I thought that beer with higher hops contents stayed fresh longer, and could be shipped to India from England back in the day when refrigeration wasn't commonplace.

Anyway, I love hoppy beer. So fucking what? Why is that bad? I don't like a strong peat/smokey flavored whiskey so I drink bourbon over scotch. It's a matter of taste.

lunchstealer | June 12, 2008, 1:56pm | #

squarooticus -

For a while, there was an excellent belgian-style brewery in Texas, the Celis brewery. Celis white was a good enough Wit that it was actually imported into England at a Belgian-themed restaurant (don't recall the name now). Unfortunately, they were subsumed by the Miller behemoth, and quickly disappeared. They've been revived, somewhat, by a Michigan microbrewer whose name escapes me (possibly becuase it's something like "Michigan brewing" or some such) which is making beers under the Celis label, but I haven't enjoyed them as much. Actually I didn't enjoy Celis White much because it was a Wit, and I don't like wheat beers, but their "Pale Bock" and "Dubbel" varieties were quite enjoyable, back in the day.

Warty | June 12, 2008, 1:58pm | #

Anybody ever have Baltika #9? Any beer company that can successfully sell imported malt liquor has my respect.

Blaue Hund | June 12, 2008, 1:58pm | #

Sorry, but that photo is just about the cheesiest thing I've seen all week. AB certainly has the market cornered on advertising to the dudebros. I for one, welcome our Belgian overlords.

Bud Heavy was my first beer, and I still drink it out of a can on occasion. Always good with a pimento cheese sammich. For my dough, you can't beat Warsteiner, though.

Warty | June 12, 2008, 2:00pm | #

So fucking what? Why is that bad?

Ha, your taste is different than mine. What a fag!

squarooticus | June 12, 2008, 2:05pm | #

Actually I didn't enjoy Celis White much because it was a Wit, and I don't like wheat beers, but their "Pale Bock" and "Dubbel" varieties were quite enjoyable, back in the day.

As much as it is tribalism and (theoretically) I should hate tribalism, there is something fundamentally nice about finding a great local brew, versus a great brew imported from some other place.

There may be economies of scale supporting large breweries trucking/shipping (even excellent) beer over long distances and, notwithstanding quality loss over time or shipping conditions, the taste of the beer may itself be as satisfying as something produced locally... but there's some value in being able to visit the brewery, knowing the people involved, and being able to give them immediate feedback that won't be circularly-filed.

Thus, I tend to enjoy stuff from Ommegang, Ithaca Beer Company, Ipswich, and the local brewpubs a bit more than the big guys, even if I wouldn't be able to support that simply on the basis of taste.

ed | June 12, 2008, 2:05pm | #

Well, they can't make Budweiser any worse

All the beer snobbery here aside, why is it that Bud sells so well? Are its fans being fooled in some way? Who is forcing them to drink it? Maybe...just maybe...they like the stuff. Isn't that what capitalism is all about?

♪ | June 12, 2008, 2:16pm | #

Those Republicans are stupid. Foreign countries have been stockpiling large quantities of $US with the expectation that they could someday buy something with them. If they start being told, you can't buy Budweiser, you can't buy this, you can't buy that, they are going to start to wonder what advantage there is in having all these dollars.

If they start asking that, it is not good for the US dollar. They may start dumping dollars for anything they can buy to get rid of them.

Isaac Bartram | June 12, 2008, 2:17pm | #

So this might get me killed, but the French Canadians totally make the best beers (I'm thinking Unibroue here).

I used to really like the one they mude using scotch whisky lees. Can't remember the name, but I haven't seen it in a while. Guess not everyone was as fond of it as I was.

I tend not to pick favorites but the Unibroue line is way up in the list of beers I find palatable.

Isaac Bartram | June 12, 2008, 2:20pm | #

"mude" sb "made"

Chris potter | June 12, 2008, 2:23pm | #

Good bye Lobster Girl, hello Bottle Cap Girl...

robc | June 12, 2008, 2:24pm | #

Lunchstealer,

Peter? Celis found Hoegaarden, sold them out (eventually becoming part of InBev) moved to Texas, founded Celis, sold them to Miller (who destroyed them) and is, I believe, now back in Belgium with new brewery.

anomdebus | June 12, 2008, 2:24pm | #

Warty wins the thread!

Naga Sadow | June 12, 2008, 2:29pm | #

Franklin Harris,

Totally agree. Sadly, they have been more or less locked out of the biggest market in Mississippi: the casinos. The distributors for Budwieser(Rex) and Miller(FEB) refuse to carry it. Though the bright side is that A-B is allegedly in talks to buy LazyMagnolia.

Audrey B | June 12, 2008, 2:30pm | #

The only thing I have to say is I don't mind cheesecake, as long as it's balanced out with some beefcake.

Rimfax | June 12, 2008, 2:30pm | #

Pro Lib,

What's your tequila of choice? I've been enjoying El Tesoro (Reposado) for about a year now and am somewhat hesitant to try something else that might suck.

Hoppy the Frog | June 12, 2008, 2:46pm | #

Philly is lucky to have a ton of microbrews around: Slyfox, Yards, Philadelphia Brewing Co, Dogfish Head, Stoudt's, Victory, and regional Yuengling.

SlyFox Pale Ale and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA are personal favs. Smuttynose is good non-local brew.

Too bad PA has arcahic buying regulations. Generally have to buy by the case :/

ClubMedSux | June 12, 2008, 2:47pm | #

I once looked up "budweiser" on images.google.com (trying to find a good image of their label) and was somewhat surprised to find about 50% of the pics to feature scantily-clad women. I guess if you can't market based on the quality of your product, you go to plan b...

Oh, and I know I'm late to the party, but I totally agree with robc re: American wheat beers. Why would you take a great style (Bavarian Hefeweizen) and get rid of the main ingredient that makes it great (i.e. the Hefe yeast)? It's like making a porno without sex; it kind of misses the point.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 2:47pm | #

All the beer snobbery here aside, why is it that Bud sells so well? Are its fans being fooled in some way? Who is forcing them to drink it? Maybe...just maybe...they like the stuff. Isn't that what capitalism is all about?

Because if your object is to get drunk while avoiding hard liquor -- usually because you want to get drunk more slowly, say, at a party -- then Bud is so watered down that you can drink a lot. Try that with a real beer, and you'll be bloated before you're intoxicated.

Franklin Harris | June 12, 2008, 2:49pm | #

Though the bright side is that A-B is allegedly in talks to buy LazyMagnolia.

That's not a bright side!

Dave W. | June 12, 2008, 3:05pm | #

I oppose a lot of consolidation and mergers. Not this one, though. There is plenty of competition in the beer market and the beer market functions like a market. The amount of beer choices is always astonishing. At many restaurants (that serve beer) there are as many, or more, kinds of beer than menu items. I can get beer made locally if I want (I don't).

Beer is how capitalism is supposed to work!

M2 | June 12, 2008, 4:29pm | #

I kid you not. My great grandfather was part of the AB start-up. Unfortunately, he left the company soon thereafter in order to start up other breweris in the US. Had he a bit more foresight -- and I say this respectfully -- I could be the owner of an NFL franchise. Oh well...

JW | June 12, 2008, 4:58pm | #

I'd pop her cap!

There. I said it.

GILMORE | June 12, 2008, 5:37pm | #

grylliade | June 12, 2008, 12:52pm | #

I can no longer sit back and allow Belgian infiltration, Belgian indoctrination, Belgian subversion and the international Belgian conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious alcoholic fluids.

Not to piss on anyone's parade, but InBev is more Brazilian than Belgian = the company was formed from merger of Interbrew (Belge) & AmBev (brazilian), and nearly the whole company is run by the Brazillionaires.

You can listen to CEO Carlos Brito and his buddies giving a conference call from today on the AB offer here =

http://wcc.webeventservices.com/view/wl/r.htm?e=104560&s=1&k=3F50EC3B531E6C13C40627405663E1DF&cb=genesys

You register and can listen to them in all their brazil-tastic beer-company-buying goodness. Plus = comes with powerpoint slides! Whoo yeah!

As a second item, i just want to say that announcing ones beer snobbery is super gay. It's beer. You drink it.

That said, the Jim Koch story is one of the best things to happen to the American beer landscape ever. And he'll stay independent most likely, not that it matters. But it's a great story either way. He changed the game.

I've been covering the industry since 1996. I interviewed jim, Augie 4, Dave Casinelli at Yeungling, and many others since before they were CEOs. It was a good time to start to pay attention to things. Beer has done me well, and still does.

On that note, i will go get one from the fridge.

GILMORE | June 12, 2008, 5:38pm | #

oh, I meant to post an interview with Jim Koch before

here tis
http://www.allaboutbeer.com/pullupastool/koch.html

Egosumabbas | June 12, 2008, 5:51pm | #

As a proud owner of Budweiser stock I applaud this motion.

R C Dean | June 12, 2008, 6:15pm | #

I wonder what that chick would look like without the airbrushing? I mean, it could be Jack Black under all that retouching, for all we know.

Jim Walsh | June 13, 2008, 12:45am | #

There is nothing more American than crap beer. Ballantine, anyone?

Galthran | June 13, 2008, 12:15pm | #

Wow, no one at all likes Bud/Budlight here? Or just ashamed to admit it? I like Bud Light just fine, though I admit can't really tell the difference between it and Miller/Coors/etc Light.