American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, the American market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

"American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
shades, styles and strengths."

http://www.economist.com/node/21562224

--
Ann's Little Brother Bob

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On Sep 9, 10:12*am, Bob O'Dyne
> wrote:
> "American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
> mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
> shades, styles and strengths."
>
> http://www.economist.com/node/21562224
>
> --
> Ann's Little Brother Bob


Making your own beer is always a viable option, too, if you don't mind
a little yeasty stuff in the bottom of your bottle. It's fun to
experiment with different varieties of hops and different types of
malts.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On 9/9/12 11:12 AM, Bob O'Dyne wrote:
> "American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
> mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
> shades, styles and strengths."
>
> http://www.economist.com/node/21562224

They're about 15 years behind the times. (Or should that be Times?)

-- Larry

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On 2012-09-09, pltrgyst > wrote:

> They're about 15 years behind the times. (Or should that be Times?)

Closer to 30, for all practical purposes.

The real father of the microbrew revival is Frederick "Fritz" Maytag
III, who bought and revitalized Anchor Brewing Co in SF CA back in
'65. My brewing mentor has been a serious homebrewer fer about 25 yrs
and he's no pioneer. Even Sierra Nevada Brewing, who popularized SN
Pale Ale, probably one of the most recognizable microbrews of all time
and instrumental in getting legions of current microbrew lovers weaned
off the mega-swills, is over 30 yrs old (1980). The microbrew stampede
really took off in the mid 80s, when dozens of homebrewers made the
leap to starting true microbreweries, many of which have gone on to
change the market forever.

Strangely enough, I still have a real soft spot in my heart for an old
fast-food combo that's lifted my heart on many a dreary occasion,
namely a can of Budweiser beer and a Hostess berry pie. Nirvana!! ;)

nb

-- Definition of objectivism: "Eff you! I got mine."
http://www.nongmoproject.org/

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On Sep 9, 8:12*am, Bob O'Dyne
> wrote:
> "American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
> mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
> shades, styles and strengths."
>
> http://www.economist.com/node/21562224

The article ignores the worldwide consolidation of brewers, with
Miller being owned by a South African firm, and Anheuser Busch by a
Belgian one. Coors and Miller have a distribution partnership.
Combined with what they did mention, the ownership of once-craft
breweries by the megafirms, one wonders how the market is becoming
more competitive, even if I can get an American-brewed hefeweizen that
tastes like a Schneider Weisse.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On 9/9/2012 12:11 PM, notbob wrote:
> On 2012-09-09, pltrgyst > wrote:
>
>> They're about 15 years behind the times. (Or should that be Times?)
>
> Closer to 30, for all practical purposes.

> nb
>


They didn't say that a vast selection had suddenly become available
but it's true that there is *now* a great selection of craft beers. 15
or 30 years ago you'd have trouble finding very many on sale in one
place. As for non-boutique restaurants, I only remember seeing a large
selection in Seattle, 15 years ago at Ray's Acres of Clams.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On 2012-09-09, James Silverton > wrote:

> They didn't say that a vast selection had suddenly become available
> but it's true that there is *now* a great selection of craft beers. 15
> or 30 years ago you'd have trouble finding very many on sale in one
> place.

Depends on where you lived and/or shopped.

If I recall correctly, an old article in the Celebrator claimed there
were over 800 microbrweries in the late 80s when the first
microbrewery trend peaked. That was back when you could buy an entire
microbrewery setup (a commercial system) for under $80-100K. The
industry had a major shakeout during the 90s, and now that the
mega-swill breweries have lost their death-grip on the market shelves,
microbrews have exploded once again. Regardless, I recall an upscale
sprmkt in the SFBA was selling at least 2 dozen different microbrew
ales (all bullets) way back in the late 80s. It was already getting
so crowded on what little shelf space was available to them,
microbreweries were giving their mediocre ales names aimed soley at
catching the eye of the buyer. Brands like Cat **** Ale. As if.

Granted, it has exploded, once again. Now, even the smallest hamlet
or township has a microbrewery/pub/pizza joint. We have one in each
of the two towns close to me, the smaller a one stop-light burg of
about 4K pop. The serious bottled microbrews --"craft" if you
prefer"-- have left the mega-swills in the dust. In fact, the big
boys are now doing craft beers. Blue Moon is an excellent copy of a
Belgian wit bier from Coors and is hugely popular. Michelob brand is
Anheuser-Busch's test line for new craft beers. Yes, real beer is
back with a vengence! OTOH, even in beer crazy/savvy CO, legions of
folks still drink mega-swill lite.

nb

--
Definition of objectivism:
"Eff you! I got mine."
http://www.nongmoproject.org/

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, the American market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

Christopher Helms wrote:
> Bob O'Dyne wrote:
>
>> "American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
>> mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
>> shades, styles and strengths."

Before prohibition every city had its own brewery or more than one.
After prohibition was repealed big business got the jump and ruined beer
for a couple of generations.

> Making your own beer is always a viable option, too, if you don't mind
> a little yeasty stuff in the bottom of your bottle. It's fun to
> experiment with different varieties of hops and different types of
> malts.

I only brew a few batches per year. Still I try to compete with the
better craft beers because it's trivial to make better than canoe beer.

Now there are even small craft distilleries around. I've got local
whiskeys from Wisconsin and Illinois. I've got Yule season egg nog
covered for 3-4 years at this point.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, the American market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

In article >, says...
>
> On 9/9/12 11:12 AM, Bob O'Dyne wrote:
> > "American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
> > mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
> > shades, styles and strengths."
> >
> > http://www.economist.com/node/21562224
>
> They're about 15 years behind the times. (Or should that be Times?)
>
> -- Larry

I had been drinking Bass Ale for some time until I showed up at a local
watering hole and they were fresh out. The bartender offered me a
Newcastle Brown Ale. Now I drink that.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On Sep 10, 11:19*pm, T > wrote:
>
> I had been drinking Bass Ale for some time until I showed up at a local
> watering hole and they were fresh out. The bartender offered me a
> Newcastle Brown Ale. Now I drink that.

Sorry to hear that. They are both inferior products, especially the
Newcastle.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On Sep 9, 8:12*am, Bob O'Dyne
> wrote:
> "American beer drinkers, who once had little option besides gassy,
> mass-produced bathwater, may now choose from hundreds of beers of all
> shades, styles and strengths."
>
> http://www.economist.com/node/21562224
>
> --
> Ann's Little Brother Bob

You just discovered this?

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, theAmerican market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

Helpful person > wrote:

>On Sep 10, 11:19*pm, T > wrote:

>> I had been drinking Bass Ale for some time until I showed up at a local
>> watering hole and they were fresh out. The bartender offered me a
>> Newcastle Brown Ale. Now I drink that.

>Sorry to hear that. They are both inferior products, especially the
>Newcastle.

I noticed several years ago the Bass brewery in Burton is now a Coors
brewery.

Prior to that, in 2000 CAMRA gave the following dismal report on
draght Bass from Burton: "Once the Rolls-Royce of cask beer, it
is now just a Ford Fiesta... no longer dry-hopped in cask."

The most recent Bass of any quality was probably around 1995.

Newcastle is not listed by CAMRA in 2000 at all.


Steve

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, the American market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On 2012-09-11 06:19:23 +0000, T said:

> I had been drinking Bass Ale for some time until I showed up at a local
> watering hole and they were fresh out. The bartender offered me a
> Newcastle Brown Ale. Now I drink that.

I guess you were lucky they didn't switch to somethine foul.

American beer and spirits: As puritanical rules retreat, the American market for beer and spirits is growing more competitive
 

On 2012-09-11 17:58:21 +0000, Helpful person said:

> On Sep 10, 11:19*pm, T > wrote:
>>
>> I had been drinking Bass Ale for some time until I showed up at a local
>> watering hole and they were fresh out. The bartender offered me a
>> Newcastle Brown Ale. Now I drink that.
>
> Sorry to hear that. They are both inferior products, especially the
> Newcastle.

They are certainly inferior to the beers I like this week, but superior
to shelves of other stuff. It's almost like a magic continuum of
different approaches!