So, I went to a concert last night, and since I wanted to have a few beers I paid the typical crazy high venue price for a couple bottles of beer. I got the original Budweiser, since that was the only one at the booth that didn’t have “light”, “ultra” or some other modifier in the name. On the way back to my seat, I discovered that a nearby booth was selling sam adams on draft for the same price. Doh!
Later, between bands, I decided it was time for beer 3 and got a Sam. And let me tell you, after two Buds, the second of which was good and warm by the time I finished it, that Sam was like a revelation straight from heaven. The hop flavor and aroma, the hint of caramel in the malt, it was fantastic. I’m not even a huge Sam fan, but this one was awesome.
So in conclusion, have a Bud every once in a while. It will help you appreciate the good stuff.
I was at a concert @ Jackpot Junction Casino Saturday. I think it was BL, ML, CL, MGDL. I don’t remember if there was any “full” flavor beers.
I mentioned to the 22yo at the table the Boulevard wheat beer comes in plastic bottles and would be a great addition to their selection. No glass allowed in the venue. Going into the venue from the casino you had to pour your glass beer into a plastic cup.
Later at the VFW, I cleaned them out of Summit PA’s (4). Moved on to the Sam Adam’s Boston Lager.
I don’t drink if macro lager is my only choice and typically don’t put myself in the position where it is my only choice.
I like Sam Adams, they’re a really solid brewery with a good lineup. For a regional brewery, them and Goose Island can’t be beat. I think Sam Adams is a little bigger than Goose though.
EDIT: Although, if I did have the choice of PBR, I would drink that. That used to be the macro swill beer of choice to drink while I watched Cubs games.
[quote=“Beersk”]I don’t drink if macro lager is my only choice and typically don’t put myself in the position where it is my only choice.
I like Sam Adams, they’re a really solid brewery with a good lineup. For a regional brewery, them and Goose Island can’t be beat. I think Sam Adams is a little bigger than Goose though.
EDIT: Although, if I did have the choice of PBR, I would drink that. That used to be the macro swill beer of choice to drink while I watched Cubs games.[/quote]
You know Goose Island is owned by Anheuser-Busch-Inbev, right?
I was weened on any type of inexpensive beer at home. My dad drank; Hamms, Piels, Meisterbrau, Busch, Natural Light, Miller, Shaffer, Bud and anything along those lines. It was a treat to get to fill my little cobalt blue 4oz beer mug from time to time from him. To this day, among my own home brew and that of my brew dudes, you can alway find a cold Bud, Miller or Natty in my fridge. Sometimes they taste good like after yardwork or some sweat hog job. So, there’s always room for a Bud… And remember, those types of beer is what the average non brewing mortal man thinks beer tastes like
On the upside, they still seem to be operating as a craft brewer. John Hall’s still at the helm, they’re still doing a lot of stuff that’s only available locally, and I haven’t seen any indication of plans to come out with a Honker’s 64 or anything like that. There was even some grumbling last year about them cutting back on out-of-state distribution in order to make sure local demand was being met.
Granted, the opposite side is now some of their flagship brews are being made in AB breweries. That’s maybe not the greatest sign in the world, but if backed into a corner I’d have to concede that there’s something to be said for the argument that offloading the more “mass-market” stuff frees up capacity that Fulton Street can put back into doing their more interesting work. And of course if AB ends up turning it into another Leinenkugel’s anyway that’s fine too; Chicago’s got plenty of up-and-coming breweries that could easily take up the slack.
Heck, I suspect the main reason I prefer Point Special instead of some BMC equivalent is that it comes in pry-off bottles.
Even in my hometown, when there are festivals (jazz fest, rib fest, Oktoberfest) the distributors don’t brewing out much of the good stuff that they supply to the stores/bars. What they do bring out, sells out fairly quickly.
