What is "Lawnmower Beer"?

This is my idea of a lawnmower beer as well. Under 5% and refreshing.

“Tastes great, less filling.”

After 12 hours in a hot factory on a July day I want something that’s lite, crisp and goes down easy. Bring on a mega brew.
So that means Porters and Stouts are out of the question.

The first time I heard of lawnmower beer was in Charlie Papazian’s book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. It’s a beer for a hot day.

[quote=“HoppHead”]After 12 hours in a hot factory on a July day I want something that’s lite, crisp and goes down easy. Bring on a mega brew.
[/quote]
Right.

I have said this before but I do not necessarily look down on fizzy gold lagers. They have their place. Plus, not every single beer event has to be one where you get a glass, pour the beer, hold it up to the light, swirl it, sniff it, etc. Sometimes you just want to “grab a beer”, you know? In the summer I make lighter lager styles because we spend a lot of time outside. I might keep some bottles Pacifico or something in the fridge for when I just want to grab a beer and sit down in the backyard. That’s a lawnmower beer. I used to coach baseball with some other dads and after practice or games we might end up at someone’s house where they had a fridge of Miller Lite in the garage. They would get passed around to everyone and what am I going to say? “Sorry fellows but I simply don’t drink beer like that. I need a Belgian Ale or an extreme-hopped IIPA”. No.

I used to feel the same way about mass market BMC (ie if the situation was right I would buy a few), but the more I read about how much control they exert over distribution, the less I want to support them. If someone hands me a Miller/Bud Lite, I will definitely drink it. I am getting to a point though, where I do not want my money supporting those breweries, and I will pretty much do whatever I can to NOT buy their products.

I’m not a total ‘buy local’ snob, but with beer, it really does come down to quality. BMC’s best-selling products, which make up 95%(!!!) of beer sales in America, are the result of GOOD brewers being told to make flavorless beer! If the Modelo deal goals down, we will have a duopoly of beer in the States.

I understand its a double-edged sword and big companies are not all necessarily bad, but I feel as if buying their products is, by default, at the expense of entrepreneurs who value what I value (ie good beer).

All that said, BMC does have some nostalgia for me, and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone for drinking it. Their “Crafty Beer” products (Blue Moon, Shock Top, etc.) are better products, but I feel as though it is a bit underhanded to try to come off something they most certainly ARE NOT!

[quote=“Pietro”]I used to feel the same way about mass market BMC (ie if the situation was right I would buy a few), but the more I read about how much control they exert over distribution, the less I want to support them. If someone hands me a Miller/Bud Lite, I will definitely drink it. I am getting to a point though, where I do not want my money supporting those breweries, and I will pretty much do whatever I can to NOT buy their products.

I’m not a total ‘buy local’ snob, but with beer, it really does come down to quality. BMC’s best-selling products, which make up 95%(!!!) of beer sales in America, are the result of GOOD brewers being told to make flavorless beer! If the Modelo deal goals down, we will have a duopoly of beer in the States.

I understand its a double-edged sword and big companies are not all necessarily bad, but I feel as if buying their products is, by default, at the expense of entrepreneurs who value what I value (ie good beer).

All that said, BMC does have some nostalgia for me, and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone for drinking it. Their “Crafty Beer” products (Blue Moon, Shock Top, etc.) are better products, but I feel as though it is a bit underhanded to try to come off something they most certainly ARE NOT![/quote]
I agree with all of that. I generally do not buy their products. If we have a bunch of people coming over and my wife tells me I MUST have some gold, fizzy commercial beer around, I will go get some but I hardly ever buy it. I will buy Pacifico and I also like Victoria (another Modelo product and not available everywhere in the US, AFAIK) but that’s because I have a fondness for some of the Mexican beers. The part where the big boys control so much of the distribution is troubling. Some states also say that breweries cannot self-distribute which you just KNOW is a political thing going on to protect the big breweries and keep the small breweries down. Brooklyn Brewery faced distribution issues and began to self-distribute. Right-on!!

Sorry for the hijack!

[quote=“Ken Lenard”][quote=“Pietro”]I used to feel the same way about mass market BMC (ie if the situation was right I would buy a few), but the more I read about how much control they exert over distribution, the less I want to support them. If someone hands me a Miller/Bud Lite, I will definitely drink it. I am getting to a point though, where I do not want my money supporting those breweries, and I will pretty much do whatever I can to NOT buy their products.

I’m not a total ‘buy local’ snob, but with beer, it really does come down to quality. BMC’s best-selling products, which make up 95%(!!!) of beer sales in America, are the result of GOOD brewers being told to make flavorless beer! If the Modelo deal goals down, we will have a duopoly of beer in the States.

I understand its a double-edged sword and big companies are not all necessarily bad, but I feel as if buying their products is, by default, at the expense of entrepreneurs who value what I value (ie good beer).

All that said, BMC does have some nostalgia for me, and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone for drinking it. Their “Crafty Beer” products (Blue Moon, Shock Top, etc.) are better products, but I feel as though it is a bit underhanded to try to come off something they most certainly ARE NOT![/quote]
I agree with all of that. I generally do not buy their products. If we have a bunch of people coming over and my wife tells me I MUST have some gold, fizzy commercial beer around, I will go get some but I hardly ever buy it. I will buy Pacifico and I also like Victoria (another Modelo product and not available everywhere in the US, AFAIK) but that’s because I have a fondness for some of the Mexican beers. The part where the big boys control so much of the distribution is troubling. Some states also say that breweries cannot self-distribute which you just KNOW is a political thing going on to protect the big breweries and keep the small breweries down. Brooklyn Brewery faced distribution issues and began to self-distribute. Right-on!!

Sorry for the hijack![/quote]

We can get Victoria here. I bought a sixer after hearing you rave about it. I thought it was terrible - maybe handled poorly?

[quote=“Howie22”][quote=“Ken Lenard”][quote=“Pietro”]I used to feel the same way about mass market BMC (ie if the situation was right I would buy a few), but the more I read about how much control they exert over distribution, the less I want to support them. If someone hands me a Miller/Bud Lite, I will definitely drink it. I am getting to a point though, where I do not want my money supporting those breweries, and I will pretty much do whatever I can to NOT buy their products.

I’m not a total ‘buy local’ snob, but with beer, it really does come down to quality. BMC’s best-selling products, which make up 95%(!!!) of beer sales in America, are the result of GOOD brewers being told to make flavorless beer! If the Modelo deal goals down, we will have a duopoly of beer in the States.

I understand its a double-edged sword and big companies are not all necessarily bad, but I feel as if buying their products is, by default, at the expense of entrepreneurs who value what I value (ie good beer).

All that said, BMC does have some nostalgia for me, and I certainly don’t begrudge anyone for drinking it. Their “Crafty Beer” products (Blue Moon, Shock Top, etc.) are better products, but I feel as though it is a bit underhanded to try to come off something they most certainly ARE NOT![/quote]
I agree with all of that. I generally do not buy their products. If we have a bunch of people coming over and my wife tells me I MUST have some gold, fizzy commercial beer around, I will go get some but I hardly ever buy it. I will buy Pacifico and I also like Victoria (another Modelo product and not available everywhere in the US, AFAIK) but that’s because I have a fondness for some of the Mexican beers. The part where the big boys control so much of the distribution is troubling. Some states also say that breweries cannot self-distribute which you just KNOW is a political thing going on to protect the big breweries and keep the small breweries down. Brooklyn Brewery faced distribution issues and began to self-distribute. Right-on!!

Sorry for the hijack![/quote]

We can get Victoria here. I bought a sixer after hearing you rave about it. I thought it was terrible - maybe handled poorly?[/quote]
Hmm, maybe. Did you have something else before you had it? I like it in the summer since it’s light (4%). It’s got that nice color but when it’s fresh and cold and it’s hot outside, it’s nice. Maybe they’re trying too hard to get it to all of the US and they’re cutting corners or something. That would be too bad because I fell in love with that beer on a beach in Mexico and I hope they don’t screw it up! :wink: Cheers.

So, would my Kolsch style be considered a lawnmower beer? Appreicate all the comments here, by the way.

If its a lawnmower beer to you, it is.

its beer you drink while mowing lawn. :expressionless:

I’m just shaking my head at that one. I’m in a condo so I don’t have to mow a lawn either. Good on you for being honest. Maybe try some Domaine Dupage from two brothers or brew a nice amber ale.

I’m just shaking my head at that one. I’m in a condo so I don’t have to mow a lawn either. Good on you for being honest. Maybe try some Domaine Dupage from two brothers or brew a nice amber ale.[/quote]

I do agree there, I have been brewing some nice beers and trying all kinds of craft beers, i am thinking of trying a nut brown ale soon to. although i still have not been bit by the hop bug that seems to get everyone on here yet. I could not even drink bells two hearted ale. :frowning: gave it to my friend that got me in to brewing. Cheers