Thursday, July 28, 2005
(9:29 PM) | Adam Kotsko:
American Beers
I think American beers are unfairly denigrated. After all, not every beer is Bud Lite or Miller Light or MGD (which I've affectionately called "Ass" or which the Belgians call "Grandma Piss") or Busch Lite -- no, there are plenty of good American beers. There's Sierra Nevada, first of all, the official beer of the Chicago Theological Seminary. There's Leinenkuegel's -- many varieties, made in nearby Wisconsin. Goose Island, 312 and Honker's Ale, and who knows what other seasonal brews. Even PBR is kind of good, and I guess one is expected to mention "Sam Adams" -- in fact, in at least one case, one of my professors specifically passed over Sierra in favor of Sam Adams (and he's Korean!). And Killians! Don't be fooled by the "Irish" in the name of their most famous brew! Not only are there good American beers, but there are cheap American beers -- in point of fact, all those beers that you buy in the "second tier" of prices, just above Bud Lite and Miller Genuine Ass, are probably American. All the beers you rely on when you want to look generous by buying everyone a pitcher, but you don't want to break the bank: American.You don't need an imported beer from Germany. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that if you drank the most popular German beer, you wouldn't like it. (Heineken is actually from the Netherlands, which is why I can say this.) I mean: Beck's? Who wouldn't just as soon take a Killian's or a Goose Island? And Corona? Yeah, sure, it's cool that you put lime in it, but other than that, it tastes basically like all the other beers that are that color.
American beer, people! Don't be ashamed! We have good beer here. Not the best, but who does have the best? You can go to any country in the world, and you've got your lagers and your stouts and that's about it, frankly -- dark-colored and light-colored beer. How many ways can you ferment grain, really, at the end of the day? And I mean, yes, of course Bud Lite is coagulated homeless guy piss, but why should that reflect on all the hard working brewers in this fine nation? Huh? Riddle me that, Batman.
You can't. You're ashamed. Go back to your Newcastle, you big baby. I bet you thought that was American, but it's not: it's British!
