You know what beer is great? PBR, that’s right Pabst Blue Ribbon, a North American Adjunct Lager found in the low rent section of the beer department often available in over sized 30 packs better known as “The Dirty 30”. Is this beer craft? NO! It’s basically the polar opposite of craft, and really that’s fine. Last time I checked “craft” was not an acronym for “good”. Not every beer you enjoy has to be something rare, unusual, barrel aged, sour, or hoppy. Also not every beer needs to be a beer that we think about, sometimes it’s just time to have a beer, and that’s where PBR makes it’s move.

Anyone who follows me on any of the Sommbeer social media platforms knows that most of the time I prefer a good stout or ipa, so when I make a comment about liking PBR it tends to make people do a double take. Truth be told my love affair with PBR predates my love for craft. PBR was one of the first beers that I tried even before I had discovered craft. PBR was the beer of my youth. It was a beer that my friends and I could pool together $20 and end up with 30 cans of beer, perfect for a random Saturday or Tuesday night. It was the beer of my scene, growing up as a punker kid PBR was, and often still is, the punk rock beer of choice. I always thought it tasted better than the Bud lights and Millers of the world and it had the distinction of not being the beer my dad drank, at the time that seemed important. Through the years as different beers come and go, styles trends and in some cases even recipes change, yet PBR is still there. Like the buddy from high school that you kinda have mixed feelings on but still feel the need to hang out with a few times a year.

Now I’m an adult, or so I’m told, so why do I still drink Pabst? There are literally endless options of beers available out there and I still periodically find my self ordering a PBR instead of some Juicy NEIPA or roasty Porter that is sure to be more satisfying. Realistically, I think most craft beer aficionados have hit the point where they head to the bar and there might be 10-15 craft options on tap and for whatever reason they just don’t sound good. I personally get burned out on IPA, and even though it’s one of my favorite styles of beer there are definitely points where the thought of an IPA just sounds like a chore to me. Also, one of the down sides of the craft beer boom is that there are a lot of beers out there that I just flat out don’t care for; stouts that feel like a half assed attempt at overloading flavor but still falling short, IPA’s that taste like they are 6 months past their prime while still being fresh off the canning line, and barrel aged monstrosities that do a disservice to both the beer and the barrel that created it. Not PBR though. PBR tastes like beer, even though it’s a far cry from my favorite if I was asked what beer tasted like my instinct would still be to think of Pabst Blue Ribbon. PBR is nostalgic, it could even be considered iconic by some. Pabst has a beautifully simplistic label and screams

So why all the negativity around PBR? No, this beer is not craft, and I don’t think would even qualify as a “premium lager”. What Pabst achieves more than anything else is the understated quality of just being simple and easy. The beer is simple, it tastes like a beer, yellow and fizzy with a bit of an alcohol flavor. There is no pumpkin spice PBR and that’s just fine with me. PBR is easy, it’s about as cheap as you can get with beer and still have something that actually tastes like beer, and it’s super approachable! You can’t tell me there isn’t a certain level of simplistic appreciation if you pull a burger off the grill and wash it down with a Pabst! The beer just works without having to over think, and sometimes that’s all I really want out of a beer.

Cheers!

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