Posted on July 7th, 2010

Here at Beeriety we’ve often expressed our frustrations with the biggest American brewers. Folks like Anheiser-Busch and MillerCoors, who collectively make up almost 95% of the US beer market. Generally we champion craft beer because we feel the little guys offer superior beer, and more honesty of what their beer is. While we strongly favor craft beer over the other stuff we would be amiss if we here at Team Beeriety weren’t honest about how much cheap industrial beer we drink. It’s not something we’re proud about, but we’re don’t feel guilty about it either.

One of the greatest strengths of beer is its unparalleled adaptability. It ‘s equally at home at the ball game with a box of cracker jacks as it is a fancy meal at an expensive restaurant. While the former situation is more closely associated with the beverage, thanks to the efforts of the craft beer movement that image is slowly changing, and people everywhere are coming to recognize that there is no meal or situation beer can’t handle. Here at Beeriety we want to celebrate all of the roles beer is able to play, from low brow to high brow. That means celebrating the beers both by Dogfish Head and by Miller. We may be most excited about the beers of craft brewers but we still regularly partake in cheap light lager like High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon and the like, and we aren’t ashamed to admit it. Sometimes you’re not able to enjoy a nice craft brew, for reasons of availability, price or situation. Some may forsake beer all together if they can’t get a nice craft beer, but not me. I’m interested in beer in all it’s forms, and sometimes that means something watery, thin and tasteless. If it’s all I can get my hand on at the moment I’m happy to have it.

When other people know you’re passionate about craft beer they may be a bit intimated by what that means. They may think you only drink expensive, imported beer in crystal chalices. I know that I’ve had of plenty of friends say they feel guilty drinking cheap beer around me, but the fact is I really don’t care, and frequently will gladly join them in a glass of whatever thin lager they’re drinking. It may not be my favorite, but I’m always happy the share a beer with someone, regardless of what it is. There is no beer that’s ‘right’ for a time, place or meal, only the beer you want to drink. Don’t let anyone stop you from enjoying the beer you want to enjoy. I’ll continue to educate people about the beers beyond the light stuff, and drink craft beer when I can, but I’ll never dismiss someone based solely on what their drinking, or refraim from trying every beer I can get my hands on. That kind of snobbery and elitism is best left to wine drinkers.