Comments on: Make Beer, Not War

By: Beer Sampler

Beer Sampler — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:35:18 +0000

Loved the write up and enjoyed the movie.

By: David Stock

David Stock — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:56:45 +0000

I reall have to check out Beer Wars now. Been hearing (and reading) so much about it.

By: Matt Orr

Matt Orr — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:11:00 +0000

I liked how you played the Devil’s Advocate on this one, kudos.

By: Jez

Jez — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:48:00 +0000

While there is anecdotal proof that people started drinking a "craft" style made by AB and moved to better things, there are probably stories that Caligone referred to where someone will get the AB Pumpkin beer for $4.99, think it tastes like ass, and then not bother trying the $8.99 sixer of Dogfish Head, and instead, stay with the bland beer they grew up with, scared to spend money on something "different" in the future. Could be overdramatization, and I really doubt AB is trying to make a poor version of this, but with adjuncts and cheap ingredients, it's gonna happen.

I think the other thing the movie points out is how important it is to learn where your money goes. This is a good thing to point out about all of our purchases.

While I don't intend on alienating Bud drinkers, the ones who are my friends I will continue to influence positively and get them to try other beers. I've been quite successful this past year in getting many of my co-workers to try different kinds of craft brews. Only a few have gone off on their own to find new styles, but at least it's something.

By: Deirdre Reid

Deirdre Reid — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:27:00 +0000

This is a great review of the film and the issues it raises! I don’t have a problem with the big two doing “craft” beers, like you, I think those beers can be an introduction for many Bud/Miller/Coors drinkers to a new world of flavor. My boyfriend has decades of industrial lager drinking under his belt (but no beer belly, thank god), however he started with Michelob Amber Bock and Newcastle, then started buying local craft brews, and now he’s totally into going to brewpubs and breweries with me. He still buys a 12-pack of MGD regularly but he’ll have a six of New Belgium 1554 beside it. Yes, strange, but he has different tastes for different moods and occasions.

One thing for all of us to be aware of — a lot of industrial lager drinkers (i.e., most of the population) don’t care for the superior attitude of many craft beer drinkers, and I’m guilty of this myself. There’s this strange attitude that the mainstays (Bud/Miller/Coors) are almost more American or something, less pretentious. I’m not buying into that, it’s just what I’ve observed. So I make an effort to not scorn someone’s beverage of choice but to try to introduce them to something that might be a good bridge beer. A lifetime project probably but a good mission.