re: Big Beer dresses up in craft brewers' clothing

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You don't think Miller is deceiving customers into believing they are drinking an independently produced craft beer? After all, the label says Henry Weinhard Brewing Co. And for every one of those 6 packs on the shelf, there is less space for a true craft beer.

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According to Wikipedia Full Sail brews those beers, SABMiller just owns the naming rights to a brewery that was founded in Portland in 1856.

They sell Great Lakes at all Cleveland stadiums.

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The stranglehold that BMC has on professional sporting venues is a fricking tragedy. There's basically zero chance craft breweries could work their way into MLB ballparks, NFL stadiums and NBA arenas.

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Surly brews a west coast IPA called Bandwagon that is EXCLUSIVELY available at Target Field during Minnesota Twins games. Some of their other stuff is regularly available there as well.

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Guess im responsible and not an alcoholic.

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Whoa, let's not get carried away here.

NB sells at Broncos games

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Ultimately, the success of BMC has more to do with consumers' lack of taste and/or knowledge of what good beer is and less to do with fraudulent marketing strategies.

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The latter has a lot to do with the former. If someone is ignorant of something and they can take advantage of that to make more money, you damn sure know they will.

It's deceptive, but it's not illegal. It's up to the consumer to make the choice. It wouldn't be the first time the American public has been deceived about a food/drink product and it won't be the last.


I feel like you can usually tell when a new "craft" beer is BS just by the name/packaging. Henry Weinhard's just sounds corny and made up. It sounds like something some marketing firm was paid way too much to come up with. Same with Shock Top.

You're slowly starting to see better beers at sporting events because the public is demanding them. Once people finally take the blinders off and realize there is a lot of good beer out there, they usually venture away from the big guys and don't come back.

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and isn't a valid counterpoint to my claim.

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But it is evidence of change. Progress can take time. But each time a new craft brew gets added to a big time venue, new people get to try it, and so on and so forth.

good article and good thread

I don't want to go back through and quote specifics, but I will say two things.

First, there is absolutely no time or place for BMC products in my life. There are many, many other options out there, from beers like Southern Star's Bombshell Blonde to NOLA blond, Ska Mexican Logger, to many ambers and pale ales. And with many great craft beer producers canning their beers now, you don't even have the "no glass" excuse anymore. I signed up for Untappd a year ago last September. For those of you unfamiliar, Untappd lets you log your beers, and you earn badges for these log ins. I've gotten to the point that I generally only log a beer if I've never logged it before or am having a beer at a unique location. There is a badge called "Lite Weight" that you earn simply by drinking one Bud Light, one Miller Lite, and one Coors Light. I am proud to say that I still have not earned ths badge, though sadly I have had two of the three. I cannot remember the last time I drank a Bud Light and have zero intentions of doing so at any time, not only because of their shitty tasting beer, but moreso because I will not support any business that uses deception and strong arm tactics to limit the growth of craft brewing in the US.

Second, the point about not being able to find craft beers in ball parks is valid. I can walk up to any vendor in Minute Maid Park and buy 5 different kinds of BMC beers, but there is one stand alone booth that sold Saint Arnold's, and only it's Amber last time I was there. There are four breweries in the Houston area that are either bottling or canning beer right now, but you have a hard time finding them in the parks.

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I'd just love to be able to drink local

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Well, that too. I just happened to pick up a 6 pack of it the other day and it's fuggin delicious, and that one was on my mind. I really like that they made a lower ABV IPA option. If I'm sitting in 90 degree weather in the sun at a Braves game, I don't think I'm gonna want an 7-8% beer.