06-22-2015, 07:54 PM
My point about the Miller was that if brewers didn't think outside the box and try new things in the market, then we would have given into the mass produced mega swill movement I.e. Miller, bud, etc.
Your point about guiness is a perfect example; all those years ago, the purists were happy with it. But a few guys wanted to be able to roast half a beast over a fire and smash twenty beers each in the hot sun, so guiness didn't meet their needs. Along came lighter bodied lagers that these guys could have twenty of without feeling bloated. The hops were lowered to make it a bit sweeter for the lagerboy crowd. Dryer finishing yeasts were developed to give it a 'crisp' mouthfeel yada yada and this is how we got to megaswill.
If we were all beer purists and didn't change a thing, we'd be drinking a version of real ale from 209 BC fermented with wild yeast.
I don't mind that you don't like it. A lot of them I don't like either. Sometimes I love nothing more than a style perfect pilsener. One grain, one hop, water and yeast; giggity. My point was that these guys have their place doing this stuff. It has a purpose, even if we don't like it. Sometimes that purpose may be just a gimmick to make some money to survive so they can keep making great beers for the purists
Your point about guiness is a perfect example; all those years ago, the purists were happy with it. But a few guys wanted to be able to roast half a beast over a fire and smash twenty beers each in the hot sun, so guiness didn't meet their needs. Along came lighter bodied lagers that these guys could have twenty of without feeling bloated. The hops were lowered to make it a bit sweeter for the lagerboy crowd. Dryer finishing yeasts were developed to give it a 'crisp' mouthfeel yada yada and this is how we got to megaswill.
If we were all beer purists and didn't change a thing, we'd be drinking a version of real ale from 209 BC fermented with wild yeast.
I don't mind that you don't like it. A lot of them I don't like either. Sometimes I love nothing more than a style perfect pilsener. One grain, one hop, water and yeast; giggity. My point was that these guys have their place doing this stuff. It has a purpose, even if we don't like it. Sometimes that purpose may be just a gimmick to make some money to survive so they can keep making great beers for the purists