News flash! AB admits it makes swill! (long)
Douglas Hitzig
Bet that got your attention. But it's true. This past weekend I was at
the Florida Restaurant Association's annual Food Service Exposition. The
AB booth was offering samples of the usual crap and, on tap, a beer called
Faust.
Seems that AB is bringing back some of their pre-Prohibition beers in an
attempt to gather a new typer of buyer. Before I list the ones in the
brochure, let me quote from it:
"Late in the last century, America was flourishing and so was America's
thirst. Adolphus Busch began brewing a variety of lagers, ales, and
porters to satisfy the tastes of a growing and diverst America. These
brews were strongly hopped and flavorful, catering to the day's preference
for a strong and lusty beer. Then came thirteen years of Prohibition
(1920-1933). Americans turned to bootleg and home-brewed beers frequently
made with corn which gave these brews a lighter taste and a sweet
flavor...the only taste an entire generation of beer drinkers knew. Only
recently have people begun, again, to discover the robustness and diversity
of America's original beers. Which is why we're brewing the American
Originals, a collection crefted in the style of the turn of the century
brews of Adolphus Busch.
" ...One thing today's beer drinker has in common with yesterday's is a
thirst for a variety of full flavored brews. Based upon records and
correspondence preserved in the Anheuser-Busch archives from Adolphus Busch
and his son August A. Busch, Sr., our brewmasters have created a series of
beers crafted in the style used in Adolphus' day. Our American Originals
are perfect for today's discerning beer drinker seeking a variety of styles
and tastes in beer."
That first paragraph is telling. AB says--diplomatically, of
course--that their beers are weak and tastless. Isn't that interesting?
Now for the beers. I mentioned Faust, from 1885, the only one available
at the time I was there. Light, but an interesting flavor. The brouchure
says it was made originally for a fish restaurant, and, indeed, it tastes
like a good beer for seafood.
Another will be Black & Tan, from 1899, which is described as a porter,
not a mix; aparently, AB at one time had trademarked the name, but it fell
into disuse and the Europeans picked it up to describe a mixture. It's
brewed with chocolate malt, caramel malt, and two varieties of roasted
malt, and five different hops.
Another is to be Muenchener, from 1893, which was then a "world-class
Muenchener," and named at the Columbian Exposition the "world's best
Muenchener beer."
Bock Beer, from 1880, is to be "an exceptionally strong-tasting and
flavorful lager..."
Union Man's Favorite, 1912, sounds kinda like Bud. Who knows?
Again, I only tasted the Faust, and I'm quoting from an AB brochure, but
I'd say there's definitely something not too bad coming. Let's hope AB
sticks with it, and doesn't abandon it like Miller did the Reserve line.
--Douglas Hitzig, KD4WTS, sunny Cocoa Beach, Fla. O-
Nick Bruels
Douglas Hitzig (sher...@digital.net) wrote:
[A-B American Originals]
Our own David Brockington reviewed the Faust and Black and Tan
beers last December, during a test-marketing stint in Seattle.
Further details are available (and highly recommended reading) at:
http://alpha.rollanet.org/taproom/abfaust121395.html (Faust)
http://alpha.rollanet.org/taproom/abbt122395.html (Black and Tan)
Cheers,
nickb
--
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ni...@cv.hp.com -is- Nick Bruels at Hewlett-Packard in Corvallis, Oregon
"Portland and Seattle are America's beer capitols." -- M. Jackson
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Swami Bubba
Douglas Hitzig wrote:
> Bock Beer, from 1880, is to be "an exceptionally strong-tasting and
> flavorful lager..."
Ha ha ha ha ha!Stop it! You're killing me!
I had Bud Bock one time when these 'suits' from AB showed up at my favorite
watering hole in Austin, Texas. It was beautiful. They kept buying people this Bud Bock
swill, which is exactly like regular 'ol Bud, except that it looks more like Coca-Cola.
They kept saying these really stupid things, like "You know, in Germany, 'Bock' means
'goat'", and "So, what do you really think of the beer"? But what topped it off was the
litle goat they brought along with them. It was tied to a wagon that held a
solitary six-pack of Bud Bock bottles in it, and it was obvious to everyone that this
was one severely drugged beastie. Probably had a better time there than I did!
Of course, I drank their free beer, and I'd probably do it again. I'm not
proud...
homebrewer X
Douglas Hitzig wrote:
<snip>
> "Late in the last century, America was flourishing and so was America's
> thirst. Adolphus Busch began brewing a variety of lagers, ales, and
> porters to satisfy the tastes of a growing and diverst America. These
> brews were strongly hopped and flavorful, catering to the day's preference
> for a strong and lusty beer. Then came thirteen years of Prohibition
> (1920-1933). Americans turned to bootleg and home-brewed beers frequently
> made with corn which gave these brews a lighter taste and a sweet
> flavor...the only taste an entire generation of beer drinkers knew.
>
prohibition is only one of the factors that contributed to the blandness
of USA pisswater. If anyone is interested in the whole truth--not just
AB's version of it(the "its not our fault, please pitty our sorry asses
version),
send me an email and I'll give you the low down and dirty
details--complete with sources.
Jason
Leonard Paris
"Douglas Hitzig" <sher...@digital.net> wrote:
> Another will be Black & Tan, from 1899, which is described as a porter,
>not a mix; aparently, AB at one time had trademarked the name, but it fell
>into disuse and the Europeans picked it up to describe a mixture. It's
>brewed with chocolate malt, caramel malt, and two varieties of roasted
>malt, and five different hops.
I bought a six of Black and Tan. I was really surprised at how good
it was. AB can brew good beer when they want to. I hope it sells
well enough to convince AB to continue brewing it.
73 de KD9S, Len
* lpa...@mo.net