# Americans: Budweiser **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2001, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994 "2001-01-27T09:19:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doc\_Moss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doc\_Moss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Moss)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/1 "2001-01-27T09:19:20Z")
In Australia, we often see American movies and TV shows where the guys are sitting around drinking “Bud”. From what I can gather, that appears to be one of, if not the most popular beer you can get in the States. So a friend of mine decided to try it out. We headed down to the “Bottle-o” and sure enough they had some Budweiser. Genuine, as it had ben imported. I must say, it was a mighty fine beer. Very smooth, excellent flavor, an all round winner. However, I noticed on the label that Budwesier claim to not know of any other brewer which spends as much money making their beer as Budweiser do. “Huh?” I thought. Which made me wonder if Budweiser was considered to be high quality lager, not just something drunk at the pub or when you have a few mates over. So my question is, is Budweiser, in America, regarded as a high quality beer normally drunk on special occasions with a high price tag? Or is it a very common, affordable beer that a lot of people drink regularly? Sorry about the ramble, this post was a bit longer then I had anticipated. - Doc. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/2 "2001-01-27T09:43:35Z")
As common as it gets. I like Budweiser myself, but it’s common enough to be pretty plain, blah and uncool. Frankly, it’s cheap and American, just like me. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/3 "2001-01-27T09:46:18Z")
Bud is definitely not considered a high-quality brew by anyone I know. ---
**Author:** ![Dani\_Filth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dani\_Filth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dani_Filth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/4 "2001-01-27T09:46:33Z")
As someone from the US, and an drinker, perhaps i am qualified to answer this… Budwiser is VERY common here. You can get it anywhere, it’s just plain average beer. I used to like it in my teen years, but now i drink mostly Guiness (Draught, not that Extra Stout shit 😃 ). It is regarded by many here in the US (myself included) as cheap beer. Take that FWIW… \ The CEO of Guiness and Budwieser were arguing over who had the better beer. So, they each took samples and mailed them off to a lab for analysis… The results came back, and the Guiness man opened his first… They described the content of the beer (water, hops, etc) as well as a nice review of it’s taste and appearance. Excited the Budwieser CEO opens the envelope containing his results, only to find a note that read: “Your horse has diabetes”. \ 😃 -Dani ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/5 "2001-01-27T10:35:30Z")
This is an old one, but… How is Budweiser like making love in a canoe? It’s fucking near water ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/6 "2001-01-27T12:46:50Z")
Doc Moss writes: \> However, I noticed on the label that Budwesier claim to \> not know of any other brewer which spends as much money \> making their beer as Budweiser do. I find this sentence hard to parse. Could you quote the exact claim made on the bottle? This sounds to me like it’s saying nothing more than that the company spends more money making beer than any other company. If the company is the largest beermaker in the world, then of course it does. It also makes the most revenue and the most profit. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/7 "2001-01-27T12:47:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doc Moss \* > **However, I noticed on the label that Budwesier claim to not know of any other brewer which spends as much money making their beer as Budweiser do.** Well, of course. They’re the largest brewer in the world. When you make more than anyone else, you use more ingredients. If I use one carload (traincar, that is) of hops on my little private blend brewery per week, and budweiser uses a few TRAINLOADS of hops, OF COURSE they are going to be spending more. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/8 "2001-01-27T13:28:40Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \*\*\* > I find this sentence hard to parse. Could you quote the exact claim made on the bottle?_\* Going off of memory here so I may be a little off but it’s > [@](#): > > We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Moss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doc\_Moss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Moss)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/9 "2001-01-27T13:48:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChiefWahoo \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by Wendell Wagner \*\*\* > > I find this sentence hard to parse. Could you quote the exact claim made on the bottle?_\* > > Going off of memory here so I may be a little off but it’s > > > [@](#): > > > > We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age > > \*\* My Budweiser bottles are probably on their way to the recycling depot by now, but I think the Chief has pretty much got it word for word there. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/10 "2001-01-27T14:28:37Z")
It is a fallacy to assume that fancy beers are necessarily more expensive to produce than lower priced beers. The greatest expense of brewing is the sterilization process. Budwieser, I have heard, does have a higher alcohol content than other standard American beers; such as Miller High Life, Coors, or most south-of-the-border beer. The proce is determined by what people are willing to pay.As far as price, it is in the mid range. We pay more for Bud than the above beers, but less than so called “specialty beers.” When “Red Dog” came out it cost more than now. I drink it because it is a good, cheap beer. In Texas, you used to get Shiner (a little brewery in Texas) cheap. Then the so-called microbrew revolution happened and the price jumped. I really do not believe the brewing process for Shiner became more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/11 "2001-01-27T20:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dani Filth \* > \*\*The CEO of Guiness and Budwieser were arguing over who had the better beer. So, they each took samples and mailed them off to a lab for analysis… The results came back, and the Guiness man opened his first… They described the content of the beer (water, hops, etc) as well as a nice review of it’s taste and appearance. Excited the Budwieser CEO opens the envelope containing his results, only to find a note that read: “Your horse has diabetes”. > \ > \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChiefWahoo \* > \*\* > Going off of memory here so I may be a little off but it’s > > > [@](#): > > > > We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age > > \*\* Ahh, yes. I think I’ve figured it out… horses _are_ expensive to breed and maintain… ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/12 "2001-01-27T20:22:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, of course. They’re the largest brewer in the world. When you make more than anyone else, you use more ingredients. If I use one carload (traincar, that is) of hops on my little private blend brewery per week, and budweiser uses a few TRAINLOADS of hops, OF COURSE they are going to be spending more. Well, actually economy of scale would make it much LESS expensive per unit of production (ie, Budweiser is so large that they can afford to purchase higher quantities of ingredients at a much larger discount.) As for the taste…well, that would be a matter of opinion. Personally, I pretty much agree that there’s nothing particularly special about it…then again, when I made the move up from Beast…it counted as higher level beer…but now that I’m a “beer connoisseur”, well, it surely does not suffice 😉 Personally, I enjoy Canadian beer and the local Erie Brewing brews. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/13 "2001-01-27T23:11:53Z")
Budweiser is not a very good beer, but millions of people drink it. _Independence Day_ is not a very good movie, but it earned millions of dollars. John Grisham is not a good writer, but he sells millions of books. [cue music] “Aaa-mee-ri-ca, Aaa-me-ri-ca…” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/14 "2001-01-27T23:32:25Z")
Weasel words—\> “We know of no…” Just like I know of no man quite as charming and sexy as myself. :rolleyes: Dig the new sig. Good timing eh? ---
**Author:** ![Fletch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@Fletch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fletch)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/15 "2001-01-28T00:20:45Z")
Budweiser is a drinkable beer and better than a lot of other mass produced American beers. I prefer Canadian beer, Kokanee or Molson or Australian beer, Fosters. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/16 "2001-01-28T00:25:55Z")
**Fletch** , if you’re in the US your Fosters comes from Canada these days. I believe Molson is doing the contract brewing FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/17 "2001-01-28T00:33:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cooldude \* > \*\*In Texas, you used to get Shiner (a little brewery in Texas) cheap. Then the so-called microbrew revolution happened and the price jumped. I really do not believe the brewing process for Shiner became more expensive. \*\* Around the time they raised their price I read in the paper that they were doing it because they were starting to sell it in new places outside of Texas and they thought that if it cost more people who had never heard of it before would think it was a “premium” beer. I used to really like Shiner Bock around 1990, but now I can’t stand it. I don’t know if they changed the recipe or if my tastes changed. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/18 "2001-01-28T01:39:52Z")
Anheuser-Busch may or may not spend more money than anyone else actually making Budweiser, but they very likely spend more on advertising it. BTW, there’s an “original” Budweiser brewed in the Czech Republic. Do not be fooled by imitations, but good luck figuring out which is which. Now, here’s a return question for you jolly swagmen: Foster’s advertises heavily in the States, and their commercials are pretty funny, too (“Foster’s: It’s Australian for beer, mate”). But their major trademark is these gallon-size (or so they appear) cans. Is Foster’s really the most popular brew in Oz, or is this just advertising? Are these really Aussie-sized cans, or just more advertising? And is the stuff really worth buying? ---
**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/19 "2001-01-28T02:02:32Z")
The Original Budweiser: [http://www.budvar.cz/](http://www.budvar.cz/) I seem to remember some lawsuits flying back and forth across the Atlantic a few years ago. I guess they settled. For **Elvis** and **Fletch** from: [http://www.tastings.com/beer/canada.html](http://www.tastings.com/beer/canada.html) "a considerable amount of beer from other countries is brewed under license in Canada: Foster’s of Australia and Carlsberg of Denmark are two well-known brands. Consumers may often not be aware that they are drinking Canadian-brewed beer, as, typically, these brands have the word “Import” emblazoned in larger characters than the words “Brewed in Canada.” ---
**Author:** ![tbea925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@tbea925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbea925)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994/20 "2001-01-28T02:24:25Z")
Beer is: Water, barley malt, hops and yeast. I doubt AB follows this. Too dang much rice, dextrose, preservatives, extracts, and artificial carbonation do not make a great beer, it makes a consistent beer. You can open a container of Bud and, like McDonalds, it will be the same whether you are in New York, Detroit, Dallas, or San Francisco. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-budweiser/51994.md?page=2)