# Are there any real difference between cheap beer and the pricier stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [June 4, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276 "2011-06-04T02:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/1 "2011-06-04T02:17:11Z")
Busch beer costs about half of what Budweiser does. Milwaukees Best costs half of Miller Genuine Draft. Keystone Costs about half of Coors. Yet they all seem to have the same basic ingredients: Water, Corn (and/or rice), malted barley, and yeast. And they all have about the same alcohol content (4.5-5%). So is there any difference? are the ingredients used in Milwaukees Best, Busch, and Keystone inferior to those used in Bud, MGD, and Coors, or is it just pure marketing that sets the price? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/2 "2011-06-04T02:20:57Z")
You do realize that everything you listed is “cheap beer”, right? I’m not trying to be snarky, but if you want to find something pricier, get yourself a Sam Adams or something else in the $7-$10 per 6 pack price range. Even if you get yourself some Blue Moon it’ll taste considerable ‘pricier’ then Coors Light. You’re in Milwaukee. Go pick up some Uff-Da Bock, Spotted Cow or Fat Squirrel and compare those. Even Totally Naked which is a pretty light beer and basically a craft beer version of “cheap beer” is much better. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/3 "2011-06-04T02:24:39Z")
Good beer doesn’t use rice and corn. The lesser beers you listed probably use the rice and corn rejected by the others. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/4 "2011-06-04T02:27:35Z")
Oh yeah man, you can’t be drinking that _premium_ Coors, that’s just throwing your money away. Totally marketing. Similarly, I noticed that both my car and my neighbor’s BMW were both made of plastic and metal. Can’t believe that nitwit paid triple what I did! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/5 "2011-06-04T02:29:08Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Good beer doesn’t use rice and corn. > > The lesser beers you listed probably use the rice and corn rejected by the others. 😃 Hitachino Nest red rice ale does and it’s pretty damn expensive. But I suppose that’s an anomaly. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/6 "2011-06-04T02:33:15Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Hitachino Nest red rice ale does and it’s pretty damn expensive. But I suppose that’s an anomaly. Never heard of it._makes note_ There’s bound to be a few exceptions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/7 "2011-06-04T02:38:22Z")
All that stuff mentioned in the OP is piss water, but there most certainly is a difference between that stuff and the more upscale stuff. Really a _huge_ difference. You don’t even have to go that much more expensive to find a difference in quality. Compare a Miller Lite to a Sierra Nevada, for instance. You definitely get what you pay for, and you don’t evn have to pay that much more to get a leap in quality. ---
**Author:** ![just\_some\_guy5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@just\_some\_guy5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/just_some_guy5)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/8 "2011-06-04T02:43:52Z")
Can’t begin to imagine how much money I’d have saved by now had I stuck with the Keystone Light and Natural Light I so enjoyed in my college days. However, once you’ve tried some of the more legit brands (e.g., Fat Tire or Sam Adams (though not Sam Adams Light… yuck)) there’s really no going back. The rest just tastes like water, or worse. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/9 "2011-06-04T02:48:14Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Similarly, I noticed that both my car and my neighbor’s BMW were both made of plastic and metal. Can’t believe that nitwit paid triple what I did! [Read this and get back to me.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=604752) ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/10 "2011-06-04T02:55:24Z")
Is there a difference between beers? Is there a difference between a Hyundai and a Porsche? Try a [Schneider Aventinus](http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/72/224) and decide for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/11 "2011-06-04T02:59:23Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=498583](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=498583) **Have beer snobs ever been put to the test in blind taste tests?** ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/12 "2011-06-04T03:03:57Z")
The OP may be comparing cheap beer versus “premium” cheap beer, and even comparing Budweiser versus Keystone there can be significant price differences at times. Given that the “premium” cheap beer and the “cheap” cheap beer seems to have about the same ingredients and be roughly the same quality, my guess is a large part of it is marketing expenses and profit margin differences. Otherwise one would have to get a very detailed ingredients list, adjust for volume differences, and look up the commodity prices, which I don’t think anyone will have access to who does not work for the companies. Or there could be some different quality of ingredients involved. While some have posted already, pooh-poohing all the aforementioned brews as bad, _I_ can tell a quality difference between, say, Coors and Budweiser, or Coors and Keystone. If there is a quality difference then one must assume there is likely a significant brewing difference. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/13 "2011-06-04T03:55:37Z")
Moving to Cafe Society. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/14 "2011-06-04T03:58:05Z")
There is no difference except in the taste, buzz and hangover. If those things don’t matter you may as well drink OE, it’s cheaper than bottled water. ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/15 "2011-06-04T04:04:16Z")
Even if you put all of the same ingredients into the product, the fermentation length, temperature, processing, and the yeast used will make a huge difference. I homebrew beer and making the same batch with two different types of yeast was an interesting test, one ended up with a banana taste from the hefeweizen yeast, the other ended up rather “clean” tasting. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/16 "2011-06-04T04:09:07Z")
Frankly, I really can’t taste much difference between beers. They generally all taste bad to me. And in fact, the less they taste like water, the worse they taste. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/17 "2011-06-04T04:09:22Z")
> [@randomface](#): > > Even if you put all of the same ingredients into the product, the fermentation length, temperature, processing, and the yeast used will make a huge difference. I homebrew beer and making the same batch with two different types of yeast was an interesting test, one ended up with a banana taste from the hefeweizen yeast, the other ended up rather “clean” tasting. A few years back I tried Sam Adams Noble Pils. When I mentioned it to someone I told him that you could blindfold me I could have still told you it was a Sam Adams Beer. It seems like all SA Beers taste the same. A slight variation from Boston Lager, but still very much a Sam Adams brew. According to him, all SA beers use the same yeast which is what gives them their distinctive taste. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/18 "2011-06-04T05:11:47Z")
Don’t forget the shits. That’s a significant factor in determining whether a beer is quality or not. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/19 "2011-06-04T05:12:21Z")
Do a blind taste test and you tell us. I recommend that you include Guinness and Sam Adams in the mix. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276/20 "2011-06-04T05:15:14Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You do realize that That I probably spilled more beer before you were born than you’ve ever drank? Yes, yes I do realize that!😃 > [@Sitnam](#): > > There is no difference except in the taste, \*\*buzz \*\*and hangover. If those things don’t matter you may as well drink OE, it’s cheaper than bottled water. Per my OP the alcohol content of the beers mentioned was about the same. My question was one that [may] or [could] have an actual answer. I was actually wondering if the major brewers have something that relates to aging or the quality of the ingredients that could influence price. I was asking about the macros of the USA and their cheaper, junior versions of.I could care less about what you like and having been to all 50 states and over 25 countries the chances of any of you suggesting some beer I haven’t already had is remote! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-difference-between-cheap-beer-and-the-pricier-stuff/584276.md?page=2)