Schlitz (the return to the 60s formulation) is a LOT better than PBR. A lot. Seriously. Not even close. The geeks over at ratebeer.com give it 94% for its style (pale lager). To compare, (Krauesened )Old Style rates 74%, PBR rates 22%, MGD rates 9%, Budweiser rates 4%.
Taste is subjective and all that but, as far as a wide sample of beer drinking nerds go, the consensus is that the new formulation of Schlitz is in a different league than the other macrobrews.
Not a huge consumer of beer, but I like it good. Guinness is the only one on that list that I spend my money on, and even those occasions are fairly few.
I guess I should represent for Seattle as a major microbrew town. I think Portland was just following the trend we started.
[Before this comes to blows, let me say I don’t actually know which town started the brewing boom. Both towns have a large number of excellent quaffs.]
The closest thing to a macrobrew I drink outside of Guinness is an occasional Redhook product. But they were a Seattle micro before the got huge.
When I can get it, Yuengling–but that’s pretty much only when out of state. Otherwise it’s Miller Lite, Miller Lite, and Miller Lite.
Sam Adams isn’t a single beer, it is quite a large line of brews some of which are very good. I think of them as good starter beers for the young snob. Their double bock is exceptional I think. Unfortunately, most bars only carry “Sam Adams” which, I guess, means the lager.
Guinness also has more than one brew. I like the bottled extra stout, not as keen on the draft or the cans with the nitrogen charge.
Also, Guinness is the only ale on your list. Interesting. I think that means we (the USA) were overrun by German brewers at some point in the past.
Right. I was copying directly from the list. “Samuel Adams” is “Samuel Adams Boston Lager” and “Guinness” is “Guinness Extra Stout.”
Wait. You sure you don’t mean Guinness Draught? That’s the one usually at bars.
I’ll quaff the occasional Guinness draught…and being that I live in St Louis, Bud Light on warm days. I’d rather have a Rolling Rock though.
I’ll admit to Corona, Heineken, Guinness and Sam Adams, but those are “if there isn’t anything better” kinds of choices.
I went to college about 3 blocks from the Coors brewery it is still my default beer if presented with just the generic lights. I’ll buy Coronas occasionally but I can’t remember the last time I did and I’ll normally drink several Guinness a month.
On the other hand I live in the state with the most microbreweries in the nation and so it hard not to sample all of them and I’ve fallen in love with the local Ska brewing and their Pinstripe is my default beer of choice when I’m home.
I wouldn’t consider Sam Adams to be a macro brewery. (It’s not a micro either, it’s a craft brewery.) They constitute less than 1% of the US beer market share, and they’re the largest craft brewer and fifth largest brewery in America (behind A-B Inbev, Miller-Coors, Pabst, and Yuengling).
I believe the list I was pulling from only accounted store sales. I’ll link to it if I can find it again.
Heineken and Guinness. Also (not on the list): Grolsch, LaChouffe and Leffe.
I don’t drink beer (doesn’t sit well with me).
But the SO is responsible for Yuengling and Heineken and the occasional Guinness, if on tap. My dad is responsible for Sam Adams and Yuengling (diehard American when able) and my mom is (groan) responsible for Coors Light. She enjoys expensive wine, but for beer, give her swill.
I just realized that for the most part my dad and SO only order these beers out. At home they drink smaller brand stuff.
Coors Light, because that’s what my dad drinks and he doesn’t mind me sponging off him.
Though I also help keep Anheuser InBev alive through Labatt’s Blue.
Of the beers listed, the only one I’ve drank in the last 20 years is Guinness. And my consumption of that has been limited to draught only (meaning ‘from a tap’, not a can of ‘Guinness Draught’).
Thankfully here in Northern California you can get a good micro-brew almost anywhere.
I’d be shocked if Guinness Extra Stout is one of the top selling beers in America.
List came from here. Doesn’t specify Sam Adams but I must assume it’s Boston Lager; the exact variant of Guinness is not specified, nor can I find anything regarding which they sell the most of.
It’s entirely possible they are counting all of Sam Adams and all of Guinness. I don’t know where that list was compiled from.
Yeah, I found that list and others referencing it, but no source on any of them. I’m sure they either mean Guinness Draught or all Guinness-branded products. I just know I very rarely see anyone drink Guinness Extra Stout.
Of course I’ll drink Guinness–especially on tap. But I like Southern Star Brewing Company’sBuried Hatchet Stout even better–with twice the alcohol. It’s brewed in Conroe, Texas, & comes in cans. (On tap at selected locations.)
Last summer, I gladly drank Miller Lite while bowling. It’s my choice when pickings are slim. Or when it’s hotter than hell & the beer is cold! Luckily, Shiner is widely available down here. Their Hefeweizen is best for summer, Bohemian Black Lager is my favorite and this year’s Holiday Cheer has a touch of peach & pecan flavors.
Saint Arnold brews several fine beers in Downtown Houston. I prefer to drink locally because the non-macros tend to have no preservatives. Unless I’m somewhere like the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, where they know how to handle beer.
Hmmm, I wasn’t aware of the new formulation, I’ve only ever had the old, shitty style. I don’t know if they still make the old kind, but I’ve definitely purchased it in the past 6 months - doesn’t mean it wasn’t sitting in a warehouse for 2 years though. No matter, I’ll just substitute Schaefer into the fantasy…