# Why does American Beer Suck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [March 2, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060 "2004-03-02T05:59:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/41 "2012-07-08T20:37:50Z")
First of all let me say that American mass-produced beers ( Coors, Budwieser, Miller etc.) are God-awfull tasting crap. They are cheaply made, not brewed properly and/or have chemicals or brewing agents added to them, which give you a headache and make you more sick then you should normally be after a few drinks. Now of course these beers are cheap to buy because they are made for a American market that has not cared about if they produce something that is of a decent quality ( Automobiles, Alcohol, Tools etc.) Even the cheapest imported foreign beer or ale is a better tasting and more enjoyable drinking experience. Coors Light, Bud, Etc. is fermented water, I am sure the alcohol content may be there, but unless you are a alcoholic who doesnt care about anything except getting drunk, then i would advise anyone not to touch theese beers. I have tried some other American Micro-Brews and while they look good, and may taste much better then the mass-produced garbage, they still seem to be a little weak in body and flavor. Why theese mass-produced American beers sell overseas? I would assume thier is a novelty factor regarding this, and i would have to assume that possibly some of theese brews may be possibly brewed overseas as well. And by the way I am a American. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/42 "2012-07-08T20:50:58Z")
brew your own. ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/43 "2012-07-08T20:51:15Z")
Please forgive my spelling mistakes! lol! ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/44 "2012-07-08T20:52:55Z")
I have thought about brewing my own actually. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/45 "2012-07-08T21:04:18Z")
I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, to discover that mass-produced products lack distinguishing characteristics. American macrobrews taste the way they do because those flavors sell really well. Now, you can argue that the american consumer lacks a refined palate or has been bamboozled by the beer conglomerates, but I think the real answer here is to take a crowbar to your wallet and buy a sixpack of something nice. If you asked nicely, there are any number of beer aficionados here who would be more than happy to find you a microbrew that suits your tastes. ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/46 "2012-07-08T21:09:46Z")
> [@Monsieur\_Hood](#): > > I think Monty Python said it best when they said…“American Beer is like making love in a canoe…It’s fu\*king close to water”. Sounds to me like they hit the nail right on the head with that one. Yeah…and what they said was true when they said it around…what, 1975? Things have changed a bit FYI. > [@RickJay](#): > > Let us be frank; most beer is consumed by people looking to get hammered, not to taste it. Let us be even more frank; this is mostly true of lower-class slugs or teens/other glorified children who are trying to prove they are adults or “cool” by only caring about getting hammered and caring/knowing nothing about taste or beer in general. Many of the rest of us, however, actually enjoy and care about the taste of good beer. > [@ale789](#): > > First of all let me say that American mass-produced beers ( Coors, Budwieser, Miller etc.) are God-awfull tasting crap. Yeah but the topic isn’t just American “mass produced beers” (which is a misnomor as many quality beers are also mass produced nowdays), but American beer in general…which makes the OP statement laughably incorrect. > [@](#): > > I have tried some other American Micro-Brews and while they look good, and may taste much better then the mass-produced garbage, they still seem to be a little weak in body and flavor You must not have tried very many. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/47 "2012-07-08T21:16:58Z")
Saying that American beer sucks on the basis of Budweiser is like saying that hamburgers suck on the basis of McDonald’s, or concluding that British music sucks on the basis of Billie Piper. You don’t have to look too hard in any American bar or grocery store, especially in this part of the country, to find dozens of varieties of pale ale, wheat ale, Belgian-style beers, IPA (which is a _completely_ different thing than British IPA, being closer to what the British call “bitter”, and is one of the strongest traditional beers on the market), stout, cream ale, red ale, barleywine, fruit beers, ciders, seasonal brews, and other new products that the microbreweries are experimenting with every few months. I’ll grant that there was a time when this stereotype was probably more accurate - a few decades ago, the American beer market was dominated by regional breweries like Pabst, Genesee, and Olympia, which were all churning out pretty much the same light lager. In the past 20 years or so, though, the microbrewery revolution has pretty much destroyed the basis for saying all American beers are like that. ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/48 "2012-07-08T21:23:06Z")
The point of the matter is , most American beer sucks. I have had a couple tasty Micro-Brews ( or whatever there called. But they are not as good as a delicous english porter for instance. And regardless if all beers are considered Mass-Produced or not, what I meant was the largest brands of beer in the U.S. They are still terrible anyway. And let me just say, I am sure we don’t always get the best imported stuff in America, but it still seems better than 90% of beer that we have already. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/49 "2012-07-08T21:24:54Z")
I’m mildly amused that back in 2004: > [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > This subject has been done to death here. \ Do Zombies like skunky beer? \ -D/a ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/50 "2012-07-08T21:26:12Z")
> [@ale789](#): > > The point of the matter is , most American beer sucks Our point is, neither you nor the OP know what you’re talking about. There is great American beer and oh btw some sucky “foreign” beer. Labatts (which used to be respectable) is one example already mentioned. You are right about the Bud/Miller stuff, but that is far less dominant than it used to be, esp among the older crowds. ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/51 "2012-07-08T21:30:13Z")
Let me just say that i think it is great America is finally trying to brew some yummy Beers and Ales. And As I said, I have tasted a couple of decent ones. But I am not going to say that we have a superior product just because I am a American. The fact is too much American Beer is terrible. ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/52 "2012-07-08T21:40:43Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Our point is, neither you nor the OP know what you’re talking about. There is great American beer and oh btw some sucky “foreign” beer. Labatts (which used to be respectable) is one example already mentioned. > > You are right about the Bud/Miller stuff, but that is far less dominant than it used to be, esp among the older crowds. Yes of course there is not-so-great foreign stuff. Well just test it out for yourself, that what I did. ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/53 "2012-07-08T21:42:00Z")
> [@ale789](#): > > Yes of course there is not-so-great foreign stuff. > Well just test it out for yourself, that what I did. Come to your own conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/54 "2012-07-08T21:46:32Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > Guiness is foul IMHO - I’ve never seen the appeal. It tastes burnt. Most of the people that drink it are tossers too. There’s nothing wrong with either Guiness or masturbation. 😃 But I should set some straight here that Guiness is not the british equivalent of Bud. It’s Irish for one thing, and in the UK the best-selling draft is either Carling (which is apparently canadian…didn’t know that) or Stella Artois, a Belgian lager. In terms of British-made drinks that are popular you look to bitters and ales. Ales are often deliberately served somewhat less cold than beer because it is thought that ice cold temperatures inhibit the ability to taste the subtle flavours. Perhaps this is where the stereotype of warm English beer came from. ---
**Author:** ![ale789](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@ale789](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ale789)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/55 "2012-07-08T21:51:05Z")
> [@oreally](#): > > Yeah…and what they said was true when they said it around…what, 1975? Things have changed a bit FYI. > Let us be even more frank; this is mostly true of lower-class slugs or teens/other glorified children who are trying to prove they are adults or “cool” by only caring about getting hammered and caring/knowing nothing about taste or beer in general. Many of the rest of us, however, actually enjoy and care about the taste of good beer. > > Yeah but the topic isn’t just American “mass produced beers” (which is a misnomor as many quality beers are also mass produced nowdays), but American beer in general…which makes the OP statement laughably incorrect. > > You must not have tried very many. Monty Python yeah! ---
**Author:** ![oreally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ab992/32.png) [@oreally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oreally)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/56 "2012-07-08T23:09:17Z")
> [@ale789](#): > > Let me just say that i think it is great America is finally trying to brew some yummy Beers and Ales. Not just trying but succeeding. Honest. Even Europeans (if they have a clue and even moderate objectivity) will agree. > [@](#): > > But I am not going to say that we have a superior product just because I am a American. That’s good; me either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/57 "2012-07-08T23:31:53Z")
> [@ale789](#): > > The fact is too much American Beer is terrible. Too much of the world’s beer is terrible. But I have great respect for the brewers of American Mega-Swill. It takes a rare kind of perfection to brew beer that has nothing to hide behind. If I’m off a little bit on my hopping schedule for an Imperial IPA, no-one is going to be able to tell. Be 1 IBU off on a batch of Coors Light and you’ve cost the company a bundle. ---
**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:** [July 8, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/58 "2012-07-08T23:39:36Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Too much of the world’s beer is terrible. > > But I have great respect for the brewers of American Mega-Swill. It takes a rare kind of perfection to brew beer that has nothing to hide behind. If I’m off a little bit on my hopping schedule for an Imperial IPA, no-one is going to be able to tell. Be 1 IBU off on a batch of Coors Light and you’ve cost the company a bundle. Yeah, you wouldn’t want to use any actual hops. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/59 "2012-07-08T23:49:47Z")
My stock response to the canard in the OP: “American beer is like sex in a canoe: great, especially when it’s nice outside!” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060/60 "2012-07-09T00:10:58Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > What is maddening is that I used to be able to get real Canadian Molson on tap in Ohio. Why those Canooks have to Americanize their beer to sell it here is beyond me. Must be a punishment for Jerry Springer reruns. Canadian mass market beer sold in Canada, like Molson Canadian or Labatt’s Blue, is completely indistinguishable from American equivalents, and I’ll put money on a cross border taste test any day of the week. They’re the same crap. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-american-beer-suck/232060.md?page=4)