I feel that I need to say a little bit in response to certain allegations [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.119310] about the quality of beer from the Land of Freedom/Tasteless International Hegemon/Godless pro-Zionist West, that is to say, the United States.
With beers like Budweiser, Miller, and Busch among the most commonly exported American beers, it's no surprise that our malted beverages have a poor reputation abroad. Though it's unsurprising, I always cringe a little when I hear something like "American beer is terrible, especially in comparison to beer from (European Country with significant Germanic population or Canada)."
It's not that surprising to hear sentiments like that coming from across the pond, but it seems that a lot of people here (or in Canada, where you should be intimidated enough to know better!) take terrible macro-lagers to be representative of the entire beer culture of a nation of 350 million. Anyone who took Labatt to be the pinnacle of Canadian brewing or Beck's to encompass the extensive beer culture of Germany would rightly be regarded as a boor (yes, even here in America)...but no one bats an eye when Budweiser is taken as the be-all and end-all of American brewcraft. This worries me. Just about every state in the Union (even Utah!) has excellent locally, regionally, and nationally distributing breweries that whip up some of the best beer on the planet (disclaimer: I haven't actually tried every on the planet, but I'm working on it!), yet these are largely ignored even by bars here at home, let alone around the world.
There's not much a simple thread can do, but if you're American and love your beer, talk about your favorites so the rest of us can look out for them. If you're from abroad and don't like American beer, have an open mind if you visit. And, of course, if you already know the secret joy of a real American brew, good on you! It always brings me down to see a tourist glance right past the (excellent) craft beers only to settle on a predictable (even boring) Heineken.
With beers like Budweiser, Miller, and Busch among the most commonly exported American beers, it's no surprise that our malted beverages have a poor reputation abroad. Though it's unsurprising, I always cringe a little when I hear something like "American beer is terrible, especially in comparison to beer from (European Country with significant Germanic population or Canada)."
It's not that surprising to hear sentiments like that coming from across the pond, but it seems that a lot of people here (or in Canada, where you should be intimidated enough to know better!) take terrible macro-lagers to be representative of the entire beer culture of a nation of 350 million. Anyone who took Labatt to be the pinnacle of Canadian brewing or Beck's to encompass the extensive beer culture of Germany would rightly be regarded as a boor (yes, even here in America)...but no one bats an eye when Budweiser is taken as the be-all and end-all of American brewcraft. This worries me. Just about every state in the Union (even Utah!) has excellent locally, regionally, and nationally distributing breweries that whip up some of the best beer on the planet (disclaimer: I haven't actually tried every on the planet, but I'm working on it!), yet these are largely ignored even by bars here at home, let alone around the world.
There's not much a simple thread can do, but if you're American and love your beer, talk about your favorites so the rest of us can look out for them. If you're from abroad and don't like American beer, have an open mind if you visit. And, of course, if you already know the secret joy of a real American brew, good on you! It always brings me down to see a tourist glance right past the (excellent) craft beers only to settle on a predictable (even boring) Heineken.
