How to talk to your friend about drinking shitty beer

Have you noticed that a friend or family member is still drinking beers like Budweiser, Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Miller Light, or even Pabst?

It can be difficult watching someone you care about drink shitty industrial lager. You may feel torn about how to discuss foreign ownership, adjuncts, and the fact that much more interesting beer exists. But while the conversation about dad beers is never an easy one, it’s necessary.

Before talking to your friend about their shitty drinking habits, it’s important to understand that they may not realize they have a problem. Some people happily picking up a 2-4 with a NASCAR shirt in it or grabbing a “suitcase” of “crushable” cans for a trip to the cottage may deny they have a problem entirely. Regardless of your friend’s reaction, stay calm and know that you have their best interest in mind.

First and foremost, collect your thoughts and think about what you’re going to say ahead of time. A supportive message will be received better than negative, hurtful language. This is a difficult time for your friend, so your reassurance will help them realize they’re not alone. Millions of people have learned to put down the industrial lagers and drink well-made, interesting beer. Macro abuse should be discussed sooner rather than later. The earlier you have the conversation, the quicker your friend can seek treatment and start accompanying you on brew pub visits, ordering flights of small batch beer, and taking part in your bottle shares. Continue reading “How to talk to your friend about drinking shitty beer”

Sorry Bud Light, I’m not buying your “equal pay” stumping

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In a TV spot that aired for the first time yesterday, Bud Light, the marketing team that sells America’s best-selling and least-flavoured beer, attempted to “tackle” the issue of gender pay equality.

The ad is a continuation of the beer company’s pseudo-political ad campaign that debuted during the super bowl which featured Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer stumping for the “Bud Light Party.”

In this new ad, Rogen and Schumer attempt to humorously address the very real issue that women still make less money than men and are often required to pay more for the same products–everything from hair care, personal products, and mortgages. The tagline is “Bud Light costs the same no matter if you’re a dude or a lady.”

I won’t link to either ad (because that’s what they want) but you can be sure that the humour is about as thin and watery as the product its being used to hawk. And here’s why: It’s super hypocritical. Continue reading “Sorry Bud Light, I’m not buying your “equal pay” stumping”

Bud Light expands successful Rita franchise and places brewers on suicide watch

ST. LOUIS, August 13, 2015

The Bud Light Lime Ritas franchise is growing.

Building off the success of the Lime-A-Rita, Straw-Ber-Rita, Mang-O-Rita, and Raz-Ber-Rita, Bud Light has announced a forthcoming Pineapple-Rita, the newest bold flavour in the lineup of Bud Light’s refreshing beer cocktails.

The brand anticipates continued success with the launch of Pineapple-Rita, which is an 8% ABV flavoured malt beverage blending all the exciting refreshment of Bud Light Lime with the taste of pineapple.

In anticipation of the production of large volumes of Pineapple-Rita, Bud Light has also announced that they have placed their brewmasters on round the clock suicide watch. Continue reading “Bud Light expands successful Rita franchise and places brewers on suicide watch”

The Friday Link Roundup 28.11.14

UntitledThe Friday Link Roundup is a feature wherein Ben’s Beer Blog lazily points you to other beery things worth reading on the interwebs this week.

 Bourbon County Stout Leading up to its annual post-US-Thanksgiving release, read about Bourbon County Stout from Goose Island, the folks who invented bourbon-barrel aged beer, via Esquire

 

 Beer tree
Quartz has a really interesting family tree graphic illustrating the fact that the world’s 10 largest brewers produce 65% of the world’s beer.  
Bud An article in The Atlantic details Budweiser’s eroding market share, including the tidbit that “44 percent of people aged 21 to 27 have apparently never sipped an ice cold Bud
 Mini bar
 Also via Esquire, one man’s noble quest to eat and drink the entire contents of a hotel minibar.

 

 

 

Great draught selection is no longer enough

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Over the course of the last few blog posts, I’ve been trying to make the argument that “good” bars and restaurants need to incorporate thoughtful draught selection into the dining and drinking experience they provide. It’s something I feel strongly about and I hope that my writing as of late has contributed to the conversation on the subject.

Recently, however, I had an experience that made me realize that the inverse is also something worth talking about; namely places that do incorporate a thoughtful draught selection really ought to be held to account to provide a “good” restaurant experience.

I have a feeling that this post might piss some people off, but the thought came to me Saturday night when I popped into C’est What for a few pints.

I’ve been there plenty of times before, but this was the first time it ever dawned on me that C’est What is, to put it frankly, pretty awful. Continue reading “Great draught selection is no longer enough”

Beer and Star Wars: A Pairing Guide

Sadly, this doesn't actually exist.
Sadly, this doesn’t actually exist.

There’s always a temptation, when you love two things, to attempt to bring those two things together. Most of the time, as with wine and cheese, peanut butter and banana, or drinking gin and attending yard sales, the pairings complement each other; improving your experience of both things.

But if you’re not careful, as with my unfortunate attempt to combine roast beef sandwiches and hot tubs, things can go hideously wrong and end up permanently ruining your enjoyment of both things.

And so, when I recently finally acquired copies of the theatrical version of the original Star Wars trilogy, it was with trepidation that I attempted to find the right tasty, Canadian beer to enjoy while watching each of the films. I considered my choices carefully, and I think I came up with some successful combinations, and so I pass that wisdom on to you. Continue reading “Beer and Star Wars: A Pairing Guide”