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wrote:

> You are probably right. I just did not start looking at 'born on date'
> until after Bud starting using it as a promotion. [...]

The point is that A-B didn't start using this as a selling point until
well after many others had already done it. You just happened to see
if for the first time on Schludweiller packaging.

> Beyond the retailer/wholesaler, I think there is a serious issue with
> exporting Euro beer to the US. I have yet to have a Pilsner Urquell
> that was not slightly skunky.

You haven't had it from cans or on draught then?

> Has anyone seen their brewery?

Sure have. Goodbye, old-fashioned wood lagering vessels; hello, shiny
cylindroconical steel.

> Are
> their bottles stored hot similar to the Slovenian brewers I saw?

Some are, some aren't. PU has been putting a buncha money into
"upgrading" their brewing plant to more modern standards. Probably
doesn't hurt that they have SABMiller corporate cash to draw on, either.
The problem for a lot of those old Eastern European breweries, and not
a few Western European ones, is that there was never much investment
in expensive stuff like gigantic cold-storage facilities and all that,
'specially during the bad old days of the Communist governments.
And not only is the construction of cold-storage expensive, but it's
expensive to run, too, and a lot of those countries were rather cash-
strapped - and some still are.

> My
> guess is most Eastern European beers, and probably some western brewers
> too, just never paid much attention to quality control needed to keep
> their bottles fresh during export.

The problem is, they lose control of that product as soon as it
departs the brewery, after which it's sent to some port, loaded into
ships, sent abroad, unloaded, sits around, gets loaded on trucks,
sits around some more ... you see the problem here. Long distance
shipping is not the best friend of many beers.

Your best odds of getting a beer in decent shape are when you can find
it in a package that allows the least light in, since temperature
changes are pretty much out of anyone's control. That usually means
canned or kegged beer. Problem is, canned beer is looked on as
"downmarket" packaging in the USA, while bottles are considered
"upmarket," and thus appropriate for imported beer.

> By the way, never have been crazy about Goose Island. As far as
> regional brews that I can get fairly fresh, I look for Capital brewery
> beer (Middleton, WI) or Sprecher from Milwaukee. I have enjoyed those
> brews. Have not tried Three Floyds but will look for it.

I'll echo others' sentiments: if you're not fond of some of the more
assertive GI beers, the 3F range might not be enticing either.
--
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson