alebrewer > wrote:
>That said, I don't think that a beer has the AB label means it can't
>be any good. But, of their specialty beers I've tried (Pale Ale,
>Wheat, Belgian White, and Blonde Ale), they have all seem to come up
>on the short side.

Agreed. That's not to say the brewers at AB can't brew good beer--
one of their brewmasters gave us a tour of their test brewery in
St. Louis and chatted very openly about what they do-- but the
corporate bottom line depends on making product that sells to a wide
variety of people. I can understand why they "brew down" to the lowest
common denominator even though I suspect they will never fully market
a beer that really appeals to my own tastes. It's like what would
happen if the makers of Wonder Bread came out with a multi-grain
loaf-- it wouldn't be anything like the stuff that comes out of
small local bakeries around here.
--
Joel Plutchak "Beer doesn't stain, if it's a light pilsner."
$LASTNAME at VERYWARMmail.com - Sheldon Miller

In article >,
Joel <plutchak AT see.headers> wrote:
>alebrewer > wrote:

> Agreed. That's not to say the brewers at AB can't brew good beer--
>one of their brewmasters gave us a tour of their test brewery in
>St. Louis and chatted very openly about what they do-- but the
>corporate bottom line depends on making product that sells to a wide
>variety of people. I can understand why they "brew down" to the lowest
>common denominator even though I suspect they will never fully market
>a beer that really appeals to my own tastes. It's like what would
>happen if the makers of Wonder Bread came out with a multi-grain
>loaf-- it wouldn't be anything like the stuff that comes out of
>small local bakeries around here.

Remember Miller Reserve? Except for the original simply named Miller
Reserve, they were reasonable entries--especially at their price. The
amber ale was an adequate light ale, and the stout was better than the
bottled guiness of the time (right after the watering down in the early
90's as they prepared the cans).

Commercially, though, it was a failure.

hawk