Serious question about beer

Big Easy Pony · Post by **Big Easy Pony** » Fri May 13, 2011 12:38 pm

Beer companies apparently are insane.

- First it was wide-mouth bottles and cans (which did nothing other than allow you to get drunk faster).

- One touts a bottle on which the label turns to blue to let the drinker know the beer is cold (because picking up the bottle would be too challenging?)

- Another has a bottle with grooves on the inside of the neck, allegedly to "release" the flavor completely. Does this mean the company had been withholding flavor for all of those years before the bottle was created (and if so, shouldn't the money spent in past years on that beer be returned)?

- Now you can buy beer in a bottle that has a special label on which you can write (name, phone number, etc.) with a key or the edge of a coin.

So the question: has anyone EVER bought a beer that otherwise wouldn't be purchased because of one of these ridiculous gimmicks?

OK, if you like Coors Light, you like it, and you'll buy it with or without the label that turns blue (although if you can't tell whether it's cold enough, you've had too much to drink already). Seems to me you buy a beer because you have had it before and like the taste, or someone recommends it, or maybe a bar/restaurant is out of your choice and you try another because your options are limited.

I have bought a hell of a lot of beer in my life (I do live in Louisiana, after all), and not once have I passed on a beer I really like because it didn't have a fancy bottle or can.

Does ANYONE do that?

And how much less expensive would beer be if the breweries didn't spend so much money on those stupid cans and bottles?

OK, my rant is over. I'm off to lunch, which I assure you will include several beers ... in normal bottles. I'm weird, I guess, because I base my beer selection on taste.

couch 'em · Post by **couch 'em** » Fri May 13, 2011 1:17 pm

You'll notice all these gimmicks are in cheap-o beer. Miller-Bud-Coors level and below. Nobody is buying beer in that range for taste except for Coors drinkers who buy it because it has no taste.

People who buy beer in that range buy it to get buzzed or have never had anything better. Gimmicks can sell to those people because it sets their product apart. Otherwise why buy bud over miller? Why buy keystone over natty lite?

Junior · Post by **Junior** » Fri May 13, 2011 1:22 pm

Big Easy Pony wrote:Beer companies apparently are insane.

- First it was wide-mouth bottles and cans (which did nothing other than allow you to get drunk faster).

- One touts a bottle on which the label turns to blue to let the drinker know the beer is cold (because picking up the bottle would be too challenging?)

- Another has a bottle with grooves on the inside of the neck, allegedly to "release" the flavor completely. Does this mean the company had been withholding flavor for all of those years before the bottle was created (and if so, shouldn't the money spent in past years on that beer be returned)?

- Now you can buy beer in a bottle that has a special label on which you can write (name, phone number, etc.) with a key or the edge of a coin.

So the question: has anyone EVER bought a beer that otherwise wouldn't be purchased because of one of these ridiculous gimmicks?

OK, if you like Coors Light, you like it, and you'll buy it with or without the label that turns blue (although if you can't tell whether it's cold enough, you've had too much to drink already). Seems to me you buy a beer because you have had it before and like the taste, or someone recommends it, or maybe a bar/restaurant is out of your choice and you try another because your options are limited.

I have bought a hell of a lot of beer in my life (I do live in Louisiana, after all), and not once have I passed on a beer I really like because it didn't have a fancy bottle or can.

Does ANYONE do that?

And how much less expensive would beer be if the breweries didn't spend so much money on those stupid cans and bottles?

OK, my rant is over. I'm off to lunch, which I assure you will include several beers ... in normal bottles. I'm weird, I guess, because I base my beer selection on taste.

Preach on, brother. I'm with you on this one.

2ndandlong · Post by **2ndandlong** » Fri May 13, 2011 1:59 pm

It's all part of the idiocracy.

lwjr · Post by **lwjr** » Fri May 13, 2011 2:20 pm

Like it was mentioned in an earlier post, these promotions are used in the cheaper brands of beer. Of course they are, they are targeting the college and early twenties crowd. That is the only type of beer most of them can afford.

GiddyUp · Post by **GiddyUp** » Fri May 13, 2011 2:28 pm

Blame it on the marketing puppets.

Same reason that Taco Bell makes the same damn thing over and over and calls it something else.

Our society is pretty whacked.

Did you buy Bud Light because of Spuds Mckenzie? Hell no

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Fri May 13, 2011 3:00 pm

I was like 8 when spuds was out...but I thought he was pretty cool....

My light beer of choice now...Bud Light...

jtstang · Post by **jtstang** » Fri May 13, 2011 4:02 pm

Homebrew. Anybody can do it.

mrydel · Post by **mrydel** » Fri May 13, 2011 5:26 pm

Drinking other people's home brew. Free and the maker is proud to have you join in with their masterpiece.

couch 'em · Post by **couch 'em** » Fri May 13, 2011 8:25 pm

jtstang wrote:Homebrew. Anybody can do it.

Enjoying one as I type. I'm now even more smug. SMUg.

PonyKai · Post by **PonyKai** » Sat May 14, 2011 2:26 pm

Gorss, crap American light pilsners. Shouldn't even qualify as beer. Bought a 64 oz. growler of Maui Brewing Company Coconut Porter yesterday. Excellent decision.

ponyboy · Post by **ponyboy** » Sat May 14, 2011 9:52 pm

Anchor Steam is the closest I ever get to a mass marketed beer.

One Trick Pony · Post by **One Trick Pony** » Sun May 15, 2011 1:18 pm

Beer makes me fat and bloated

GiddyUp · Post by **GiddyUp** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:02 pm

One Trick Pony wrote:Beer makes me fat and bloated

Hmm, I thought that was your normal state

NickSMU17 · Post by **NickSMU17** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:58 pm

Layup....