About time for a new beer

You have a favorite brew. Everyday, it’s the same old same old. It may be comforting. But, today, it’s time to say goodbye to more of the same. People think of New Year’s eve as a night of change. Well, today is even better. It’s New Beer’s day! Isn’t it about time for a new beer? Sure, you can drink the same old if you want. But, this should be a time to experiment. There are thousands of different beers out there. While your standby is safe and consistent, by sticking with just one, you stand the chance of missing something better, or, at least different. Perhaps it could be your new beer’s resolution to try something new. And, if you go back to your old ways, that’s to be expected, since most resolutions don’t really take.

We’ve done multiple posts about the different types of beer at your beck and call. I get why people stick with their standard beer. Like marriage, you don’t want to cheat on your best beer. As touching as that is, for most people, that beer has no loyalty to you. They spread across the globe seducing countless people, mostly youngsters who shouldn’t even be drinking. And, the big companies don’t care what you like. They comprise multiple flavors themselves: Bud, Bud light, Bud Ice, bud select, bud reserve, Bud zero. Then, there are all the other brands under the umbrella of the parent company. Budweiser/INBEV owns Michelob, Busch, Rolling Rock, and a host of “artisan” brews like goose Island, Elysian, and Golden road. This is only a partial list for sure.

The top 5 conglomerates control 60% of the market, with AB/Inbev holding 34%. So, no. You’re not cheating. They are. Even if you try something new, the money still goes to them.

It’s about time for a new beer to send a message to the oligarchs

The top 5 beer companies are:

• 1) Anheuser-Busch InBev
• 2) Heineken
• 3) China Resources Snow Breweries
• 4) Carlsberg Group
• 5) Molson Coors

Each of these has multiple brands in their portfolios. Because they have such a hold on the markets, it’s hard for small independent breweries to make a go of it. Some people actually start brewing with the hopes of being bought by one of the big conglomerates for a big payday. There are pros and cons to this. The beer will find a larger audience. But, the community and love that goes into a small brewery is lost to the corporate ethos. Recipes change. Scaling up requires adjustments to production methods, ingredients, and distribution. And, the owners and board of directors of these faceless corporations take the profits to make their lives cushy while the people toiling for them just get to work harder.

In the United States, we passed Anti-trust laws that aimed to prevent monopolies, price discrimination, unfair mergers, and unfair competition practices. Notice the list above. While many American beers are prominently represented, all of the companies are based outside the USA. And, there is no centralized International anti-trust law. So, they are, in essence Oligarchies. We listed the top 5. But, there are dozens more. So, finding a truly independent brewery is a challenge. Luckily, in the united states, we actually have about 10,000 small breweries, brew pubs, and taprooms. So, there are options. Why give your money to some fat cat sitting in a gilded office who knows where?

Shop small, support your local brewery

If you live anywhere near a major metropolitan area, chances are, there’s a small independent brewery not far from home. In some rural areas, you may have to travel a bit. But, even there, if you demand your local beer seller carry independent beers, chances are, they’ll try to fulfill the demand. But, if you’re lucky enough to have local breweries, now’s a good time to go out and support them. Click here for a link to craftbeer.com for an interactive map to find your brewery. They may not have all of them. But, it’s a good start.

While some breweries stick to brewing, many embrace the concept of the brewpub, where food is available as well as beer. Even if they don’t have a kitchen on site, a common thing these days is to have food trucks in the parking lot. I actually considered opening a brew pub with a couple close friends a while ago. At the time, there were only a few brewpubs and only in a few states. In the late 90’s they became legal in all 50 states. Massachusetts, today, has over 200 microbreweries and brew pubs. In the early 90’s, there were about that same number across the entire country. It’s a lot of competition. So, shouldn’t your beer money go directly to the visionary brewing for the art of beer instead of some cold impersonal corporate entity? And, smaller breweries offer a more personal experience and better variety.

Even the big guys know it’s about time for a new beer

The big corporate beer empires are taking notice of the expansion of micro brews. That’s why they keep buying up little guys. They know that their signature products are insipid. And, they want a larger audience. They aren’t content to just take their piece of the pie. It’s been a decades long change. But, the change is here to stay. in 1985, Sam Adams brewery launched a beer that was different from the mass produced stuff. It actually tasted like something. It was beer for grown ups. At the time, it seemed like a niche thing. But, a few awards, some heavy marketing, and some pulling strings took this little upstart into the mainstream. Today, you’ll find Sam Adams displayed alongside Bud, Miller, and Coor’s in all kinds of settings like sporting events.

Unfortunately for the beer, but, not for the owners, it is now a middle of the road beer serving as a bridge between insipid lagers and the world of micro-brews. But, they still make a variety of different beers including several seasonal varieties. And, their Utopia is purportedly the highest alcohol beer in the world with an ABV of 28% (Stronger than some liqueurs). At $250 a bottle though, it’s not something you’re swilling at a sportsball event. When Sam Adams started taking market share from the biggies, they took note, and expanded their portfolios. And, they formed the conglomerates we know today. It used to be Bud, Miller, and Coor’s with regional competition from companies like Rolling rock and PBR. Before Sam opened the door for real beer your choice was imported or domestic. And, Guinness was exotic.

Today, the top five conglomerates comprise over 1,000 brands. They want your money no matter who you are.

Start drinking a new fresh beer today

Don’t forget, you can also brew your own beer at home now. And, if you don’t have the time, space, or equipment, there are a number of brew your own places around too. The concept is to get together with beer lovers, share recipes and ideas. They have experts on staff to teach you how to brew. The brewing process has multiple steps, so you go back a couple times, and hopefully get to sample each others’ creations. And, if you have the ability to brew at home, it’s not that hard. Yes, you can get into all kinds of nuances. But, the basic concept is to make a tea of malt and hops, add yeast, ferment it, bottle or keg it, give it a bit of time, then drink it.

Being a time dependent endeavor, we recommend saving some of each batch for between brew sessions. And, we still think you should visit your local brewers when you can. A word of warning, you’re not going to save money brewing your own. That’s where the big guys have the market covered, cheap and moderate beers. But, compared to micro brews you can save money brewing your own after the initial investment in equipment. Again, we still think you should support the small brewers too. But, once you’re comfortable brewing your own, it’s something to enjoy and be proud of. After all, isn’t it about time for a new beer?

There is a world of options

You may have noticed the number 3 brewing conglomerate is Chinese. In the western world, we tend to forget that about 60% of the world’s population lives in Asia. So, when people complain about China controlling a lot of the economy, they’re really being greedy. The USA controls more of the world’s economy than China and Japan combined. Somehow, that doesn’t sound right. But, that’s a discussion for another time. Suffice to say, Americans consume way more than they should in mass quantities. Perhaps it’s About time for a new beer or new mentality toward beer. Instead of Drinking a six pack of Coor’s light, how about a couple really good micro-brews. You’ll spend less, and feel better.

With over 100,000 breweries worldwide, there are at least a million different types of beer to choose from. So, it’s really not that hard to come up with something different. Whether you choose home brewing, your local brewery, or if you end up stuck with something from the big guys, the choices are out there. One choice we hope you forego today is not drinking beer. So, for Auld Lang Syne, please, celebrate this holiday as it was meant with the beer of your choice. Isn’t it about time for a new beer?

Cheers!

And, here’s your home brew recipe: