The Craft Beer Catch-22

A relatively famous, yet anonymous quote follows like this: “Life is too short to drink crap beer.” Simple. No problem. Buy the good stuff, stay away from the big brands, you’re safe, right? It’s obvious which brands are craft and which are macro, isn’t it?
The light beers of the world, the macro swill, these are easy, and most of you fellow beers snobs find it simple to steer clear of this realm. On the other hand, world-class beers from America’s finest breweries like Founders, Ballast Point, Victory, Bell’s, are just as straightforward in a positive way. You return to these options again and again knowing that beer from these fine craft brewers will be top notch.
There is a middle ground, and this gray area is where folks can quickly get into trouble when choosing their ale and lager enjoyment. The territory between macro and craft is as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle, and there are forces at work that fight to keep it that way.
In the faux craft world, some entities are less-opaque than others. Who doesn’t know that Killian’s Red, a once ruby red ale brewed and sold in Ireland is now a middling, disappointing red lager from Coors. As well, it would be hard to find the person who purchases Miller-Coors’ Blue Moon products under the impression they have a fine craft brewed beer in their cart. The Blue Moon line was started as the craft beer arm of the Coors Brewing Company, but it was and always will be a faux-craft product wholly owned, brewed, and distributed by Miller-Coors, just as, amongst others, Shock Top Belgian White is a faker from Anheuser-Busch/InBev.
However, there’s a far more devious path that some draft beers have chosen, and these brands present possibly the most worrisome and troubling choice for the consumer. Have you ever considered or even purchased brands such as Batch 19, Third Shift, Bare Knuckle, Big Flats, Barrel Trolley, Alexander Keith’s, Stone Mill, Henry Weinhards? I know strolling through the beer isle at my local grocery I see nearly all of these brands. All of these are faux-craft beers from either Miller-Coors or Anheusr-Busch/InBev. Any mention of the father brand on the label? No.
And then you have once prestigious craft brewers who have linked up with the big macro boys, and are either partially owned by them, or use their distribution lines and power. Red Hook, Widmer, Kona, Old Dominion are among the little guys who have bed down with macro beer.
The one that really hurts is Goose Island Brewing Co., makers of 312 Urban Wheat and Honker’s Ale, among others. The entity is wholly owned by Anheusr-Busch/InBev. I tasted these beers 10 years ago, having traded to get them in the south, and I can say that they have diminished significantly since their jump to mass distribution.
However, some of Goose Island’s beers, namely the Bourbon County Brand Stout and its variants are some of the most sought after beers in the country. I was lucky to get several bottles of the Bourbon County Brand Stout, and it’s easily one of the best beers I have ever had. What gives? With two brewpubs separate from the ‘brewery’ and some beers not made for mass distribution, Goose Island is a brand that becomes quite hard to ascertain in relation to the macro and craft beer discussion.
On one level, drink what you like and what tastes good. Yet, it’s also important to know who brews your beer, where it’s coming from, and how it’s getting to you. Are you drinking a craft beer from a small, independent brewery or a crafty knockoff from a multinational corporation? Beer for thought. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
 
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at the_beer_snob@hotmail.com.