"miller" news and stories

For my entire life, when it came to American breweries, three names came to mind: Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors. Well, in 2002, Miller was purchased by South African Breweries to form SABMiller. In 2005, Coors merged with Canada's Molson to form Molson Coors. And now, the multi-continent conglomerate InBev is buying Anheuser-Busch. It's enough to make your head-spin: You shouldn't need an M.B.A. to get tipsy.

The question becomes, with all of these international buyouts, what true blue American breweries are left?

A lot of companies have been quick to fly the American flag, but fittingly, the new #1 American owned brewery takes their brand name from an American patriot. Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams, is now not only America's largest "craft brewer", it's also the country's largest domestically owned brewery. If that doesn't further blur the line between the modern craft brewery and their macro counterparts, I don't know what does.

So who are in line to be the new "Big 3"? Breaking it down strictly by 2007's beer sales volume here you go: 1) Boston Beer (makers of Sam Adams), 2) Yuengling, and 3) Sierra Nevada.

Surprised? I was. See the entire list (compiled by the not-for-profit Brewers Association) here.

[Photo Credit: yuengling.com / sierranevada.com / samueladams.com]

Flavored beers are most often produced by smaller, regional breweries, while the national brewers tend to stick with the tried-and-true brands that they know their consumers already have a taste for. But it seems like more of the major brewers are catching on to the trend and releasing seasonal or flavored brews. Miller Brewing Co. is introducing a chocolate beer, Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager, that will be sold throughout the midwest from October to December. The beer won a gold medal at the 2005 Great American Beer Festival and is made up of a blend of cacao nibs and six different malts, which supposedly give it a more complex flavor than regular beer. It will be sold in "sold in four packs of 12-ounce bottles and will be marketed for holiday gift giving."

I won't comment on the gifting value of a four-pack of beer, but I guess it's nice to know that the company encourages sharing.

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Coca Cola will be making its first entry into the alcoholic beverage market in Australia. The soda company has partnered with SABMiller to promote three types of beers, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller genuine Draft and Pilsner Urquell. Currently, all three beers are sold in Australia, but they only make up 0.13% of the 1.6 billion liter per year beer market. All will be marketed as premium brands.

The speedy growth rate in the premium beer sector (up 15% over 5 years) explains why Coca Cola is interested in expanding beyond sodas, which have remained steady and without increase over the same time period in the country.

Though Coke will not be releasing its own brand of beer at the moment, one has to wonder if the company will eventually branch out into that sector, which seems as though it could be more likely if this venture is a success.

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Are you sitting down? Good, because Miller Genuine Draft has some shocking news: today's man can't be defined by the terms "meathead," "metrosexual," and "yuppie."

MGD and Kelton Research Group polled more than 800 men between the ages of 21 and 34 with an eye towards repositioning the beer to cater to these "evolving" adults. Miller's even come up with a buzzword of its own: "the evolved entertainer." This 21st-century stud keeps his living space tidy, owns at least one cookbook, and has no problem whipping up an impromptu meal for a lady friend who pops over unannounced.

Lest I forget, 44% of those surveyed prefer a good beer over wine or liquor. Guess that means they're skipping the MGD and going straight for a Belgian ale.

I'm not a big beer drinker. In fact, I'm not a beer drinker, period. Beer has always tasted extremely bitter to me, and I had it in my head that beer is very very bad for the belly (whereas wine and cocktails are diet drinks, right?).

But this weekend, I finally developed a little bit of a taste for beer. I tried several different ones (five to be exact) just to prove to myself that all beers do not, indeed taste like the same nasty dirty dishwasher that I thought. My personal, introductory tasting notes:  

• Tecate and Corona were good, and in LA, these are very familiar beers. I certainly liked the fact that we squeezed lime wedges into them. Without the lime, though, both were just okay. Now that I've tasted it with the lime, I don't think I could drink it plain.
• Samuel Adams was a little too bitter for me and i couldn't finish the bottle without squeezing lime into it. What? Is that wrong? Why can't I squeeze a lime into a Sam Adams?
• Pilsner-Urquell is a beer from the Czech Republic, and I didn't know how to pronounce it. It was even more bitter and stinky than the Sam Adams. I think I am learning that I don't like beers that come in green bottles.
• Granted, I'm years behind most people in the beer drinking evolution, so yes, I am still on what most people start with - Miller Genuine Draft, or as we beer drinkers say, MGD. This was the winner of the weekend and what I will be drinking during the Super Bowl.