What Is "Good" Beer? Ask Charlie!

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The perennial, endless debate among, well, people, not just the beer geeks, is "what is good beer"? Personally, I think it's the one human question whose answer is absolutely relative: A "good" beer is one that you like.

My "favorite" beer, for example, is whatever I think will taste best with whatever I'm about to eat (I usually have beer with food.) And I know my tastebuds are mine and that they "lead" my palate and "good beer" brain in a particular direction. (And so I hereby bequeath my share of the world's IPA's to anyone who wants them, but I retain all rights to my share of the world's malty brown beers.)

Anyway, Charlie Papazian has been pondering the whole "good" beer quandry over at his blog and it's definitely worth taking a look. It's a multi-part series, and I think the most current entry is part six or seven. To find the beginning of his series, follow this link to the blog, and then look at the left side of the screen for links to the whole series. Enjoy!

Evidence That Craft Brewers Have A LOOONG Way to Go

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Over the next few days, I plan to comment on the InBev/A-B deal and what it means for the future of American brewing. And of course I'll discuss its impact on craft brewing.

But here's one thing I know: craft brewers aren't getting their message out. (If they were, they'd have at least 20% of the market by now.) How do I know that? Well, see above: they own just a tiny share of the overall market. Yes, it's growing, but the craft brewing is now thirty years old, its share of the consumer market has barely budged since the late 1980s, early 1990s. (*1)

Second, I do a lot of speaking to various groups. The events typically include a beer tasting. I ALWAYS pick local beers made by craft brewers. I try to choose beers made within the state where the event is held, and, if possible, beers made within twenty miles. And it never fails: almost no one -- sometimes not a single person -- has ever heard of the beers. These are gatherings of smart, educated (and affluent) people. And they've never heard of the beers at the tasting.

But here's more immediate evidence that craft brewers aren't getting their message (or their beers) across. Check out this piece in today's Salon. Or, more specifically, check out the comments that readers have posted about the article. Read those comments, and you'd never know that there are 1400+ craft breweries in the U.S. You'd never know that the U.S. has the most dynamic, creative brewing culture in the world. Craft brewers are NOT getting their message across. (More on this over the next few days.)

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*1: (Yes, I am aware that the Brewers Association has a small budget, but.... )

CNBC program on Anheuser-Busch

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In what is a case of either perfect or terrible timing, tomorrow night (July 17), CNBC will air a one-hour documentary about Anheuser-Busch. The program is part of its ongoing series called "American Originals." CNBC commissioned the film months ago, and production began in February. I flew to Chicago to film my part in it in March? April? Something like that. So it's been in the works for some time. Even this premiere date of July 17 was set back in May.

I have not seen the finished product, of course, so I have no idea what angle the director took; nor do I know if the production company has added voice-overs to acknowledge the, um, significant development that has unfolded since it wrapped production a few weeks ago. (*1) Anyway, it airs on CNBC Thursday July 17, 9 pm eastern time. Be there or be square.

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*1: So, you may ask, if she's not seen it, how the heck does she know she's in the program? Maybe she ended up on the cutting room floor. Good question! A few days ago, I had occasion to talk to a producer for one of CNBC's daytime news programs, and she told me that her boss had seen the final cut and that yes, I was in it. But I hasten to clarify: my role in this documentary is minuscule. I've done a great deal of on-camera work, and my experience is that one hour in front of the camera = one minute of actual air time. For this CNBC program, the director filmed me for two hours, which should translate to two minutes or less of air time.