[RC]

If you've just day-hiked Mt. Whitney in August--in other words, if you've just hiked a 22-mile round trip in a single day where you've gone from 8000 feet 14,495 feet and then back again, all the while in the blazing high-altitude sun--then trust me, these beers are indeed the best beers in the world. You'd pay anything--anything--for one of these beers. And it would be the best beer you've ever had in your life. Please trust me on this.

Point is, whether these beers are fizzy, beer-flavored water or absolutely amazing depends on context. This is a very important point that BMC-haters need to understand.

[Robert]

If you've just day-hiked Mt. Whitney in August--in other words, if you've just hiked a 22-mile round trip in a single day where you've gone from 8000 feet 14,495 feet and then back again, all the while in the blazing high-altitude sun--then trust me, these beers are indeed the best beers in the world. You'd pay anything--anything--for one of these beers. And it would be the best beer you've ever had in your life. Please trust me on this.

Point is, whether these beers are fizzy, beer-flavored water or absolutely amazing depends on context. This is a very important point that BMC-haters need to understand.

I tend to regularly have two beers at any given time in my house, (with the occasional craft interloper:)  My homebrew in the keezer, PBR or High Life in the fridge.  The connection is that both are (and here I flatter myself) very well made examples of their kind, which kind is a well conceived and balanced recipe in the first place (again I flatter myself,) neither of which (well made or well conceived) can be said of most of the craft beers I find.  As long as blatantly unfair and illegal practices are held in check, the market ought to decide how much of what kind of beer the world really needs.   I'm hardly unique in straddling the two realms, am I?

[Gary Glass]

"Premium" is an industry term that differentiates this class of brands from "Subpremium", which would include brands like Busch and Keystone.

[chumley]

Robert and Gary have it correct.  Budweiser has been a premium brand since at least the 1970s.  Doesn't have anything to do with competition with craft beer.

[santoch]

"Premium" is an industry term that differentiates this class of brands from "Subpremium", which would include brands like Busch and Keystone.

Back when I was in HS, Busch and Keystone were premium, too.
Generic, no-name Beer in a white can with black stripes, now THAT was sub-premium.

[jeffy]

"Premium" is an industry term that differentiates this class of brands from "Subpremium", which would include brands like Busch and Keystone.

Back when I was in HS, Busch and Keystone were premium, too.
Generic, no-name Beer in a white can with black stripes, now THAT was sub-premium.

Years ago, on a trip to England, I found small cans marked "Barley Wine" with no other brand label at the grocery store.  They were actually quite good, but probably not premium.

[AzBruin]

This showed up in my inbox today. I had no idea these brands were considered ‘premium’.




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I started homebrewing to avoid the "Big 4". I live way out in the sticks, and it's a 30 mile drive (one way) for a slightly more decent beer. When hard pressed, or low on gas, the local C store has Kilt Lifter as their best option.