Why I Don’t Drink Non-Craft Beers

Last week, you read about Why I Choose Craft Beer so naturally my next post should be why I don’t drink the “other” types of beer.

You should go read last week’s post but more or less, I discussed why craft beer is what I choose to drink about 99.9% of the time which meaning I rarely if ever drink non-craft.

For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you probably saw me drinking Miller High Life recently at a hockey game. That was the .1% when the low availability of craft beer and cost difference won out. (High Life was $1 that night!)

Non-Craft beers are the domestic/macro American beers. So Budweiser, Corona, Heineken all fall into this category for me. Most are pale lagers or similar styles. I normally do not enjoy these styles of beer and this is why.

Back Story

As a kid, when I thought of beer, the standard American domestic beer came to mind. My opinion of these beers wasn’t good. I thought they were cheap, smelled funny and I suspected they tasted bad. So as an adult; I had no interest in drinking beer or getting to know anything about it.

Obviously, craft beer completely changed that for me and I can now see how both craft beer and macro beer have a place and purpose. The point is I did not start out in a place that made me want to try beer of any kind. I had a strong prejudice against Budweiser and all of its friends that has not been easy to look past.

Diet

Have you ever heard the saying “don’t drink your calories”? If you have ever tried to lose weight then you probably have. The idea is many beverages have a lot of calories in them. Over indulging in drinks can easily wreck your diet.

I do my best to maintain a healthy diet. I track calories, workout a few times a week and try my best to avoid sweets. Beer is not one of the healthiest options available. So if it there isn’t a good craft beer available; I would rather use the calories on food or enjoy a good beer later.

Cost

I am a Husband and Dad of three; watching the budget is important to our family. There are many times I do not drink beer because I want to save a few dollars. Beer and alcohol are not budget friendly. But if I am going to pay for a beer it better be something good.

I would rather go enjoy a flight at a local brewery or grab a few beers to enjoy at home than pay restaurant prices for a beer that I probably won’t enjoy. It just doesn’t make much sense to spend money on a domestic beer when it is not what I want.

Flavor

This is the main reason that I don’t drink non-craft beers. I just don’t like them. And it’s not the style necessarily because I have had pilsners and lagers by craft breweries that taste different (better). The American styles often lack the depth of flavor that I look for in a beer.

Without hesitation, I can say that light beers are probably my least favorite. There is nothing wrong with light beers; many prefer them. I would have to think they wouldn’t drink them unless they liked the taste. It just is not for me.

And while I am not a brewer, I understand that many of the pilsners and American lagers that make up the domestic market are no easier to make than other beers. In many cases, it is actually more difficult. These huge breweries do an amazing job producing the same product over and over again on a scale beyond my comprehension. A few years back, I had the opportunity to tour the Budweiser plant in St. Louis and it is impressive to say the least. So these breweries do amazing work; I simply prefer the taste of other products.

Am I Missing Out?

I know many craft beer lovers that drink domestic/macro brews on a regular basis. They drink them at tailgates, backyard grill outs and when they just want a beer dinner. These beers are known for fitting into social situations and being readily available in a refrigerator near you.

So should I be drinking them?

This is a question that I asked myself recently and it wasn’t easy to answer. With so many people around me enjoying American macro beers, it would seem like I should join in.

There will be occasions when I will consume a Miller Lite or Budweiser but I don’t see it ever being more than .1% of the time. I just love craft beer too much.
If you drink Coors and others like it, do not expect any judgment from me. I may encourage you to try craft beer but I truly believe in drinking whatever you like the most. Love what you drink and drink what you love!

Do you drink both craft and non-craft beers?

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