Bargain Brewskies Buoy Breweries

Downmarket brew's sales skyrocket as usual suspects flounder

(NEWSER) - Pabst Blue Ribbon has profited from a hipster following for years because of its unpretentious image and low-profile marketing, so it makes sense that even a recession hasn’t dimmed the brand’s power. Sales are up 30% for the year ending in October, trouncing beer’s overall 1.1% increase and shaming Budweiser, down 7%. More»

(NEWSER) - The nation’s largest brewers plan to raise beer prices in the fall, the Wall Street Journal reports. Anheuser-Busch InBev—maker of Budweiser—and MillerCoors will further test the notion that beer is generally recession-proof. “The environment is very favorable, we think,” says an Anheuser exec. Both companies have been able to offset sales slumps by raising prices in the last year. More»

Natural Light, Busch, High Life see sales jump

(NEWSER) - With the recession drying up cash flow, thirsty Americans are seeking out “sub-premium” beers, and brewers are marketing accordingly, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Anheuser-Busch is creating its first-ever ad campaign for Natural Light, whose sales are up 4% this year; MillerCoors is pushing Miller High Life, whose sales have risen 1.6%. More»

National Bohemian tops list of cheap crowd pleasers

(NEWSER) - It's no small task to find a robust, canned American beer for less than $1, but these six passed the bar—albeit just barely—in a blind taste test conducted by the Washington Post:

• Baltimore's National Bohemian tops the list with its secret strategy: "Actually tastes like beer."
• Miller High Life has a refreshing fizz, but drink too many and expect to be bloated.

...and realize it's a lot like watery piss, actually

(NEWSER) - Anyone who thinks InBev’s buyout of Budweiser represents the end of American beer needs a history lesson, writes Edward McClelland in Salon. Budweiser became the “King of Beers” by killing every other heir to the throne. In 1960, America had 175 traditional, regional breweries, making lagers just like Bud. Anheuser-Busch systematically crushed them all, through its distribution and marketing might. More»