Word is that Heineken will be buying the Mexican brewery that makes beers like Dos Equis and Tecate. Once upon a time, Heineken was the neutral go-to beer in my household, the one you took to parties because most people were likely to enjoy it. It wasn't too serious for the Miller Lite swillers who should probably just drink water anyway but who am I to judge, and it wasn't as gross as, say, Miller Lite to the people who actually liked to drink real beer. Alas, that ship has sailed, and now we reach for Sam Adams when duty calls (Boston Lager or Pils, depending on the group).
But back to the news, Marketplace is reporting that, perhaps as a result of a recent spate of brewery consolidations, sales at microbreweries are going up. At the same time, sales at big beer companies are dropping. It's interesting to think that, in a crappy economy, people might be willing to pay more for their beer. Some people speculate that drinkers want stuff that's made locally, rather than by some big international company. Others just think people are being exposed to better quality brews and are consequently laying off the cheap, nasty ones.
Me, I think it's a combination of those, plus that fact that, when you don't have a lot of money to throw around and you still want to look cool, even pricey microbrews are a relatively cheap way to polish the ol' public image. Or maybe it just makes you look like a pretentious douchebag to show up with a six pack of Stone IPA instead of a case of Budweiser. Whatever.
It's also a good way to connect with friends, again without breaking the bank; have a tasting party at someone's house, everyone brings a different kind of beer, shenanigans ensue. It's a bit classier and more fun than just getting drunk off Natty Lite like a stereotypical frat boy. I recommend Apples to Apples as the perfect party game accompaniment.
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