Why does commercial beer suck arse?

[Vincent Hine]

Went to an exibition opening at a friends gallery last night, they were giving away Tiger for free. I felt a strong compulsion to complain about how shit the beer was. Why do people drink this flavourless horrible shite? It's bad when you get given a beer for free and still feel like you've been ripped off!

[nzbrewer]

That is way people drink wine

[Soren]

Same reason why some people drink instant coffee, vodka and red bull, eat white toast, mcdonalds, go on holiday to the same place year after year and so forth: they don't like change and are afraid of new flavors and experiences... beer is something people have grown up with tasting the same at all times, it is not a place most people look for new sensations. I'm sure it'll come right though, a decade ago there wasnt many espressos around, artisan bread in the supermarket and "gourmet" burgers.

[Alelover]

My view is that people follow fashions, just like with clothes and all the rest, they also go with what they perceive as fashionable i.e. what is dressed and promoted. Whatever is thrust at them through commercial advertising they will follow and worship like a god! Some people just drink the same old, just as they always wear jeans and a swandri!
Next time you are out, ask some random people if they drink - say Epic or Renaissance or Wigram beers, I am pretty sure they will look at you like you are from another planet and say Oh ive never heard of them.

[JoKing]

What cracks me up are the people who go from lager to lager to lager, claiming that Carlsberg is maltier than Heineken... and that Steinlager pure doesn't give you a hangover when Steinlager Green does...

These are the same people who are "Beer Connoisseurs" because they compare tasting notes in accordance to BJCP guidelines downloaded off the internet against different Green Bottle Booze, Ratebeering it with descriptors other than weak piss to get drunk on. WAKE UP PEOPLE. It's all the the same tasteless shit. Spend your money on some decent MADE IN NEW ZEALAND craft beer by New Zealand owned breweries and do your own country a favour.

People who drink commercial lager are extremely unpartiotic.

[Soren]

and yet the big breweries do their best to market their brands as extremely kiwi. like steinlager ( especially "pure"), tui and lets not forget "the beer of the great southern man" brewed in auckland by a offshore owned company...

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

"and that Steinlager pure doesn't give you a hangover when Steinlager Green does..."

I have had some hilariously conversations with people claiming this. The boys and girls in the Marketing team can give thenselves a nice pat on the back for that. They have been able to achieve what science has yet to do - a cure for a hangover. Who would have thought it was Harvey Keitel?

[Pint_of_Bitter]

Yes common old perception that the "Stiengrenade" gave you bad hangovers. Research showed consumers loved the brand, but not it's hangover giving properties (actually if you read the bottle - its says no presevatives or additives - much the same Pure does now). So they repackaged it - removed some of the greenbullet hop taste and told consummers that it is now Pure. It is now going busters for them...whatever you think Lion are are great at managing brands.

[nzbrewer]

managing brands like Rheineck? They should teach the Rheineck story as a case study for how not to manage a brand. Nothing like alienating your target market.

I think market share was something like 17% in 1987/88 and 18 months later it was 1.5%. Don't quote me on these exact figures but it was something this bad.

[Ally Mcg]

What the Rheineck story? I can't beleive it was ever popular.

But then i bet people will be saying the same thing about steiny pure in 20 years time...

[Reviled]

I say that about steiny pure now ;o)

[Ally Mcg]

Lol, true. I amazed how popular it is tho. And when you ask people its all about the clean (ie lack of) taste that appeals. Might as well drink water

[Martin Bridges]

"What cracks me up are the people who go from lager to lager to lager, claiming that Carlsberg is maltier than Heineken... "

I saw a TV report a few months back where they got a bunch of megaswill drinkers to all choose their favourite beer then did a blind tasting to get them to identify it. They actually got less right than if they'd just picked at random.