Video: Alternative Beer Goes Mainstream

Kevin Depew  Oct 20, 2009 12:15 pm

Video: Alternative Beer Goes Mainstream
 
As sales skyrocket, ironic Pabst Blue Ribbon ironically gets pricier.
 

 
Pabst Blue Ribbon, or PBR as it’s affectionately called by loyalists, has become the de facto recession-special beer in the 20-something market. To its many drinkers, PBR is cheap, unpretentious, and well, gets the job done.

But PBR wasn’t always so popular. And it was exactly its lack of popularity that marketers used to sell the brew to hip, young, alternative drinkers who detest anything too mainstream.

The marketing scheme worked. Pabst Blue Ribbon sales are up a whopping 25% this year. And now, prices for the beer are going up, making this once “cheap” beer more expensive than some “mainstream” brands like MillerCoors’ (TAP) Keystone and Anheuser-Busch’s (BUD) Busch and Natural brands.

So what’s a hipster to do?

Join Kevin Depew as he takes a look at a few beers that remain gloriously cheap, unpretentious, and, for now, alternative.



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15 of 15 (100%) found this helpful
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Comments (9) See All Comments »
10-20-2009, 1:48 pm
Honestly, I kind of like Schaefer. It was by far the best of the three. Olde English 800 is among the worst of the malt liquors; can't hold a candle to Colt 45 or Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull. Natural Light, on the other hand, is an abomination of
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10-20-2009, 2:59 pm
Maybe they improved in the last several decades. I used to like it, it was good, popular, my parents and older relatives all drank it on tap when they went out. So I should try it again. I haven't found it on tap in years.


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10-20-2009, 4:25 pm
I have surveyed cheap, light beers for my household. The winner (at least so far) is MIlwaukee's Best Light. Yuengling is great, esp. on tap - but it does not qualify as cheap in my view (and the Light is nothing to write home, or MV comments,
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10-20-2009, 9:11 pm
Loved the Beer "You Need to Know." I was surprised Genesee Cream Ale didn't make the list.
http://www.geneseecreamale.com/History/
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10-23-2009, 4:30 pm
Kev,

GREAT video! I grew up in the late 60's - early 70's. PBR was the number 1 selling beer in our region......Michigan's Upper Peninsula/Northern Wisconsin. EVERY single bar had it on tap and every single bar had
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