Widely known and drunk around the United States, but what is the King of Beers?
5.0 Percent Alcohol by Volume
143 Calories per 12 oz. Serving
10.6 Grams of Carbs per 12 oz. Serving
Known as the “King of Beers” due to its popularity and widespread availability, Budweiser is the flagship brand from Anheuser- Busch. Poured into a glass, Budweiser is light in color, perfectly clear, fizzy, and has little or no head retention. The nose on a glass of Budweiser is pungent and not very appetizing, with light grains and a touch of alcohol detected with little effort. Budweiser looks and finsihes clean, but what about the taste? Is Budweiser deserving of its coveted claim as the king in its product class?
Unfortunately, Budweiser offers nothing special in the flavor department. It offers a lightly grainy flavor with a hint of apple in the background and very little hop character. It also has a noticeably snappy flavor due to the addition of rice. Very few brewers add rice to their beer, but rice has become a mainstay of Anheuser- Busch products and rice is directly responsible for the light, pale straw hue of Budweiser as well as the lighter, cleaner flavor and finish.
Budweiser is an American tradition and it is one of the few popular products from the past that is still going strong in terms of sales and brand name recognition. The reason isn’t so much the taste; it is the fact that Anheuser- Busch invests such a huge amount of money in its advertising of Budweiser. It is common to see and hear the Budweiser name at sporting events, concerts, and other places of entertainment and/or socialization. The marketing muscle of Anheuser- Busch is nothing to take lightly, and it is directly responsible for the continued success of this product.
Brewed to appeal to the masses, Budweiser is a product that aims to please many and offend few. It succeeds on both counts and even though there are hundreds of beer products with better flavor and more memorable qualities, Budweiser will likely remain at the top of the sales class for many years regardless. Tastes of Americans have matured and consumers continue to demand better quality brew, but Budweiser still remains at or near the top in terms of sales; proof positive that, with the right marketing campaign, most any product can overachieve.
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