I’m no teetotaler, but remarks like this just make me stop and wonder.
The article, in the Wednesday, April 26, 2006, Wall Street Journal, by Sarah Ellison, is about Anheuser-Busch Cos. and its chairman, August Busch III. Mainly it explains the purpose it — and the other major American breweries — has had since World War II: to make a bland, universal beer. Now, the growing popularity of traditional tasting beers (plural) and of smaller brewers is causing the majors to rethink strategies.
“One key to Budweiser’s popularity is that it produces no ‘palate fatigue’ after several drinks. The bitterness in stronger beers tends to build up, causing a drinker to tire of the taste. Bud’s appeal is what people in the industry call ‘drinkability.’ (In the U.K., it is called ‘sessionability,’ for how many beers one person will drink in a session.) Budweiser tests drinkability in ‘pub tests’ in which the brewer rents a pub or a bar and invites people to drink free. Afterward, Anheuser drives the drinkers home.
“For Mr. Busch, the definition of ‘drinkability’ is simple: ‘I want the next beer!’ he says. ‘You stop drinking because you know it’s time to stop but you don’t want to: That’s drinkability.’
“… ‘We’ve been tasting these beers for 50 years,’ says Mr. Busch [of him and his brewmaster]. ‘If we can’t sit down and drink three or four of them, then it’s not right.'”
Wouldn’t anyone recall similar comments made by researchers and executives in the tobacco industry? No criticism, just makes me pause and think. -30-
