[Spareribs]

I remember in my childhood memories, all the adults drank Budwieser. And here in America, it was marketed as the king of beers because it was so common and a big part of American culture. These days, however when I go to a bar I never see it unless I'm in a redneck part of a state.

According to what I read, Budweiser sold around 50 million barrels a year and now it sells around 16 million.
The popularity of craft beers is considered to be the cause of Budweiser's decline.

But here's my theory on another reason as well:

Budweiser has an image issue. When Americans think of Budweiser, they think of the bad out dated hair perms of the 80s. They think of the out of style hair metal bands wearing spandex pants or the mullet. Budweiser was most popular during America's tackiest period of style and it is a sign of the time of that era. Many people also think of Budweiser as the beer that Dad drank and that he won't drink craft beer because of his unsophisticated palate. It's beer for guys wearing tight jeans and cowboy hats and many Americans don't want to be associated with that image.

That being said, I think it's ok to drink it especially on a hot day if it's super ice cold. It's cheap and I don't mind being called a hillbilly if a friend catches me with a 6 pack.

 

[wuwhere]

Schlitz, Old Milwaukee, Coors, Generic, Moosehead, ..., other imports, but never Budweiser.

 

[crazychile]

I remember in my childhood memories, all the adults drank Budwieser. And here in America, it was marketed as the king of beers because it was so common and a big part of American culture. These days, however when I go to a bar I never see it unless I'm in a redneck part of a state.

According to what I read, Budweiser sold around 50 million barrels a year and now it sells around 16 million.
The popularity of craft beers is considered to be the cause of Budweiser's decline.

But here's my theory on another reason as well:

Budweiser has an image issue. When Americans think of Budweiser, they think of the bad out dated hair perms of the 80s. They think of the out of style hair metal bands wearing spandex pants or the mullet. Budweiser was most popular during America's tackiest period of style and it is a sign of the time of that era. Many people also think of Budweiser as the beer that Dad drank and that he won't drink craft beer because of his unsophisticated palate. It's beer for guys wearing tight jeans and cowboy hats and many Americans don't want to be associated with that image.

That being said, I think it's ok to drink it especially on a hot day if it's super ice cold. It's cheap and I don't mind being called a hillbilly if a friend catches me with a 6 pack.

A more appropriate ad slogan would be:
 
"Budweiser, the Disco of Beers"

 

[crazychile]

Most mainstream American beers taste like beer flavored carbonated water. So yeah, if they're really cold and you're really thirsty.
 
I confess my go-to cheap beer is Steel Reserve. It's sort of the white people version of Colt 45.

 

[earthpeople]

It's hard to drink Budweiser when there are so many good craft beers in the PNW. 
If I'm just looking for some cheap beer for a party or something, it seems that other beers of similar quality are usually cheaper. 
No problem with Budweiser, it just never seems to fit the situations I'm in. 

 

[Spareribs]

Yeah I agree and that's certainly another reason why the company is suffering in sales these days. It seems out of place as you indicated.

I think back in the old days a reason why Budweiser was so popular was because it was a combination of marketing and the selection of beers was limited. For many Americans, if you wanted to get a fancy beer, Heineken was the only choice as an upgrade.

I also think that back in the old days, good tasting beer was not possible in the minds of many people. You drank beer to get buzzed and it was thought that it was not supposed to taste good but guys drank it anyway ice cold to mask any flaws in the taste. You would have it at a party with a hotdog or burger because food selections also did not exist either and the only condiment was ketchup or mustard too. Everything was simple and primitive back then.

 

[Spareribs]

Also as you mentioned, it's hard to drink Budweiser when living in the Pacific North West. I also agree with that statement.

That area has for a long time had a good selection of craft beer with great local breweries even before craft beers became known in America. So while many people in other parts of the country were drinking Budweiser, Seattle already had a booming craft beer industry. Later, craft beer became popular in other parts of America. The Paciific Northwest was ahead of its time back then.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Yup - hipster capital of the USA...
http://www.geekwire.com/2012/seattle-portland-city-hip/