American Macro Week 2: Bud Light Lime

American Macro Week 2: Bud Light Lime

Bud Light Lime is Anheuser-Busch‘s answer to Miller Chill. Unlike Miller, who claims their Chill is brewed with limes and salt, Bud Light Lime is only stated to have "natural lime flavor." It’s 4.2% alcohol by volume, and (to ruin the surprise) rates higher than Miller Chill on the rating … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Miller Chill

American Macro Week 2: Miller Chill

A revisitation of the American Macro genre wouldn’t be complete without checking out the so-called "chelada" beers being offered. Miller Chill was one of the first in this category, and is brewed with lime and salt. Or it’s at least blended with lime and salt; I’m not entirely sure how … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Bud Ice

American Macro Week 2: Bud Ice

Bud Ice is, of course, the "ice beer" offering from Anheuser-Busch. A-B claims that it’s the first (American) draft beer to be "ice brewed", which I’m not really in a position to verify thoroughly; they claim it was introduced in 1984 which seems early enough to be plausible. This beer … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Landshark Lager

American Macro Week 2: Landshark Lager

Landshark Lager has an interesting pedigree, and probably one I’ll bet you didn’t think you’d see reviewed under the "Macro" category. Not so. Even though it’s marketed by Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville franchise, the beer itself is brewed by—you guessed it—Anheuser-Busch and is in fact brewed to the "American Macro" style. … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Natural Light

American Macro Week 2: Natural Light

I’m probably reviewing Anheuser-Busch‘s "Natural" series backwards; yesterday I reviewed Natural Ice and tonight it’s Natural Light., which was introduced first back in 1977. Oh well. Natural Light is pretty typical for the "light" beer category; it only comes in at 4.2% alcohol by volume, and, well, I picked up … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Natural Ice

American Macro Week 2: Natural Ice

Natural Ice is a relative newcomer to the Anheuser-Busch family, introduced in 1995. (Natural Light was introduced in 1977.) Along with the Busch line, the "Natural" beers are part of A-B’s "value priced" category—also called "subpremium-priced." The beer is 5.9% alcohol by volume (which seems to be the trend among … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Keystone Ice

American Macro Week 2: Keystone Ice

Keystone Ice is the so-called "ice beer" version of Keystone Light (or just plain Keystone), which is purportedly "regular" beer which has been subjected to "ice brewing"—that is, lowering the temperature to below freezing so that water freezes out, yielding higher levels of alcohol. (Of course, the actual process may … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Busch Light

American Macro Week 2: Busch Light

Last year I reviewed Busch Beer but I never got around to it’s "lite" counterpart, Busch Light. I rectified that this time around. (If "rectified" can really be the right term to apply here…) Busch is the value brand from Anheuser-Busch, first introduced in 1955. The Light version was introduced … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: Not the Big Three you think

American Macro Week 2: Not the Big Three you think

When I write "American Macro", it’s generally understood that it refers to (beers brewed by) the American Macro Brewers, otherwise known as the "Big Three" (though my no means restricted to them): Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors. (It also refers to the general style of "Macro Lager" that they tend to … Continue reading

American Macro Week 2: D.B. Hobbs Golden Lager

American Macro Week 2: D.B. Hobbs Golden Lager

You probably thought the first "American Macro" review was going to be something from one of the megabrewers—not so! I’m reviewing any beer of the "American Macro" genre (i.e., pale lager optionally brewed with adjuncts), and D.B. Hobbs Golden Lager, brewed by City Brewing of La Crosse, Wisconsin, is exactly … Continue reading